Podcasts about in ruth

This Bible study devotional covers Ruth chapter 3. In this passage, Ruth proposes marriage to Boaz, not for her benefit but Naomi's, and Boaz accepts. As always, we are committed to showing you how to see the good news of the Gospel in every passage of Scripture. In Ruth 3, we see that Jesus is like both loyal Ruth and generous Boaz who covers. Jesus gives us more than we need. For more information about Spoken Gospel visit: https://www.spokengospel.com We believe the only path to transformative Bible engagement is to see Jesus and his gospel wherever you are in the story. Jesus taught that he can be seen on every page of the Bible. Only by seeing the light of the Gospel in the face of Jesus can we be transformed into his image (2 Cor. 3:18, 4:6). We want to help people engage with every corner of the Bible in a transformative way. To that end, we are making Christ-centered, devotional podcasts that cover every chapter of the Bible. They are brief field guides through every passage of scripture that explain each chapter within its context and how it reveals more about the good news of Jesus. The Gospel changes things. Through our resources, we hope to create growing, deepening, and transforming Bible engagement that reshapes individuals, churches, and cultures with the Gospel. And we hope that you will join us in that mission.

This Bible study devotional covers Ruth chapter 2. In this passage, we read how Ruth's hard work and bold character secure the attention of a redeemer named Boaz. As always, we are committed to showing you how to see the good news of the Gospel in every passage of Scripture. In Ruth 2, we see that God responds with generosity and kindness to his people's faithfulness. For more information about Spoken Gospel visit: https://www.spokengospel.com We believe the only path to transformative Bible engagement is to see Jesus and his gospel wherever you are in the story. Jesus taught that he can be seen on every page of the Bible. Only by seeing the light of the Gospel in the face of Jesus can we be transformed into his image (2 Cor. 3:18, 4:6). We want to help people engage with every corner of the Bible in a transformative way. To that end, we are making Christ-centered, devotional podcasts that cover every chapter of the Bible. They are brief field guides through every passage of scripture that explain each chapter within its context and how it reveals more about the good news of Jesus. The Gospel changes things. Through our resources, we hope to create growing, deepening, and transforming Bible engagement that reshapes individuals, churches, and cultures with the Gospel. And we hope that you will join us in that mission.

This Bible study devotional covers Ruth chapter 1. In this passage, we read about multiple tragedies that drive Naomi and Ruth to return to Bethlehem. As always, we are committed to showing you how to see the good news of the Gospel in every passage of Scripture. In Ruth 1, we see that even though there is no king in Israel, Ruth shows us that a loyal and loving redeemer is still on the throne. For more information about Spoken Gospel visit: https://www.spokengospel.com We believe the only path to transformative Bible engagement is to see Jesus and his gospel wherever you are in the story. Jesus taught that he can be seen on every page of the Bible. Only by seeing the light of the Gospel in the face of Jesus can we be transformed into his image (2 Cor. 3:18, 4:6). We want to help people engage with every corner of the Bible in a transformative way. To that end, we are making Christ-centered, devotional podcasts that cover every chapter of the Bible. They are brief field guides through every passage of scripture that explain each chapter within its context and how it reveals more about the good news of Jesus. The Gospel changes things. Through our resources, we hope to create growing, deepening, and transforming Bible engagement that reshapes individuals, churches, and cultures with the Gospel. And we hope that you will join us in that mission.

by Elder Chris McCool, Pastor (preached June 6, 2021) In Ruth, we see many parallels to the redemption story. Boaz certainly is a type of the Lord Jesus Christ, and we often read our text verse as applying to His … Read More

Bible Study with Jairus - Ruth   The book of Ruth is comprised of only four short chapters, but it's a very important book in the Bible. It serves as a link between the past and the future. It's preceded by the historical account of chaotic Israel in the book of Judges for hundreds of years or more. It's a cycle in which the Israelites turned their backs on God and therefore God judged them, and then they repented and prayed for God's help, so God saved them. In summary, the scene of Judges is not very good. The book after Ruth is Samuel. It describes the birth of David and the wonderful work God did through David.   Ruth was a Moabite gentile. She married Boaz, the descendant of Tamar and Judah (Salmon, the father of Boaz by Rahab). Boaz is the father of Obed. Obed is the father of Jesse, and Jesse is the father of King David (NIV, Matthew 1:5-6). Matthew's genealogy looks very simple, but it's the condensed version of the entire Old Testament. If you want to figure out this genealogy, you need to be familiar with the history of the Israelites in the entire Old Testament.   Similarly, Ruth's short description at the beginning tells us that in the days when the judges ruled, Israel suffered a famine. Naomi's husband Elimelek left Bethlehem in Judah and lived in the country of Moab. In the end, Elimelek and his two sons, Mahlon and Kilion, died. These first three verses have simply recorded this story. Actually, this is a condensed summary of the history of the Judges. The history of the Judges is like a severe cold winter, with dead twigs and withered leaves everywhere. But when the earth is in a severe cold winter, new life will be born underground, just waiting for the spring to come. It's just like the budding plum blossom in China. The Bible is written by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. I often say that the Holy Spirit is the best playwright and creator in the world. The picture painted by the Holy Spirit in the book of Ruth is like the author of traditional Chinese ink painting. Now there are a few black dead twigs on the Xuan paper. It doesn't look that lively, but it didn't take long for God to draw a few bright red and beautiful plum blossoms, making this painting radiant.     The dark period of the Judge's is like the dead twigs of this Chinese ink painting. The story of Ruth's wonderful salvation is like the blooming of plum blossoms. Although the weather is still severe and cold, the plum blossom is starting to bloom and spring has already arrived. Ruth is this plum blossom, proclaiming the Savior of mankind. Jesus Christ is coming soon in a few more generations. Isn't this exciting? If you were a prophet in the Old Testament or Simeon or Anna who were looking forward to the coming of Jesus Christ in the temple, can you imagine how exciting it will be to see this picture? Ruth the mother of Obed, Obed the father of Jesse, Jesse the father of David, and Jesus Christ, the descendant of David, are coming soon. Although it can't happen overnight, a definite date has already been arranged. It's a pity that most people don't have such prophetic vision. They see the savage darkness and the raging winter instead.   Chinese poet Hai Zi said, "The night has given me dark eyes but I use them to look for light." I am not familiar with Hai Zi's poems, but a good friend of mine who graduated from Beijing Normal University is a fan of him. He told me about Hai Zi's poems and the story of Hai Zi's suicide. I don't understand what kind of pain causes a person to commit suicide. I can only say that Hai Zi did not live out the ideals written by his poems. Darkness is temporary. As John says, darkness never overcomes the light (NIV, John 1:5). Dawn is actually very near you when you're in your darkest hour. The footsteps of spring have already come secretly even in the harshest winter season.   The book of Judges is like a cold, dark winter. Ruth's appearance depicts a blooming plum blossom before spring. In our speed reading this time, we've painted this beautiful picture. I hope to briefly review the contents of our Bible Study.   God's Judgment brought Redemption   I have always said that God's judgment is not the aim, but a means to bring redemption. Many people misunderstand God's thoughts and imagine God as a fierce God. Elimelech and his two sons died because of God's judgment. Of course, Naomi felt bitter. The name Naomi means blessings from God. Her life was bitter to the point where she even returned to the country of Judah and told other Israelites, “Don't call me Naomi, call me Mara for my life is bitter.” (Ruth, 1:20).   My wife and I have suffered the painful experience of ten years of infertility. The process is really bitter. The quarrels, struggles, tears, and pain experienced is unimaginable for those who have never experienced it. Another couple who participated in our Bible Study at that time was also infertile for many years.  One day, the wife said to us that she felt that God had done nothing but deprive her. Everything that others have, she doesn't. Coupled with other difficulties in life, she felt like Naomi who called herself Mara, which meant bitter (Of course, she had a son and a daughter afterward; we also have our miracle daughter). Thinking back, we really learned a lot of lessons. We should keep our eyes open and see the hope ahead of us when we're in difficult circumstances.   Naomi represents our old man, Ruth represents our new man   Actually, saying that Naomi represents our old man is not very accurate, or perhaps it's too early to say that. Because the thing that should be said first is that Elimelech and his two sons, Mahlon and Kilion, represent our old man. They have been killed by God's judgment. But Naomi can represent the struggles of our old man in our spiritual experience. We all know that once we are saved, our old man is crucified with Christ. But in experience, our old man is still alive. From the spiritual reality, our old man is indeed dead. But in terms of spiritual experience, our old man still needs to be conformed to the death of Christ. In the process, our old man will inevitably complain. This is Naomi's experience. Ruth represents our new man. While Naomi had experienced death, life was started in Ruth, and it resulted in producing a descendant, which was Obed. Although this child was Ruth's, people said that he was Naomi's child, because Naomi became his nurse. Naomi's and Ruth's experiences are actually together, or we can say that a person's two different experiences, when intertwined, produce a new man in the end.   I heard that the author of the book "Dream of the Red Chamber" sometimes applied the story of the same person on different characters. The Holy Spirit often used this writing technique when writing the Bible. It often separates and puts the spiritual experience that one person had on different people. If you have spiritual comprehension, you will be able to understand that they are actually one person, or that the experience of these people can actually be a person's different spiritual experience.   For example, the Bible records that the families of Saul and David had been fighting for a long time. This experience can represent the battle between a person's old and new man. In the end, of course, the new man represented by David won. Similarly, the experience of Naomi and Ruth here is intertwined, showing us a picture of how the new and old man reacts differently to things. For example, in facing God's judgment, the old man Naomi said that the Almighty has made my life very bitter (NIV, Ruth 1:20). But the new man Ruth lay at the feet of Boaz (who represents Christ), like Mary of Bethany. The old man Naomi said, “Why would you come with me? Am I going to have any more sons, who could become your husbands?” (NIV, Ruth 1:11). The new man Ruth said, “Unless death can separate me from you, where you go I will go, your God will be my God”. (NIV, 1:16). The old man Naomi complained that her life was bitter so she let people call her Mara. But the new man Ruth never complained. She did not complain that her husband died. She also did not complain that she was born a Moabite. In Deuteronomy 23:3 God said: “No Moabite or any of their descendants may enter the assembly of the LORD, not even in the tenth generation.” (NIV, Deuteronomy 23:3). If she lived today, she would have a lot to complain about, such as: "I was born the wrong color, my race was cursed, my husband has even died etc," But in the entire book of Ruth, you don't hear any complaints from her. Her words and behavior are very much like what Peter said, "Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight." (NIV, 1 Peter 3:4)   Naomi also represents the Holy Spirit, Ruth represents the bride   I mentioned earlier that the Holy Spirit often puts different experiences that a person can have on different people when writing the Bible. In addition, the Holy Spirit often uses the same person, things, or events to represent different spiritual things or experiences. For example, the simplest example is that the Bible uses a lion to describe the Lion of the tribe of Judah - Jesus Christ. It also uses a lion to describe the devil who prowls around looking for someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8).   Here, in addition to representing the old man, Naomi also represents the Holy Spirit. Ruth represents the bride, and Boaz represents Christ. We know that Abraham's old servant represents the Holy Spirit. He finds Isaac (who represents Christ) a bride named Rebekah. He beautified the bride (gave Rebekah a lot of earrings, nose rings, and other ornaments), and used camels (representing an unclean environment that is a tool in the hands of God) to bring Rebekah to the tent of Isaac. We also know that the eunuch in the book of Esther also represents the Holy Spirit. Not only did he help select Esther, but he also supplied her with anointing oil, so that she could receive beauty treatments (ointments and perfumes), thus exuding the fragrance of (Christ), letting the king (who represents Christ) to be delighted with her. Here, Naomi also represents the Holy Spirit. She has been a helper and a comforter. After our old man is dead, we travel together with our weak new man to bring her to the Promised Land God has given us and help her to know Christ (a representation of Boaz) to please Him. Through his redemption as her relative, she has become his spouse and bride. In the end, a man child (Obed) was brought into the lineage of Christ thus completing God's plan.   Ruth 2:1 says that Naomi had known that Boaz was a wealthy man. But in verse 2, Ruth herself said that she would glean in the fields and she didn't know who would find favor with her. Note that it doesn't say here that Ruth knew Boaz. She didn't know him at all, but the Holy Spirit explained in the first chapter that when Naomi was in the land of Judah, she knew Boaz. Here is the foundation of the writing of the Holy Spirit later in this chapter.   So, how long did Naomi stay away from Judah? The Bible didn't record it, so we don't know. But we guess that it may be quite a while because both of her two daughters-in-law were married in Moab. We guess that Boaz may be an old man already and perhaps he is a man with wife. We don't know these. It's just our speculation. Because when Ruth followed Boaz, Boaz said a sentence, “You have not run after the younger men but chose me instead.” (NIV, Ruth 3:10). From here, we can also guess that Boaz might not be that young anymore. But Ruth did not know Boaz (who represented Christ) according to the flesh. It's through the help of Naomi (who represents the Holy Spirit) that she knew Boaz (or Christ).   Consequently, Ruth went to glean in the fields and it happens to be the field of Boaz. Was this accidental? No, it wasn't.  The Holy Spirit led her there.   I've been a believer for seventeen years now. Looking back at the history of these seventeen years and the years before becoming a believer, I find that the Holy Spirit has been wonderfully leading me. When the Holy Spirit leads us, he often doesn't speak loudly. Rather, he leads us silently. We may not feel him, or we'll only discover afterward that it's the Spirit's wonderful leading. When I was in college, I went to Peking University to find some friends to hang out with. When I saw that they were preparing for the TOEFL(Test of English as a Foreign Language) test, I was curious to understand why they were preparing to go abroad.  I had thoughts myself of ​​going abroad to study. However, I also wanted to take the national postgraduate entrance exam in China. I had made a plan for myself. If I passed the national postgraduate entrance exam, I would stay and pursue postgraduate studies in China. If I didn't pass, I would apply to study abroad. In the end, I took third place for my total score in the national postgraduate entrance exam in my major. Ten plus postgraduate students were enrolled in our major. My scores far exceeded the admission score. However, when I was taking the politics exam, I had an extremely bad headache. I didn't score well on the test. I was only a few points away from passing. So, I missed the postgraduate admission. Only after I was saved, did it occur to me that this might be the Lord intervening. I rarely get headaches so perhaps He wanted me to study abroad.  Later, when I did go abroad to study, I came in contact with gospel believers and began to receive Biblical education. It was only then that I realized that this was part of God's plan for me.  Even the school choices that I filled out in college were the same. I originally planned to apply for philosophy at a well-known university in China. While I was trying to rest in my dorm room, I suddenly thought of applying to a journalism major in another university. This university was more of a liberal arts college. Because I come from a rural family and wasn't good at socializing with others, I had a very hard time adjusting to this school and spent a few painful years there. Later, I had worked in the media industry, and I had hoped to make a difference in this area. But because I'm a believer, I was also slowly becoming indifferent to the world's ambitions. But in recent years, God gradually showed me that my ministry will greatly use media and film in the future, and gave me dozens of dreams to encourage me to make films. These are things I never thought of, but I did know that God was the one leading me to study media from the beginning. Often, the way that God leads us is by giving us an idea, and we unknowingly obey the leading of the Holy Spirit.   I shared my own experience here to make a point. The way the Holy Spirit leads us is sometimes very subtle. Here, when Ruth walked in the field, whether she walked to the left or to the right, she was led by the Holy Spirit. In the end, she was brought wonderfully to the fields of Boaz. Things that you often think are accidental are not. It's just that you haven't seen the certainness behind the accidental, which is the silent leading of the Holy Spirit.   After Ruth returned, she told her mother-in-law that she was gleaning in the fields of Boaz that day.   Naomi told her, “He has not stopped showing his kindness to the living and the dead.” She added, “That man is our close relative." (NIV, Ruth 2:20). After which, Naomi told Ruth, “It will be good for you, my daughter, to go with the women who work for him because in someone else's field you might be harmed.” (NIV, Ruth 2:22). This accompanies what Boaz said to Ruth before, "My daughter, listen to me. Don't go and glean in another field and don't go away from here. Stay here with the women who work for me." (NIV, Ruth 2:8). They said almost the same thing. So how did Naomi know? It's very surprising. It can be seen from here that Naomi represents the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit often confirms what the Lord says to us.   At the beginning of the third chapter, Naomi was preparing to find a home for Ruth. In 3:2, Naomi said, “Tonight, Boaz will be winnowing barley on the threshing floor.” (NIV). How did she know? It shows that Naomi had inside information or she knew Boaz very well. The same is true of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit comes from God and Christ. He knows Christ very well. Then in 3:3-4, Naomi told Ruth to wash, perfume herself, dress up, and go lie down in the threshing floor of Boaz. This represents the work of the Holy Spirit. It dedicates God's church, and the bride of Jesus Christ to her husband without blemish, which is Jesus Christ. Naomi taught Ruth how to get Boaz's attention and told Ruth (after everything was going according to plan) that Boaz wouldn't rest until the matter was settled (NIV, Ruth 3:18).   What was the book of Ruth talking about? It's Boaz (who represents Christ) redeeming us, his lost relatives, which Ruth represents. Christ is our relative and ultimately through the sacrifices He made, we were redeemed to return to God, which is our inheritance (because God is our portion and our inheritance).   Boaz had a relative who was first in line to redeem Ruth, but according to the law, he would have had to marry Ruth in order to maintain the name of her dead husband with his property. But the man said that he was willing to redeem, but he wasn't willing to marry Ruth because it would endanger his own estate.  According to the law, if he married Ruth, her child would not belong to him, but to Ruth's dead husband. Thus, his inheritance would be damaged. But Boaz was willing to make these sacrifices. Because of this he was blessed by the Israelites.   In Ruth 4:11-12, the Israelites blessed Boaz and Ruth and said:   11 May the Lord make the woman who is coming into your home like Rachel and Leah, who together built up the family of Israel. May you have standing in Ephrathah and be famous in Bethlehem. 12 Through the offspring the Lord gives you by this young woman, may your family be like that of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah.” (NIV).   Later, Ruth gave birth to a son named Obed. Naomi held him in her arms and became his nurse. He was obviously Ruth's son, but the neighbor women named the child, saying that, “A son has been born to Naomi,” and they named him Obed (NIV, Ruth 4:17). The meaning of Obed is servant, the servant of God. Obed is the father of Jesse. Jesse is the father of David. And Christ is the descendant of David. At this point, Naomi and Ruth's experiences are combined into one. The previous pain that she experienced has passed, because a son was born, bringing her much happiness. Our old man will also experience pain like this. But our new man will have continued growth. In the end, we will enter the glory. At the same time, Naomi also represents the Holy Spirit. His change in us is now finally completed. He has completed the work of God on earth today, letting Christ be glorified in us. The one who is glorified is the man child, which is a new man in the universe.    As a new believer attending a special conference in 2004, I didn't believe that Christ would come back the second time and was unwilling to dedicate my life to Him.  That evening I prayed: “Lord if you show me that you are really coming again, I will dedicate my life to you.” Then, I had a prophetic dream that night. Two people were fighting to get my heart. A man who was stronger took my heart away. The next day, I dedicated myself to the Lord and then I saw a vision. The Lord said to me, “Once the New Jerusalem, the body of Christ in the world is built up, I will come back.”   Ruth's experience is our experience as the bride of Christ. May we work cooperatively with the Holy Spirit and gradually transform ourselves into the image of Christ. The book after Ruth is Samuel. It describes the birth and growth of King David, our position of sitting together with Christ in the heavenly and reigning with the king. These two sides complement each other. They are the two different sides of Christian spiritual destiny. Not only are we the bride of Christ, we also have the power to govern and rule the universe with Him.  

Ruth 1. Gareth Maggs did a talk at Christ Church College on Ruth Chapter 1. Saying "I love You" are words often said in movies, but what do the characters mean when they say them? Is it just a response to emotion, or do they mean something more? In Ruth 1 we see real love, and it's not just emotion, it is a love that is far greater. Watch this video to find out more.

The Mercy and Justice of God Numbers 27 As we consider Numbers 27 today, it may seem puzzling that the story of Zelophehad's daughters is juxtaposed with the story of Moses not getting to enter the promised land. Why are these stories put together in the Bible? Moses' Lack of Gentleness Perhaps when dealing with Zelophehad's daughters, Moses made the same mistake he may have made when striking the rock for the second time: he did not honor the Lord God as holy. What does it truly mean to honor God? It means correctly representing God's kindness and compassion in front of the second generation of Israelites. Although the Bible does not say that Moses was impatient with Zelophehad's daughter, like he was when he struck the rock, we can surmise that he may have ignored the daughters of Zelophehad. Both stories reveal the compassion of God. Why do I say that? Let's look at the second section of this chapter. The Bible says that this decision took place “standing at the door of the tabernacle, in front of Moses, the priest Eleazar, the leaders and the whole congregation.” This is a very meaningful verse. Let me illustrate with a modern example. In the 2020 US election, the right-wing population in some states believed that the election was unfair. They began to bring charges in the district courts. State courts did not accept the cases, and the cases were brought before the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court didn't take the case, either. Under normal circumstances, all complaints are brought first to the district courts, then gradually move up to the Supreme Court. If Moses truly cared about Zelophehad's needs, he should have been able to handle this matter before the daughters appealed to the Supreme Court. When Moses first heard that Zelophehad of the tribe of Manasseh did not get any land, he should have asked God how to deal with it at that time, but he did not. When he finally asked God what to do about it, God immediately raised the matter of Moses' disobedience to God after he clarified how to deal with the matter. Was this happening by chance? Moses also lacked compassion for the second generation of Israelis and said something impatient as he struck the rock. Perhaps his way of handling Zelophehad's daughters' needs was not gentle enough, either. Although the leadership responsibility of Moses was transferred to Joshua here, the actual authority was not immediately transferred to Joshua. Moses was still the leader who guided the people's itinerary. Numbers 27-36 speak of Moses leading the Israelites. The death of Moses is not recorded until Deuteronomy 34, at least 44 chapters later. If our speculation is correct, then this chapter is still related to Moses' failure. What was wrong with Moses when he smote the rock for the second time? He had no respect for God as holy. Moses knew the principle of God's character: not to get angry easily, to be full of kindness, to bless the generations of those who love him, to never regard those who hate him as innocent, but punish their sins down to the third and fourth generation. Earlier, when Moses told God about Korah's betrayal, God severely judged Korah. However, when Moses told God about the second generation's betrayal and complaints, God did not judge them as severely. This may have been one of the reasons for Moses' anger. Moses should have accepted the fact that the first generation of Israelites represent our old man, and the second generation represents the flesh of our new man after salvation. The nature of the two is different, so the way God treats them is also different. It can be said that the Bible record still got a lot of chances to mention Moses' disobedience to God, and it is not necessary to immediately raise the case of Moses' disobedience to God together with the judgment of not allowing him to enter the good land right after mentioning Zelophehad's daughters' request to claim the property. This matter must have something to do with the division of property between Zelophehad 's daughter. Where is this relationship? It is God's judgment on Moses. This is God's judgment on Moses regarding the issue of Zelophehad and the way Moses dealt with his matter. Although Moses might not be that impatient, he might have been negligent. What was the cause of Moses' negligence?   Pitfalls of Pride Many leaders start out with humility, but later in life fall into pride and sin. All leaders face difficulties and obstacles at the very beginning, and these difficulties and obstacles will make them humble. David's experience is a good example. When Saul was persecuting David, David submitted to God. Instead of killing Saul, David humbled himself before God, admitting that Saul was God's anointed one. At the end of his life, however, after he had conquered his enemies and made peace throughout the country, David committed sin with Bathsheba and killed Uriah. David sinned for a second time when he numbered the Israelites. Joab opposed David's unwise decision, and he would have stopped him if he could have. But the Bible clearly records that the King's words prevailed over Joab's words (1 Chronicles 21:4). Similarly, although Moses was one of God's greatest servants, he also needed to go through humbling experiences. His brother Aaron and sister Miriam gave him a lot of difficulties. These difficulties helped Moses grow in humility. When Aaron and Miriam attacked Moses, the Bible specifically called Moses the humblest person in the world (Numbers 12:3). The Lord himself came to Moses' defense and blamed Aaron and Miriam. However, by this chapter, both Miriam and Aaron were dead. Aaron's son, Eleazar, was priest. Except for Caleb and Joshua, most first-generation people had died. At this time, Moses became the absolute authority. In the eyes of the Israelites, he was like a god. The Israelites were slowly turning Moses into an idol. I believe that Moses knew God and did not agree with their idolatry. But the Israelis indeed elevated Moses to the position of deity. When the Lord Jesus came, many Israelites would not accept Jesus Christ. Instead, they said they would only accept Moses. Moses had gradually become the Israelites' idol. Even though Moses did not have the intention to exalt himself, his failure to honor God was a very serious matter in God's eyes. He reinforced the people's idolatry when he attributed the miracle to himself. Therefore, God must discipline Moses. When God uses a person greatly as his servant, he also disciplines that person severely. Because of the great revelation Paul got from God, he was also given a thorn from the enemy to bother him. He asked the Lord three times to take it away, but God did not do so. He said his grace was enough for him. The chapter demonstrates that as leaders, we must not mistakenly represent God and snatch away the glory that is rightfully God's. God's judgment is strict and there is no room for pride in His service. Even if you are someone as important as Moses or David, God will still discipline pride in his servants.   Inheritance Restored Zelophehad's daughters asked Moses for land, and he granted their request. This story teaches us that we can receive what we ask for in prayer and faith, as long as it is promised in Christ. The first section of this chapter specifically mentions the family tree of Zelophehad and his five daughters. The five daughters came to Moses and the crowd with a request. They were not only fighting for their inheritance, but also for their father's status. The five daughters made it clear to the congregation that their father died in sin, though it was not related to Korah's betrayal. In the Old Testament, the death of an Israeli man in sin would indeed bring danger to his inheritance. Therefore, this story is about God setting a precedent for similar cases in future generations. For example, Ruth's father-in-law, husband, and brother-in-law died in Moab. Naomi, her mother-in-law, took Ruth back to Judah. Not only did these women lose their husbands, but they also had no sons. Because of this, they lost their inheritance in Israel. However, since Zelophehad's daughters had already asked for protection of their father's status and inheritance, the precedent was set. This precedent helped Ruth and Naomi redeem their inheritance. In Ruth and Naomi's case, their relative Boaz was the one who helped them redeem their property. However, before Boaz could help redeem their land and marry Ruth, he had to give another relative who was closer to Ruth the opportunity to do so. The relative refused, because he knew that if he married Ruth, their son would not belong to him, but to Ruth's father-in-law and husband who had no descendants. He was worried that this would damage his own property. This story reminds us that as sinners, we have lost our inheritance: God himself. Christ came as our Kinsman Redeemer to redeem us, even though we could not redeem ourselves. Jesus came in the Year of Jubilee to give us back our inheritance. He is our elder brother and relative, so he can redeem us. He can return our inheritance (God himself) to us, and allow us to return to our inheritance (God himself). Zelophehad's daughters are from the tribe of Joseph, and Christ is from the tribe of Judah. The story may seem to have nothing to do with the birth of Christ, but it is indeed related. The precedent set in this chapter led to Ruth's redemption by Boaz, who later gave birth to Obed. Obed, in turn, was the father of Jesse, and Jesse was the father of David. David is the ancestor of Christ. Therefore, the main purpose of this story is to prepare for the appearance and salvation of Christ.   The Lord told Moses that if a person dies without sons, he must give the inheritance to his daughters. If there is no daughter, then he must give it to his brother. If there is no brother, then he must give it to the father's brother. If his father had no brothers, then he must give it to the closest relative in the family. This rule eventually paved the way for Ruth to be redeemed. What Zelophehad's daughters did was very commendable. Although their father committed sins and died, God's mercy was extremely generous. This is true in the Old Testament, and even more so in the New Testament. Christ is our Kinsman Redeemer, so we must come to Him without fear and ask for mercy and grace (Hebrews 4:16) Jesus said to his disciples, "Whatever you ask in my name, I will do it, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me something in my name, I will do it." (John 14:13-14) Jesus also said, "If you live in me, my words will live in you. Whatever you want, ask and it will be done for you." Mercy and Justice. The story of Zelophehad's daughters and the story of Moses' inability to enter the Promised Land are put together here so we can recognize the difference between God's mercy and God's justice. Zelophehad's death in sin and Naomi's husband and two sons' deaths in Moab were all due to God's righteous judgment. But God granted Zelophehad's daughters requests and established the principle that Kinsman Redeemers can redeem their relatives.  As a result, the salvation that Naomi and Ruth later obtained was due to God's mercy. The Lord told Moses about his mercy and justice in Exodus 34: "The Lord, the Lord, is a merciful and gracious God, slow to anger, and rich in love and honesty. To save love for thousands of people, to forgive sins, transgressions, and evils, never regard the guilty as innocent. He must be punishable for his sins from his father and his son until three or four generations.” (Exodus 34:6-7) This is God's character and mode of operation. Moses knew this very well. Therefore, when dealing with the complaints of the second generation who wanted water to drink, he should have been full of compassion and grace for the Israelites, not impatience and anger. This is an extremely important principle. Although Moses failed, Paul set a good example in the New Testament. The people in the Corinthian church he established had many complaints and criticisms against him. They also committed many sins, including sins of immorality, such as marrying a stepmother. Paul was very angry with their sin. But when he handled this matter, he was very compassionate. He told the Corinthians to remove fornicators from among them--even handing them over to Satan so they would be physically corrupted, but their spirits would be saved in the day of the Lord (1 Corinthians 5:1-5). However, after Paul heard that the disciples in Corinth had repented, he immediately changed his tone. He asked the disciples in Corinth to forgive the sinners, and Paul forgave them too. He urged for restoration for these people, lest they become too sorrowful and be swallowed up with grief. Paul did not want Satan to take advantage of them through the overly harsh treatment of sin (2 Corinthians 1:11). Paul also said in 1 Corinthians 4:18-21: “Some are arrogant, as though I were not coming to you.  But I will come to you soon, if the Lord wills, and I will find out not the talk of these arrogant people but their power.  For the kingdom of God does not consist in talk but in power.  What do you wish? Shall I come to you with a rod, or with love in a spirit of gentleness?” ESV The people were arrogant because Paul was not there. Paul said that the kingdom of God lies not in words, but in power—and even in the rod of discipline. Paul had the authority and power from God to judge them, just as Moses had God's authority to judge Israel. But Paul's attitude here is very humble, giving the Corinthians choices and begging them to turn from sin. In fact, Paul kept himself under control and stayed humble, pleading with the Corinthians to repent in mercy. Just like Moses and Paul, spiritual leaders in the church today will face similar tests. People will complain or even misunderstand them. Our responses will reflect our knowledge of God's rules and the manifestation of God's life in us. We must remember that God is merciful and gracious. When we face complaints and opposition, we have an amazing opportunity to demonstrate the life of God in us. The more we have God's anointing and authority, the more we should have God's temperament of mercy and kindness. If we lose the mercy and kindness of God, we lose the authority God has given us. The level of our authority lies in the level of the mercy of God manifested in us. When the Lord Jesus was on earth, he had compassion on people who were like sheep without a shepherd. Whether he saw the blind people (Luke 18:35-43) or lepers (Mark 1:41), he had mercy on them. Jesus is the best manifestation of God's temperament. The story of Zelophehad's daughters reveals the compassionate heart of God. Luke 1:78-79 says, “Because of our God's compassionate heart, the morning sun comes to us from high to illuminate those who sit in the darkness and the shadow of death and lead our feet to the path of peace." The story of Moses shows that if believers cannot demonstrate a compassionate heart as we serve Him, then in God's eyes we "do not respect God as holy." We must be strictly disciplined. But God's strict discipline to Moses does not mean you cannot pray for God's mercy or that God won't answer your prayers. If you believe this, you are falling into the enemy's traps. Both stories not only speak of justice, but also of God's mercy. If you are in a similar situation to Zelophehad's daughters, come to God without fear and ask for His mercy. If you are a person who serves God like Moses, remember to show God's mercy in everything so as to honor God as holy. The more we show God's mercy in our service, the more we have God's authority. However, if we lose God's mercy, we will also lose God's authority. I hope that the relationship between these two stories will help you better understand God's mercy and how we can apply it in our lives. We welcome you to come to God's most holy place without fear, ask for grace and mercy, and get help in time of need.

Morning, afternoon, evening, whatever the case maybe, Donna here for you personally!I do not own the rights to this music, but I own the rights to my SCENES IN LIFE, which happens to be the title of todays podcast:  When You Are On the Scene, (of life), God is Behind the ScenesQuestion: Do you feel like your scenes in life, has been cancelled, cut, or put on repeat?I have many times, but I keep waking up to the same Director, Producer, and Writer. Who are they you ask? Well that would be God the director, Jesus as the producer, and the Holy Spirit yep, the writer of course, writing the scripts and setting the scenes in my life, hopefully in yours too after listening and receiving what He is trying to reveal to you.The producer Jesus Christ, paid the cost, and sometimes allows us to be one of the executive producers. Isn't that wonderful!!!When I am scratching my head, asking myself why am I here, or how am I even?This quote comes to mind, by Friedrich Nietzsche, "He who has a why to live for can bear with almost any how".For example, after Ruth's husband died, she probably asked that question, but instead chose to go with her mother-in-law.  But God the director was working behind the senses. In Ruth 2:16, Boaz was the director and producer, giving a directive to his crew to allow Ruth glean or gather up more resources than the others in the marketplace.Yeah, I hear you saying, what about the storms of life that just keeps on coming, right I think about them too, but I crawl out of bed, thinking whether someone or something is going to prevent my director, producer, and writer from saying ACTION,  CUT, or TAKE TWO.  But if your eyes are open,  you have a script and you are required to be on set, and GOD IS BEHIND THE SCENES! We have to trust God and our heart! There is another quote from Josiah Gilbert Holland that makes me happy. He says, " The heart is wiser than the intellect." Therefore, bet on RED, your heart. Also, in the good book, Isaiah 43:2, "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and ..when you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned or scorched."Excerpts: from my book- From Greyhound to A-Cap-N-Gown- (Chapter 7 - The Results of Living By Faith)Saturday, February 25 2012As you can tell by the dates, it has been a minute since writing anything down on paper, because my life has been crazy. Three months before my birthday, I have avoided eviction, failing two vital courses, and having a stoke due to stress and anxiety. But the good new is I got approved for affordable housing, because I am considered elderly.  Driving to my new place called Hewgley Terrace was similar to my mom's place in Atlanta off Auburn Avenue.p.s. if you have not done so already, please leave a review on Apple Itunes, Spotify, Stitcher or by visiting  my Facebook Group page (Daily Faith Walk)Thank you for your support!!!!

In Ruth 4, we see that the death and tragedy of chapter 1 have been reversed. God has restored and filled Naomi's life. He offers that same story for all of us.

I welcome you to the month of Grace. In this week's podcast, I share on "Cleaving To Destiny Helpers". In Ruth 1:14, the bible tells us that after Ruth and Orpah lost their husbands, both found themselves at life's crossroads - just like we do from time to time. At the end, Orpah kissed the mother-in-law goodbye, but Ruth clung to her. Listen, and be blessed in Jesus name --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/rccg-coryonkers/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/rccg-coryonkers/support

In Ruth, steadfast, persevering love was used by God to bring out types and the lineage of our true Redeemer.

Ruth 3 In Ruth 3, we see a biblical example of womanhood in Ruth. Ruth shows us that submission is an invitation, allowing someone else to take the lead. She submits to the wisdom of Naomi and the protection of Boaz, and shows us that the desire...

Ruth 2 What is a worthy man? In Ruth 2, we see a picture of a godly, responsible, sacrificial leader who humbles himself and serves others beyond what is required of him. In him, we see a picture of Christ - the greater Boaz, who would humble...

Ruth 1 What do we do with our pain and our loss? In Ruth 1, we see Ruth and Naomi go back to God's people, place, and presence. A story of leaving home and coming back. Running from home and returning.

In today's reading from Judges, Fr. Mike talk about Gideon's story, and points out how the people began to worship the object Gideon had created to glorify God, instead of worshipping the living God. In Ruth, he highlights the role of kinsman-redeemer and how Jesus is the ultimate fulfillment of that role. Today's readings are Judges 6-8, Ruth 3, and Psalm 135. For the complete reading plan visit ascensionpress.com/bibleinayear. Please note: The Bible contains adult themes that may not be suitable for children - parental discretion is advised.

What is it we most need in life? Grace. We need the grace of God in this life and in eternity – we need grace all day, every day. That grace is found in Jesus. In Ruth 2, we see the need for grace, the experience of grace, and the news of grace.

Sunday March 21, 2021 In Ruth chapter 3 we see Ruth, Naomi and Boaz facing situations where they have to take action in faith. We see God honoring the risks they took that were done in faith. A Message from Pastor, Roger Osborne. For resources and info visit https://summitchurchnw.com

In Ruth 2, Ruth and Naomi return to the Promised Land where Ruth has to work for their survival. Today we talk about the unexpected twist in events when another character enters the story. We hope you'll join us in studying Ruth 2 today!

Ruth's story is ultimately all about finding a place in God's Story, about her coming to belong and being included in God's Family. From the beginning, there's a sense of unrest in the world, and Ruth particularly is longing to find rest. Of course, this is what our faith is all about. The Gospel's invitation isn't for us to find improvement, but rather resurrection in Christ. To find rest is to find life. In Ruth 3:18, Ruth receives a promise that her Redeemer is restlessly pursuing rest for her. This message is all about how our Restless Redeemer went to extravagant measures to find rest for us. The barriers that block us from rest, and the contrary paths we naturally take, all are a result of our fallen world and sinful nature. The Bible tells the story of how God restlessly worked to finish this work of redemption. Christ's work on the cross and resurrection from the grave promises us that rest is available for all who turn and trust in Him.

Bible Study with Jairus - Ruth The book of Ruth is comprised of only four short chapters, but it's a very important book in the Bible. It serves as a link between the past and the future. It's preceded by the historical account of chaotic Israel in the book of Judges for hundreds of years or more. It's a cycle in which the Israelites turned their backs on God and therefore God judged them, and then they repented and prayed for God's help, so God saved them. In summary, the scene of Judges is not very good. The book after Ruth is Samuel. It describes the birth of David and the wonderful work God did through David. Ruth was a Moabite gentile. She married Boaz, the descendant of Tamar and Judah (Salmon, the father of Boaz by Rahab). Boaz is the father of Obed. Obed is the father of Jesse, and Jesse is the father of King David (NIV, Matthew 1:5-6). Matthew's genealogy looks very simple, but it's the condensed version of the entire Old Testament. If you want to figure out this genealogy, you need to be familiar with the history of the Israelites in the entire Old Testament. Similarly, Ruth's short description at the beginning tells us that in the days when the judges ruled, Israel suffered a famine. Naomi's husband Elimelek left Bethlehem in Judah and lived in the country of Moab. In the end, Elimelek and his two sons, Mahlon and Kilion, died. These first three verses have simply recorded this story. Actually, this is a condensed summary of the history of the Judges. The history of the Judges is like a severe cold winter, with dead twigs and withered leaves everywhere. But when the earth is in a severe cold winter, new life will be born underground, just waiting for the spring to come. It's just like the budding plum blossom in China. The Bible is written by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. I often say that the Holy Spirit is the best playwright and creator in the world. The picture painted by the Holy Spirit in the book of Ruth is like the author of traditional Chinese ink painting. Now there are a few black dead twigs on the Xuan paper. It doesn't look that lively, but it didn't take long for God to draw a few bright red and beautiful plum blossoms, making this painting radiant.   The dark period of the Judge's is like the dead twigs of this Chinese ink painting. The story of Ruth's wonderful salvation is like the blooming of plum blossoms. Although the weather is still severe and cold, the plum blossom is starting to bloom and spring has already arrived. Ruth is this plum blossom, proclaiming the Savior of mankind. Jesus Christ is coming soon in a few more generations. Isn't this exciting? If you were a prophet in the Old Testament or Simeon or Anna who were looking forward to the coming of Jesus Christ in the temple, can you imagine how exciting it will be to see this picture? Ruth the mother of Obed, Obed the father of Jesse, Jesse the father of David, and Jesus Christ, the descendant of David, are coming soon. Although it can't happen overnight, a definite date has already been arranged. It's a pity that most people don't have such prophetic vision. They see the savage darkness and the raging winter instead. Chinese poet Hai Zi said, "The night has given me dark eyes but I use them to look for light." I am not familiar with Hai Zi's poems, but a good friend of mine who graduated from Beijing Normal University is a fan of him. He told me about Hai Zi's poems and the story of Hai Zi's suicide. I don't understand what kind of pain causes a person to commit suicide. I can only say that Hai Zi did not live out the ideals written by his poems. Darkness is temporary. As John says, darkness never overcomes the light (NIV, John 1:5). Dawn is actually very near you when you're in your darkest hour. The footsteps of spring have already come secretly even in the harshest winter season. The book of Judges is like a cold, dark winter. Ruth's appearance depicts a blooming plum blossom before spring. In our speed reading this time, we've painted this beautiful picture. I hope to briefly review the contents of our Bible Study. God's Judgment brought Redemption I have always said that God's judgment is not the aim, but a means to bring redemption. Many people misunderstand God's thoughts and imagine God as a fierce God. Elimelech and his two sons died because of God's judgment. Of course, Naomi felt bitter. The name Naomi means blessings from God. Her life was bitter to the point where she even returned to the country of Judah and told other Israelites, “Don't call me Naomi, call me Mara for my life is bitter.” (Ruth, 1:20). My wife and I have suffered the painful experience of ten years of infertility. The process is really bitter. The quarrels, struggles, tears, and pain experienced is unimaginable for those who have never experienced it. Another couple who participated in our Bible Study at that time was also infertile for many years.  One day, the wife said to us that she felt that God had done nothing but deprive her. Everything that others have, she doesn't. Coupled with other difficulties in life, she felt like Naomi who called herself Mara, which meant bitter (Of course, she had a son and a daughter afterward; we also have our miracle daughter). Thinking back, we really learned a lot of lessons. We should keep our eyes open and see the hope ahead of us when we're in difficult circumstances. Naomi represents our old man, Ruth represents our new man Actually, saying that Naomi represents our old man is not very accurate, or perhaps it's too early to say that. Because the thing that should be said first is that Elimelech and his two sons, Mahlon and Kilion, represent our old man. They have been killed by God's judgment. But Naomi can represent the struggles of our old man in our spiritual experience. We all know that once we are saved, our old man is crucified with Christ. But in experience, our old man is still alive. From the spiritual reality, our old man is indeed dead. But in terms of spiritual experience, our old man still needs to be conformed to the death of Christ. In the process, our old man will inevitably complain. This is Naomi's experience. Ruth represents our new man. While Naomi had experienced death, life was started in Ruth, and it resulted in producing a descendant, which was Obed. Although this child was Ruth's, people said that he was Naomi's child, because Naomi became his nurse. Naomi's and Ruth's experiences are actually together, or we can say that a person's two different experiences, when intertwined, produce a new man in the end. I heard that the author of the book "Dream of the Red Chamber" sometimes applied the story of the same person on different characters. The Holy Spirit often used this writing technique when writing the Bible. It often separates and puts the spiritual experience that one person had on different people. If you have spiritual comprehension, you will be able to understand that they are actually one person, or that the experience of these people can actually be a person's different spiritual experience. For example, the Bible records that the families of Saul and David had been fighting for a long time. This experience can represent the battle between a person's old and new man. In the end, of course, the new man represented by David won. Similarly, the experience of Naomi and Ruth here is intertwined, showing us a picture of how the new and old man reacts differently to things. For example, in facing God's judgment, the old man Naomi said that the Almighty has made my life very bitter (NIV, Ruth 1:20). But the new man Ruth lay at the feet of Boaz (who represents Christ), like Mary of Bethany. The old man Naomi said, “Why would you come with me? Am I going to have any more sons, who could become your husbands?” (NIV, Ruth 1:11). The new man Ruth said, “Unless death can separate me from you, where you go I will go, your God will be my God”. (NIV, 1:16). The old man Naomi complained that her life was bitter so she let people call her Mara. But the new man Ruth never complained. She did not complain that her husband died. She also did not complain that she was born a Moabite. In Deuteronomy 23:3 God said: “No Moabite or any of their descendants may enter the assembly of the LORD, not even in the tenth generation.” (NIV, Deuteronomy 23:3). If she lived today, she would have a lot to complain about, such as: "I was born the wrong color, my race was cursed, my husband has even died etc," But in the entire book of Ruth, you don't hear any complaints from her. Her words and behavior are very much like what Peter said, "Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight." (NIV, 1 Peter 3:4) Naomi also represents the Holy Spirit, Ruth represents the bride I mentioned earlier that the Holy Spirit often puts different experiences that a person can have on different people when writing the Bible. In addition, the Holy Spirit often uses the same person, things, or events to represent different spiritual things or experiences. For example, the simplest example is that the Bible uses a lion to describe the Lion of the tribe of Judah - Jesus Christ. It also uses a lion to describe the devil who prowls around looking for someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8). Here, in addition to representing the old man, Naomi also represents the Holy Spirit. Ruth represents the bride, and Boaz represents Christ. We know that Abraham's old servant represents the Holy Spirit. He finds Isaac (who represents Christ) a bride named Rebekah. He beautified the bride (gave Rebekah a lot of earrings, nose rings, and other ornaments), and used camels (representing an unclean environment that is a tool in the hands of God) to bring Rebekah to the tent of Isaac. We also know that the eunuch in the book of Esther also represents the Holy Spirit. Not only did he help select Esther, but he also supplied her with anointing oil, so that she could receive beauty treatments (ointments and perfumes), thus exuding the fragrance of (Christ), letting the king (who represents Christ) to be delighted with her. Here, Naomi also represents the Holy Spirit. She has been a helper and a comforter. After our old man is dead, we travel together with our weak new man to bring her to the Promised Land God has given us and help her to know Christ (a representation of Boaz) to please Him. Through his redemption as her relative, she has become his spouse and bride. In the end, a man child (Obed) was brought into the lineage of Christ thus completing God's plan. Ruth 2:1 says that Naomi had known that Boaz was a wealthy man. But in verse 2, Ruth herself said that she would glean in the fields and she didn't know who would find favor with her. Note that it doesn't say here that Ruth knew Boaz. She didn't know him at all, but the Holy Spirit explained in the first chapter that when Naomi was in the land of Judah, she knew Boaz. Here is the foundation of the writing of the Holy Spirit later in this chapter. So, how long did Naomi stay away from Judah? The Bible didn't record it, so we don't know. But we guess that it may be quite a while because both of her two daughters-in-law were married in Moab. We guess that Boaz may be an old man already and perhaps he is a man with wife. We don't know these. It's just our speculation. Because when Ruth followed Boaz, Boaz said a sentence, “You have not run after the younger men but chose me instead.” (NIV, Ruth 3:10). From here, we can also guess that Boaz might not be that young anymore. But Ruth did not know Boaz (who represented Christ) according to the flesh. It's through the help of Naomi (who represents the Holy Spirit) that she knew Boaz (or Christ). Consequently, Ruth went to glean in the fields and it happens to be the field of Boaz. Was this accidental? No, it wasn't.  The Holy Spirit led her there. I've been a believer for seventeen years now. Looking back at the history of these seventeen years and the years before becoming a believer, I find that the Holy Spirit has been wonderfully leading me. When the Holy Spirit leads us, he often doesn't speak loudly. Rather, he leads us silently. We may not feel him, or we'll only discover afterward that it's the Spirit's wonderful leading. When I was in college, I went to Peking University to find some friends to hang out with. When I saw that they were preparing for the TOEFL(Test of English as a Foreign Language) test, I was curious to understand why they were preparing to go abroad.  I had thoughts myself of going abroad to study. However, I also wanted to take the national postgraduate entrance exam in China. I had made a plan for myself. If I passed the national postgraduate entrance exam, I would stay and pursue postgraduate studies in China. If I didn't pass, I would apply to study abroad. In the end, I took third place for my total score in the national postgraduate entrance exam in my major. Ten plus postgraduate students were enrolled in our major. My scores far exceeded the admission score. However, when I was taking the politics exam, I had an extremely bad headache. I didn't score well on the test. I was only a few points away from passing. So, I missed the postgraduate admission. Only after I was saved, did it occur to me that this might be the Lord intervening. I rarely get headaches so perhaps He wanted me to study abroad.  Later, when I did go abroad to study, I came in contact with gospel believers and began to receive Biblical education. It was only then that I realized that this was part of God's plan for me.  Even the school choices that I filled out in college were the same. I originally planned to apply for philosophy at a well-known university in China. While I was trying to rest in my dorm room, I suddenly thought of applying to a journalism major in another university. This university was more of a liberal arts college. Because I come from a rural family and wasn't good at socializing with others, I had a very hard time adjusting to this school and spent a few painful years there. Later, I had worked in the media industry, and I had hoped to make a difference in this area. But because I'm a believer, I was also slowly becoming indifferent to the world's ambitions. But in recent years, God gradually showed me that my ministry will greatly use media and film in the future, and gave me dozens of dreams to encourage me to make films. These are things I never thought of, but I did know that God was the one leading me to study media from the beginning. Often, the way that God leads us is by giving us an idea, and we unknowingly obey the leading of the Holy Spirit. I shared my own experience here to make a point. The way the Holy Spirit leads us is sometimes very subtle. Here, when Ruth walked in the field, whether she walked to the left or to the right, she was led by the Holy Spirit. In the end, she was brought wonderfully to the fields of Boaz. Things that you often think are accidental are not. It's just that you haven't seen the certainness behind the accidental, which is the silent leading of the Holy Spirit. After Ruth returned, she told her mother-in-law that she was gleaning in the fields of Boaz that day.   Naomi told her, “He has not stopped showing his kindness to the living and the dead.” She added, “That man is our close relative." (NIV, Ruth 2:20). After which, Naomi told Ruth, “It will be good for you, my daughter, to go with the women who work for him because in someone else's field you might be harmed.” (NIV, Ruth 2:22). This accompanies what Boaz said to Ruth before, "My daughter, listen to me. Don't go and glean in another field and don't go away from here. Stay here with the women who work for me." (NIV, Ruth 2:8). They said almost the same thing. So how did Naomi know? It's very surprising. It can be seen from here that Naomi represents the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit often confirms what the Lord says to us. At the beginning of the third chapter, Naomi was preparing to find a home for Ruth. In 3:2, Naomi said, “Tonight, Boaz will be winnowing barley on the threshing floor.” (NIV). How did she know? It shows that Naomi had inside information or she knew Boaz very well. The same is true of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit comes from God and Christ. He knows Christ very well. Then in 3:3-4, Naomi told Ruth to wash, perfume herself, dress up, and go lie down in the threshing floor of Boaz. This represents the work of the Holy Spirit. It dedicates God's church, and the bride of Jesus Christ to her husband without blemish, which is Jesus Christ. Naomi taught Ruth how to get Boaz's attention and told Ruth (after everything was going according to plan) that Boaz wouldn't rest until the matter was settled (NIV, Ruth 3:18). What was the book of Ruth talking about? It's Boaz (who represents Christ) redeeming us, his lost relatives, which Ruth represents. Christ is our relative and ultimately through the sacrifices He made, we were redeemed to return to God, which is our inheritance (because God is our portion and our inheritance). Boaz had a relative who was first in line to redeem Ruth, but according to the law, he would have had to marry Ruth in order to maintain the name of her dead husband with his property. But the man said that he was willing to redeem, but he wasn't willing to marry Ruth because it would endanger his own estate.  According to the law, if he married Ruth, her child would not belong to him, but to Ruth's dead husband. Thus, his inheritance would be damaged. But Boaz was willing to make these sacrifices. Because of this he was blessed by the Israelites. In Ruth 4:11-12, the Israelites blessed Boaz and Ruth and said: 11 May the LORD make the woman who is coming into your home like Rachel and Leah, who together built up the family of Israel. May you have standing in Ephrathah and be famous in Bethlehem. 12 Through the offspring the LORD gives you by this young woman, may your family be like that of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah.” (NIV). Later, Ruth gave birth to a son named Obed. Naomi held him in her arms and became his nurse. He was obviously Ruth's son, but the neighbor women named the child, saying that, “A son has been born to Naomi,” and they named him Obed (NIV, Ruth 4:17). The meaning of Obed is servant, the servant of God. Obed is the father of Jesse. Jesse is the father of David. And Christ is the descendant of David. At this point, Naomi and Ruth's experiences are combined into one. The previous pain that she experienced has passed, because a son was born, bringing her much happiness. Our old man will also experience pain like this. But our new man will have continued growth. In the end, we will enter the glory. At the same time, Naomi also represents the Holy Spirit. His change in us is now finally completed. He has completed the work of God on earth today, letting Christ be glorified in us. The one who is glorified is the man child, which is a new man in the universe.  As a new believer attending a special conference in 2004, I didn't believe that Christ would come back the second time and was unwilling to dedicate my life to Him.  That evening I prayed: “Lord if you show me that you are really coming again, I will dedicate my life to you.” Then, I had a prophetic dream that night. Two people were fighting to get my heart. A man who was stronger took my heart away. The next day, I dedicated myself to the Lord and then I saw a vision. The Lord said to me, “Once the New Jerusalem, the body of Christ in the world is built up, I will come back.”  Ruth's experience is our experience as the bride of Christ. May we work cooperatively with the Holy Spirit and gradually transform ourselves into the image of Christ. The book after Ruth is Samuel. It describes the birth and growth of King David, our position of sitting together with Christ in the heavenly and reigning with the king. These two sides complement each other. They are the two different sides of Christian spiritual destiny. Not only are we the bride of Christ, we also have the power to govern and rule the universe with Him.  

  A machine generated transcript is available here A 20+ year old hidden brain tumor made itself known just before Ruth Carroll gave birth. A stroke followed the birth of her son and set Ruth on an unexpected journey as a new mother and young stroke survivor. It's been a few years since all that happened, and I'm delighted to speak with Ruth in this episode. There is something so calming in her demeanor -- even when she's talking about horrific ICU hallucinations. We talk about that, hydrotherapy, family, and more. Bio Ruth Carroll is 36 years old. She's from County Cork in Ireland but live in County Dublin as she married a Dub! They have a son who is 3 & half years old called Bobby.  Prior to this sudden shift in her life direction, Ruth worked in marketing as a brand manager at McDonalds in Ireland Ruth was diagnosed with a brain tumor a week before Bobby was born. Her pregnancy hormones caused the tumor to grow very quickly & suddenly & this unfortunately caused her stroke the very next day after Bobby was born.  (left side affected) Ruth has made a good recovery but still has a long way to go. Ruth's neuro surgeon told her he thought she would be bed bound for the rest of her life. She showed him! Ruth is now walking independently. Her left arm & hand is still paralyzed but Ruth  continues working hard on getting them back!   Ischemic does not mean clot Most ischemic strokes are due to a clot forming in a blood vessel, so most people think that's what ischemic means. It's not quite true, though. Ischemia actually refers to a lack of oxygen getting to the cells. Most of the time that's due to a clot, but not always. In fact, it's sometimes therapeutic, like in Remote Ischemic Conditioning which we talked about in episode 55. In Ruth's case, her stroke was ischemic, but there was no clot. Instead, her brain tumor wrapped around an artery from the outside, cutting off the flow of blood to that part of her brain. Most treatments for ischemic stroke involve clot busting medications like TPA or clot removal via mechanical thrombectomy. Neither of those therapies would have helped Ruth because there was no clot to break or remove. They had to pursue surgery to remove the tumor and restore the flow of blood. Hydrotherapy Hydrotherapy is an important part of Ruth's recovery program. Hydrotherapy typically takes place in a special heated pool with a therapist who can help the survivor safely complete the exercise program. The warm water helps the muscles relax and relieve tone and spasticity. The buoyancy helps reduce balance issue so the survivor can focus on their movement. The water resistance ensure the muscles still get a good work out. And the water reduces the risk of injury from a fall. Finally, a hydrotherapy pool will typically have the accessibility equipment to make it safe for a person with disabilities to enter and leave the pool. Special pools and specially trained therapists help survivors get special results. Hack of the week. Mirroring what Kristen Aguirre said in episode 114 (http://Strokecast.com/GratefulKristen), Ruth suggests looking for shampoo and related products that have a pump. When you're already living with paralysis and working hard in the shower to, you know, not fall, opening bottles and pouring soap without spilling the product or yourself is exhausting. So don't do it. When you choose your product, look for bottles that come with pumps. They make it much easier to dispense the product. If your favorite product doesn't come with a pump option, add one yourself. You can find generic bottle pumps on line. Here's one example (affiliate link): amzn_assoc_tracking_id = "currentlybill-20"; amzn_assoc_ad_mode = "manual"; amzn_assoc_ad_type = "smart"; amzn_assoc_marketplace = "amazon"; amzn_assoc_region = "US"; amzn_assoc_design = "enhanced_links"; amzn_assoc_asins = "B00B8XWI7G"; amzn_assoc_placement = "adunit"; amzn_assoc_linkid = "30419a8da470bac355e5e10f93659817"; //z-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/onejs?MarketPlace=US Links Where do we go from here? Follow Ruth on Instagram at Ruthie_Carroll84 to join her on her journey and see adorable pictures of her family. For more stroke related books, gadgets, gizmos, and bottle pumps, visit the Strokecast Gift Guide at http://Strokecast.com/GiftGuide Share this episode with a friend, colleague, or relative by giving them the link http://Strokecast.com/Ruth Mask up and stay safe in 2021 Don't get best…get better.

In the story of Ruth and Boaz, there is a whole lot of anxious excitement in the last chapter.  Will Boaz get this ‘la bomba’ Ruth? Will this random guy with no name end up marrying Ruth instead? Will Naomi end the story bitter and empty? In Ruth chapter four you see God do something pretty awesome - but when you look beyond the simple story you see a something that makes you go ‘Whoa. No Way’

Elizabeth “Liz” Ruth is a research pilot at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base in California. She flies the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA), a modified Boeing 747SP with the world’s largest airborne astronomical observatory. Prior to joining Armstrong’s flight operations in 2016, Ruth was a legislative assistant for San Luis Obispo County in California from 2013 to 2015. In Ruth’s earlier career, she was a United Airlines flight officer on the B737-300, B757, B767 and B777 aircraft. She also worked for the company as a simulator and academic instructor for the B737-300 and was on the development team for the B737-300 Fleet Computer Based Training and Advanced Qualification Training Program. Before joining United, Ruth was an active duty pilot of the U.S. Air Force, where she served as instructor pilot, check pilot and aircraft commander for the T-38 and T-43 from 1981 to1989. She concluded her military career with the rank of captain. Ruth earned a Bachelor of Science in business administration from the University of Southern California, Los Angeles. She also earned a Master of Aeronautical Science from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University where she attended classes at McClellan Air Force Base in Sacramento, California.

In Ruth 3 we see Naomi try to take matters into her own hands to provide for Ruth. The stage is set for history to repeat itself and for Israel to continue "doing what is right in their own eyes". But right at the climactic moment, something changes. What Naomi purposed in her own understanding, God intervened and used for the good of all His people.

God Magnified, Season 2, Episode 7 for Monday, September 21, 2020 In Ruth 4, Ruth is finally redeemed by Boaz. While redemption is a major theme in Ruth, the culminating act occurs at the end of the book. Because of the redemption and the result of it, Ruth is blessed in that she joins the company of […]

God Magnified, Season 2, Episode 7 for Monday, September 21, 2020 In Ruth 4, Ruth is finally redeemed by Boaz. While redemption is a major theme in Ruth, the culminating act occurs at the end of the book. Because of the redemption and the result of it, Ruth is blessed in that she joins the company of […]

God Magnified, Season 2, Episode 6 for Monday, September 14, 2020 Ruth can thank her mother-in-law Naomi for the bold plan that led to her being potentially redeemed by Boaz. According to the cultural practices of the time, Ruth approaches Boaz so that he can redeem her and they can be a family. In Ruth 3, […]

God Magnified, Season 2, Episode 6 for Monday, September 14, 2020 Ruth can thank her mother-in-law Naomi for the bold plan that led to her being potentially redeemed by Boaz. According to the cultural practices of the time, Ruth approaches Boaz so that he can redeem her and they can be a family. In Ruth 3, […]

Horrible circumstances are apart of life. Whether it's through sickness, the loss of a job, financial struggles, separation, or loss of a loved one. Even in our worst circumstances, it can be used to glorify God and be for your good. The circumstance that you are facing is equal to the confidence that God has in you to deal with it. In Ruth 1, Naomi experienced the lost of her two sons and husband. This terrible experience lead to a great relationship between her and her daughter-in-law Ruth. We might have not wanted to go through the mess, but God can and will bless you through it. When our faithfulness is tested, God will never fail us. To support this ministry and help us reach people in our community click here: bit.ly/2WeKAx0

In Ruth 3 Naomi instructs Ruth to take a very unusual—and some may say, suspect—series of actions. Though they had the best of intents, we might wonder at the wisdom of their actions. The text is vague enough that we don’t know for certain, but could the story of Ruth 3 still point us to Christ, and perhaps even more effectively, if Ruth turns out to be less savory than we thought?

Courageous Christianity with Richard Mendelow "Heroic Faith Series – Part 2: The Heart of Ruth" Biblical References: Ruth 1:16; Galatians 6:9-10 Host Richard Mendelow and his wingman Christy Stratton continue the Heroic Faith series with this episode. In it they talk about Ruth and the heroism she demonstrated by her loyalty, her resolve and her obedience. In Ruth, we look at the heart of a hero. You don’t want to miss it. And make sure to add this podcast to your library, rate, and review it. And share this and all episodes with those who will benefit. You can catch all previous episodes under the programs/podcast tab on KKHT.com or on your favorite podcast app. God Bless and Semper Fi! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In Ruth 2 we see two pictures of active faith from two very different perspectives. Naomi and Ruth demonstrate their faith from a position of weakness, while Boaz demonstrates his faith from a position of strength. Does your faith feel weak right now? Strong? Somewhere in between? This morning we ask how a simple question—“What’s next?”—can act like starter fluid for our faith.

God Magnified, Season 2, Episode 2 for Monday, August 10, 2020 Few things this side of heaven are better than a loyal friend. In Ruth 1:6-18 we see how Ruth’s loyalty and fidelity is able to break down the barriers of Naomi’s bitterness and cynicism. In Ruth’s radical devotion we see not only a shadow of Christ’s […]

In Ruth 3, did Naomi apply godly wisdom or earthly wisdom in attempting to play matchmaker with Boaz and Ruth? Was she trusting God or attempting to manipulate circumstances? Does the end justify the means?

Grief is messy and leads us through a painful journey. The way out of the darkness is often found through the faithful love of someone in our lives who walks with us towards the dawn. In Ruth’s story, that kind of love is called "Hesed". It means loving selflessness, enduring faithfulness, and forbearing graciousness. God provides hesed love for Ruth in the story, and He offers it to all of us too.   But here's where it gets real: Hesed is not just the kind of love God extends to us, it is also the kind of love God calls us to extend to one another. We incarnate hesed for one another, because Jesus incarnated hesed for us.   Ruth 1:6-22

Ruth 3:1–4:17. Some Christians have a tendency to act as if the world is going to hell in a handbasket. Such thinking contradicts the incarnation—that God became man. One of the most fundamental claims of Christianity is that in Christ God is redeeming his creation. When we look at the world or our lives, we must remember that God is a redeeming God. The word redeem literally means “to buy back.” Put another way, God is buying back his creation. In Ruth 3 and 4, we learn about the God who redeems. Sermon for June 21, 2020.

Ruth 2. One of the most common mistakes in reading the Bible is forgetting that it is a book about God. When we do this, we invariably turn it into a book of moral principles and examples. Be kind. Be like David. In Ruth 2, we are confronted by the loving kindness of God. We see that loving kindness reflected in Boaz and also in Ruth, but we must look beyond them to see the very heart of God. In spite of Ruth's situation, we see God's loving kindness on full and glorious display. His kindness is revealed in his providence, his provision, and his protection. Sermon for June 14, 2020. For the manuscript, go to revseanmcguire.com

In Ruth 2, we see Boaz and Ruth eating together as a new relationship forms. What does this mean for this couple and what does their relationship have to do with us today?

This week Pastor Denver Solomon turns our attention back onto Ruth. In Ruth chapter 2 the author clearly points out that God's goodness may be hidden behind the clouds of hardship and suffering but It is always present.

Every good love story needs that memorable moment when the love interests meet. It's that moment when you can just tell that there are forces at work pushing these two together. In Ruth 2, we see a meet-cute which takes place in a barley field between a wealthy land-owner and a homeless refugee. This chance meeting shows us that how God is always working toward the redemption of humanity.

Series: N/AService: Sunday WorshipType: Bible MessageSpeaker: Phillip W. MartinIn Genesis, Jesus Christ is the Seed of the Woman.In Exodus, He is the Passover Lamb.In Leviticus, He is our High Priest.In Numbers, He is the Pillar of Cloud by day and the Pillar of Fire by night.In Deuteronomy, He is the Prophet like Moses.In Joshua, He is the Captain of our Salvation.In Judges, He is our Judge and Lawgiver.In Ruth, He is our Kinsman Redeemer.In 1 and 2 Samuel, He is our Prophet from the Lord.In 1 and 2 Kings and 1 and 2 Chronicles, He is our Reigning King.In Ezra, He is our Faithful Scribe.In Nehemiah, He is…

We are a people in need of rescuing. Praise God that He has already provided our Rescuer! Zach Williams sings of this in his song, "Rescue Story." It leads us to explore another rescue story in Scripture that whispers the name of Jesus. Join me as we head back to the book of Ruth for one more week. On this episode I discuss: Taking a B.I.T.E. out of Scripture - this week's Bible Interaction Tool Exercises include: Read and keep on reading Repetition Listen to an audio version of the text Read/listen in various translations Storying Share with a friend Don't treat the stories of the Bible in chunks...read and keep on reading Storying...what it is and how to do it on your own How I chose the book of Ruth again because it is a story of redemption that is a type and shadow of the ultimate rescue story How every story whispers Jesus' name John 5:39-40 Luke 24:39-40 A recap of Ruth 1-4 How Naomi was rescued from her emptiness, Ruth was rescued from her barrenness, the people of Israel were ultimately rescued from their disobedience, and we are rescued from an eternity separated from God A discussion of what a kinsman redeemer is and where you find it baked into God's law Exodus 6:6 Leviticus 25:25-28 Christ as our redeemer - Galatians 3:13-14, Hebrews 9:15 Christ is our bridegroom and we are His bride - Ephesians 5 In Ruth we see ourselves when we see someone in need, unable to rescue ourselves, requiring a redeemer to cover us with His protection, requesting His redemption, and asking Him to make us his wife Additional Resources The story behind the song "Rescue Story" by Zach Williams - YouTube Video Chords and lyrics - Essential Worship What is a kinsman redeemer? - GotQuestions.org This Week's Challenge Explore the rescue story as told in the Book of Ruth. Read the entire account several times. Read it in different translations. Admire the beauty of this bright spot shining in a very dark age. Delight in the details of a charming story (that really happened to real people) and rehearse it often enough that you can then share it with a friend. Finally, consider how this story whispers the name of our own Redeemer, Jesus Christ.

In Ruth 4, we come to the conclusion of the story of Ruth. However, the author has several surprises in store for us readers with not one, but three conclusions. These three conclusions satisfy the three problems presented in chapter one and three problems that we all face: distance from God, bitterness about life, and chaos in our lives. It turns out that the solution to all of these problems is a son who was born in Bethlehem.

In Ruth 4, we come to the conclusion of the story of Ruth. However, the author has several surprises in store for us readers with not one, but three conclusions. These three conclusions satisfy the three problems presented in chapter one and three problems that we all face: distance from God, bitterness about life, and

In Ruth 4, we come to the conclusion of the story of Ruth. However, the author has several surprises in store for us readers with not one, but three conclusions. These three conclusions satisfy the three problems presented in chapter one and three problems that we all face: distance from God, bitterness about life, and

In this second half of the message, Dr. Grier examines the story of Ruth. In Ruth and Boaz, we see a testimony of two God-honoring, hard-working people who had the honor of being in the lineage of Jesus Christ.

As we ended the first chapter of Ruth, there was a ray of hope for the two widows. Maybe they would not starve to death after all, since they arrived in Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest. In Ruth 2, Ruth proposed to pick up leftover grain behind the harvesters and found her way into the field of a man named Boaz. The interaction between Ruth and Boaz on the day they met ended up providing bread for the widows for months to come. Also, they both exhibited a combination of characteristics that we find irresistible, because it reveals the longings of our hearts and points to the one who can satisfy those longings.

As we ended the first chapter of Ruth, there was a ray of hope for the two widows. Maybe they would not starve to death after all, since they arrived in Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest. In Ruth 2, Ruth proposed to pick up leftover grain behind the harvesters and found her

As we ended the first chapter of Ruth, there was a ray of hope for the two widows. Maybe they would not starve to death after all, since they arrived in Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest. In Ruth 2, Ruth proposed to pick up leftover grain behind the harvesters and found her

In Ruth 1, we meet three men and three women, who suddenly separate, leaving all in apparently impossible situations. By the end of the first chapter, there is a ray of hope for the women but none for the men. Even so, one of the women remains convinced that God is against her, since her life has taken tragic turns. As we face suffering in our own lives, we also can conclude that God is against us, unless we consider what he did by sending his own Son.

In Ruth 1, we meet three men and three women, who suddenly separate, leaving all in apparently impossible situations. By the end of the first chapter, there is a ray of hope for the women but none for the men. Even so, one of the women remains convinced that God is against her, since her

In Ruth 1, we meet three men and three women, who suddenly separate, leaving all in apparently impossible situations. By the end of the first chapter, there is a ray of hope for the women but none for the men. Even so, one of the women remains convinced that God is against her, since her

The Fast Track researchers have just published the results of their pilot study, and they are VERY excited about it! But does this optimism match the actual data? Don’t miss an explosive episode of All Fired Up, as I walk you through this paper step by step, breaking down into plain English what actually happened when 21 teenagers were starved three times a week for 6 months, all in the pursuit of short term weight loss. My guest is the incredible Ruth Leach, whose eating disorder began at the age of 9, when her whole family started fasting for ‘health’. Ruth not only survived her eating disorder, she is now a fierce advocate for everyone at the coal face of this deadly illness. We are LIVID about the lack of information being given to parents and kids who are being introduced to a lifetime of metabolic damage, weight cycling and disordered eating. The Fast Track trial is STILL GOING AHEAD, and we need to keep pushing back against this antiquated, weight biased, dangerous approach to teen ‘health’. Share this one far and wide!!   ShowNotes This week we bring you Part 2 of The Fast Track Trial, where we dig into the results of the newly published Fast Track Pilot Study. A pilot study is a mini-version of a larger trial, a practice run for ‘the real thing’, and the results can give you a pretty good idea of what kinds of results we can expect from a larger trial. I really wanted to get a ‘plain English’ summary of what happened in this trial out there. An article in The Age newspaper about the Fast Track controversy stated that: "While the trial is the first of its kind, Professor Baur said it had come off the back of a successful pilot program in which 25 teenagers followed a similar model and saw benefits in their cholesterol, blood pressure, liver and heart function." Which is interesting, because Louise was reading the results of the pilot study at the time, and was noticing that in fact the trial results showed no changes in blood pressure, overall cholesterol, or liver function, and only 1 small change out of 9 measures of heart function. This is quite different to what the media was saying! It is so important to go back to the source and have a look at the scientific studies behind the media soundbytes, so you can fact check and see what actually happened. This should be easy, but in reality it’s not. Reading a study is actually quite complicated, and even when you have degrees and training in science, it can still be quite difficult to make sense of what happened. This is why I am here to unpack it for you! It is important for parents and teenagers who may be being targeted to participate in this trial to clearly understand what is likely to happen as a result of taking part. This is why I am doing this podcast. The article has just been published in the Journal of Nutrition, and the title is “Intermittent Energy Restriction is a Feasible, Effective and Acceptable Intervention to Treat Adolescents With Obesity”. What an impressive and optimistic title! But does the optimism match the data? The pilot trial took place at Sydney Children’s Hospital at Westmead, kids were recruited from the adolescent  “O” treatment clinic. 45 kids aged between 12 and 17 were approached, and 30 said yes. There were 25 girls and 5 boys, and the average age of the kids was 15. All of the teens were supposed to have a BMI of 30 or more. In fact, they ranged from a BMI of 27.7 to 52.4, so at least one was well below the weight threshold.** 3 of the kids were from Aboriginal or Torres Strait islander background. 6 of them were born overseas. We don’t know more about the cultural background of the rest of the kids. The experiment ran for 6 months under a dietitian. There were no psychologists or eating disorder specialists involved. For the first 12 weeks all of the kids were placed on Optifast (shakes) and allowed just 600-700 calories a day for 3 days of the week. The rest of the week the kids were told to follow ‘healthy eating guidelines’. After 12 weeks teens were ‘invited’ to either keep starving for 3 days a week, or they could change to starving for 2 or 1 day a week, or they could swap to a ‘continuous prescribed healthy eating plan’ for the next 3 months. 7 of the kids didn’t make it past the 8 week mark. These tended to be ‘heavier’ kids. We don’t know what happened to them after that. 2 more dropped out before the experiment ended, so overall just 21 teens finished the whole 6 months.​ The kids were given a Fitbit, but were not given any instructions about physical activity. Mysteriously, the pilot paper never discusses the fitbit results. The primary measure they were looking at was weight loss at 12 weeks, with secondary interest in weight loss at 26 weeks, and they also did a range of health marker measures and one 20 item questionnaire which asked about eating disorder symptoms. 28 of the kids were categorised as ‘insulin resistant’ at the beginning of the study. At 12 weeks, and 26 weeks, the study reports weight change, but it’s actually quite difficult to figure out what that means. This is quite common: weight change in scientific papers can be reported in a huge variety of ways, eg BMI change, z score change, % excess weight loss change. Weight change was primarily reported as ‘percentage point change in BMI 95th%ile’, a very confusing statistic which stops everyday people from figuring out what the actual average change in weight was. A researcher can tell you something is statistically ‘significant’ even if it’s not that meaningful in real life. In the paper, it was reported that at 12 and 26 weeks the kids demonstrated a reduction in the percentage point change in BMI 95th%ile. But what does this actually mean in terms of real life weight change? It is impossible to tell. Luckily, the lead author presented her data at a conference where she did talk about the average kg weight loss for 19 of the 21 study completers. At this conference, she reported that after 12 weeks of intermittent starvation, the kids had lost on average 3.5kg. But by 26 weeks, these changes were not maintained; the teens had regained 1.4kg, so in total after 6 months of regular starvation, they were @2kg less than when they started, and they are likely to keep regaining. That’s not a big change, especially given the huge effort, and we know weight will keep coming back. We know this is the norm for most people who diet: dieting triggers a metabolic defence response, and our bodies fight to regain any weight loss. This is not a failure or a problem, it is the body’s built in response to dieting. What a difference between the raw data at a conference and adding the statistical wizadry in the published paper! There’s more to this story: in the paper,” Figure 3” is a graph which represents each of the kids percentage point BMI95th%ile change at 12 and 26 weeks. There’s a cute little diamond which represents each kid. And when you look at Figure 3, you can clearly see that one kid really stuck out from the rest of them: this kid lost WAY more weight at 12 and 26 weeks than the others, who really didn’t lose much at all. And it seems that this kid - this ‘statistical outlier’ - is responsible for changing the story of this data from concluding that weight loss between 12 and 26 weeks was ‘not maintained’ to saying that it was maintained, all because of one child who may in fact be developing an eating disorder right in front of us. Instead of removing this outlier (which is what a lot of researchers would do, because one person’s unusual results are skewing the data, and this isn’t what science is all about), it was left in. The fact that one person had an unusual response was not discussed in the paper. This is why it’s important to read the studies! To see what actually happened. We can also see in the Figure that at both time points, several of the kids had GAINED weight above the starting point - 3 at week 12 and 5 by 26 weeks. This is normal when we look at it from the perspective of the body’s response to starvation, but weight gain was not discussed in the paper. If you have almost a quarter of your sample over shooting with weight gain, it should be discussed!! Worryingly, the results show a significant reduction in height between 12 and 26 weeks. This was not discussed in the paper. This means that the teens' growth cycle is being interrupted. If a growing body is not getting adequate nutrition, the body will stop growing in order to compensate. Any impact of starvation on the teens’ menstrual cycle was not investigated. Given that 25 of the 30 were girls, this is staggering. Metabolic impact of starvation on the teenagers’ growing bodies was not measured or discussed in the paper. 28 of the 30 kids were reported to be ‘insulin resistant’ at the outset of the experiment. This was exactly the same after 6 months of semi starvation. Measures of cardiometabolic risk including cholesterol, blood pressure, and insulin resistance did not change after 6 months of intermittent starvation. Small changes in plasma triglycerides were reported, but these were in the normal range to begin with. A small increase in fasting plasma glucose occurred at 6 months, but overall no changes in insulin resistance occurred. Expensive and complicated vascular structure and function (heart) measures were taken, of 9 vascular measures only one was significantly changed by 6 months - arterial wall thickness. Measures of these factors were not taken for all of the completers. The comments made to The Age newspaper regarding the effectiveness of the Fast Track pilot are not true. The teenagers in the pilot study did not see "benefits in their cholesterol, blood pressure, liver and heart function". At best, one aspect of a secondary marker of heart function improved at 6 months, but the majority of bio-markers were unchanged. Dietary restraint - a measure which can indicate disordered eating and presence of an eating disorder - was significantly increased by 26 weeks. These scores were elevated to start with and became even higher as the starvation diet progressed. The paper does not discuss this at all. Although the paper reported ‘improvements’ in emotional eating and eating for external reasons, these scores were not unusual to begin with, therefore any reductions do not reflect a real life improvement, they are likely just reflecting the fact that the teens were eating less overall. Of 7 measured areas of quality of life, only 2 showed improvement by the end of the 6 months. Interestingly, the results showed that improvements in quality of life were more likely to happen for those kids who did manage to maintain their weight loss at 6 months, the ones who didn’t maintain their weight loss were worse off. Given that we know that all of these kids will continue to regain weight, it seems likely that their quality of life measures will worsen. However, the researchers will not follow them up long enough to find out. So they’ve just reinforced the idea that their self confidence is based on their weight. These outcomes are not great, yet their conclusions are effusive! I am sorry (not sorry) but the conclusions do not match the data. This Pilot study is being used to justify the Fast Track trial, and there is no plain English version out there. My guest Ruth Leach is an eating disorder survivor, her whole family suffered with eating disorder thanks to her dad’s obsession with fasting and his subsequent eating disorder. Ruth is tenacious, she organised a group complaint co-signed by 35 health professionals and people who have experienced eating disorder (many of whom attributed the cause of their disorder to teenage dieting). In the 1960’s Ruth was a ‘fussy eater’ - this would now be labelled as ARFID but back then there was no definition. When Ruth was 9, her dad went on a ‘wacky diet’ to prevent cancer - a fasting diet. The whole family began fasting. Ruth’s sister was 12 when they started fasting, and her growth was impacted - she didn’t grow very tall - Ruth is 8 inches taller than her - and she did not get her period until she was 17. Ruth developed childhood Anorexia, and then developed Bulimia as a teenager. She attributes the fact that she was able to grow taller to the binges she engaged in - they allowed her body the nutrition it craved in order to allow growth. Ruth follows the work of Gwyneth Olwyn, who talks about the concept of ‘extreme hunger’. A lot of people see bingeing as negative, but Ruth’s ‘extreme hunger’ was just her body trying to recalibrate after years of starvation. In Ruth’s early 50’s Ruth’s dad died, from complications of cancer. Even throughout his illness, he kept on fasting - he had an eating disorder. He was hospitalised repeatedly for re-feeding syndrome, and eventually this killed him. At this point Ruth’s eating disorder flared up, and she has been battling Anorexia again. Ruth’s dad did everything ‘right’, but still died of the cancer that fasting was meant to prevent. This is part of the reason the Fast Track study affected Ruth so much. It was only when Ruth’s dad was dying and her symptoms were returning did Ruth realise that it wasn’t just her, but her dad who was eating disordered. Ruth went through years of hell, but is out of her eating disorder now. Ruth became involved in peer support and online eating disorder support networks. Through the process of her recovery, Ruth learned about weight science and the ‘BMI lie” and how the ‘war on obesity’ is a complete beat-up. So much weight bias rampant in the field of ‘obesity’, and also the multi-billion dollar diet and weight loss industry that keeps the beat-up going. One of the reasons the industry is so huge is because our bodies have a built in mechanism to regain weight if we fall below our set point. This theory of set point is well established in science. This ‘war’ against obesity is really a war against biological reality. Ruth is concerned that the Fast Track trial will launch kids into either an eating disorder or a lifetime of disordered eating. The kids will also be introduced to a lifetime of weight cycling, and all of the health issues that come from that. The metabolic impact of repeated dieting causes a lot of the health damage that is attributed to higher weight itself. Ruth’s own life experience, and the experience of everyone in her peer to peer support networks, is that adolescent dieting ‘cost us dearly’.  For some, it has cost their lives: Ruth knows of at least 18 people in the last 2 years who have died from their eating disorder. And as teenagers, many of these people did the same thing that the kids in the Fast Track are being told to do. The Fast Track model is utterly a model of anorexia nervosa being sold to larger kids. Ruth’s complaint to the Fast Track ethics committee went into great detail about weight cycling and the risks to metabolic health, and also the risk of eating disorders. It was a very detailed complaint. We already have so many studies which demonstrate this risk. One study mapped out the pathway to developing an eating disorder. This starts with a child feeling dissatisfied with their body and experiencing bad body image, stigmatisation based on weight, and then dieting. So many of these kids have already crossed 3 out of the 4 stages of development of an eating disorder. So when the head researcher says there is no risk, Ruth asks how can you say that when there is good, consistent science based on thousands of people to say otherwise? The study the Fast Track is based on relies on just 21 kids’ results. And there was no follow up so we have no idea what happens to them a few years down the track. The study talks about the kids being placed on a healthy diet, but also says they were drinking Optifast shakes. On what planet is a shake an example of a healthy diet, especially for growing kids! This is an extreme intervention, but to realise in plain English that this means in all likelihood, your child will lose @3.5kg and then put it back on again, and not see any major health improvements - why on earth would you do this to your impressionable teen? This weight cycling aspect is not something the Fast Track parents or kids are being told about. The Fast Track has also been designed to stop following kids up at one year. At year 2 they have the option of reporting in again, but not a lot of effort is going into seeing what happens longer term. We really need to stop doing these short term studies and to design weight loss trials (if we do them at all) to have a 5 year follow up period - this is the only way we’ll be able to see the patterns of eating disorder development. What will the kids do when they overshoot in weight? Why isn’t anyone following people up? This research is already established - The Minnesotta Semi Starvation experiment showed clearly what happens to a starving body when it re-feeds. We really don’t need to keep ‘proving’ the risks, we need instead to stop exposing people to them. Out of the complaints that were lodged and following meetings with eating disorder organisations like the Butterfly, the Fast Track researchers said they would update the parent consent forms to better inform parents of the risks. That was back in February, and still we’ve heard nothing. In 2019, if you’re going to go into a weight loss experiment, you need to know what the science says about what you can reasonably expect in terms of weight loss and regain, and what to expect in regards to risk. This isn’t rocket science, it’s a basic human right! If they wrote down exactly what to expect, I wonder if anyone would sign their kid up! The increases in restraint are concerning, this is a marker of eating disorder development. Regardless of weight, this is a worry. In Ruth’s networks she advises parents to look at sudden weight losses in their kids, regardless of BMI - look at the disordered relationship with food, not the size of the child’s body. The fast Track researchers are saying that their adjustments to the study protocol - as in, checking more frequently for eating disorder markers - will increase safety, but how on earth can you detect an eating disorder behaviour if the study itself encourages disordered eating and rewarding restriction? If we put together the diary of someone with an eating disorder and a journal of the Fast Track kids, they would look almost identical. If someone was getting really sick, they won’t see it ! They will look like weight loss ‘success’ stories. People with eating disorders feel really good, and positive, when they are restricting. They can feel calm, clear headed, and energetic when they are starving. This is not a normal response to starvation, and it’s a deadly response. The Fast Track researchers will not be able to view this as troubling, and the kid will fall through the cracks. How do you get $1.2 million to fund a study with such unimpressive results? The data do not match the conclusions. Even the title of the pilot study is seriously overblowing their actual findings. We need to listen to the American Academy of Paediatrics - where it specifically says discourage dieting, and skipping meals, and encourage healthy eating. It’s not hard. This experiment is unacceptable. It only makes sense through the lens of weight bias. If we’re worried about people’s health, there’s better ways than risking the metabolic damage that comes from weight cycling from crash diets. At this point the Fast Track trial is still continuing, in spite of the enormous global protest. Please sign the petition! Emerging news this week - the Fast Track researchers have published another paper, a meta-analysis which claims or concludes that hospital based weight loss programs for kids and teens definitely doesn’t cause eating disorders. The team have now told the Butterfly Foundation that they are planning to post this study and the pilot study up on the Fast Track website as a way of communicating risk to the parents and teens who might be enrolling. I will dive into this paper & let you know - is there a difference between the data and the conclusions? Spoiler alert: they’re doing it again….. Informed consent is everything, and this is a serious problem with the researchers slapping up their own research as a way of getting around presenting potential participants with straightforward risk information. This brings up the very issues we’ve talked about today - how on earth are parents supposed to be able to read and understand this dense data? That’s why we need the plain English website where we clearly tell people about the risks and likely outcomes. Visit the Fast Track parents information website! ** Via a letter from a legal firm, the Fast Trackers informed me that this statement is incorrect, and that in fact the kids all had an 'age and sex adjusted' adult equivalent of a BMI over 30. No other aspects of my interpretation of the paper (including the interesting tweakery between the presentation figures and the addition of the outlier which changed the results) were challenged by the team. Resources Mentioned: Ruth’s complaint My complaint The Fast Track parent information website Gwyneth Olwyn Sign the Petition Join our fb group Connect with Ruth on Twitter Ruth’s tumbler post The ‘experts in the room’ blog What’s wrong with ‘obesity prevention’ ?

The Fast Track researchers have just published the results of their pilot study, and they are VERY excited about it! But does this optimism match the actual data? Don’t miss an explosive episode of All Fired Up, as I walk you through this paper step by step, breaking down into plain English what actually happened when 21 teenagers were starved three times a week for 6 months, all in the pursuit of short term weight loss. My guest is the incredible Ruth Leach, whose eating disorder began at the age of 9, when her whole family started fasting for ‘health’. Ruth not only survived her eating disorder, she is now a fierce advocate for everyone at the coal face of this deadly illness. We are LIVID about the lack of information being given to parents and kids who are being introduced to a lifetime of metabolic damage, weight cycling and disordered eating. The Fast Track trial is STILL GOING AHEAD, and we need to keep pushing back against this antiquated, weight biased, dangerous approach to teen ‘health’. Share this one far and wide!!   ShowNotes This week we bring you Part 2 of The Fast Track Trial, where we dig into the results of the newly published Fast Track Pilot Study. A pilot study is a mini-version of a larger trial, a practice run for ‘the real thing’, and the results can give you a pretty good idea of what kinds of results we can expect from a larger trial. I really wanted to get a ‘plain English’ summary of what happened in this trial out there. An article in The Age newspaper about the Fast Track controversy stated that: "While the trial is the first of its kind, Professor Baur said it had come off the back of a successful pilot program in which 25 teenagers followed a similar model and saw benefits in their cholesterol, blood pressure, liver and heart function." Which is interesting, because Louise was reading the results of the pilot study at the time, and was noticing that in fact the trial results showed no changes in blood pressure, overall cholesterol, or liver function, and only 1 small change out of 9 measures of heart function. This is quite different to what the media was saying! It is so important to go back to the source and have a look at the scientific studies behind the media soundbytes, so you can fact check and see what actually happened. This should be easy, but in reality it’s not. Reading a study is actually quite complicated, and even when you have degrees and training in science, it can still be quite difficult to make sense of what happened. This is why I am here to unpack it for you! It is important for parents and teenagers who may be being targeted to participate in this trial to clearly understand what is likely to happen as a result of taking part. This is why I am doing this podcast. The article has just been published in the Journal of Nutrition, and the title is “Intermittent Energy Restriction is a Feasible, Effective and Acceptable Intervention to Treat Adolescents With Obesity”. What an impressive and optimistic title! But does the optimism match the data? The pilot trial took place at Sydney Children’s Hospital at Westmead, kids were recruited from the adolescent  “O” treatment clinic. 45 kids aged between 12 and 17 were approached, and 30 said yes. There were 25 girls and 5 boys, and the average age of the kids was 15. All of the teens were supposed to have a BMI of 30 or more. In fact, they ranged from a BMI of 27.7 to 52.4, so at least one was well below the weight threshold.** 3 of the kids were from Aboriginal or Torres Strait islander background. 6 of them were born overseas. We don’t know more about the cultural background of the rest of the kids. The experiment ran for 6 months under a dietitian. There were no psychologists or eating disorder specialists involved. For the first 12 weeks all of the kids were placed on Optifast (shakes) and allowed just 600-700 calories a day for 3 days of the week. The rest of the week the kids were told to follow ‘healthy eating guidelines’. After 12 weeks teens were ‘invited’ to either keep starving for 3 days a week, or they could change to starving for 2 or 1 day a week, or they could swap to a ‘continuous prescribed healthy eating plan’ for the next 3 months. 7 of the kids didn’t make it past the 8 week mark. These tended to be ‘heavier’ kids. We don’t know what happened to them after that. 2 more dropped out before the experiment ended, so overall just 21 teens finished the whole 6 months.​ The kids were given a Fitbit, but were not given any instructions about physical activity. Mysteriously, the pilot paper never discusses the fitbit results. The primary measure they were looking at was weight loss at 12 weeks, with secondary interest in weight loss at 26 weeks, and they also did a range of health marker measures and one 20 item questionnaire which asked about eating disorder symptoms. 28 of the kids were categorised as ‘insulin resistant’ at the beginning of the study. At 12 weeks, and 26 weeks, the study reports weight change, but it’s actually quite difficult to figure out what that means. This is quite common: weight change in scientific papers can be reported in a huge variety of ways, eg BMI change, z score change, % excess weight loss change. Weight change was primarily reported as ‘percentage point change in BMI 95th%ile’, a very confusing statistic which stops everyday people from figuring out what the actual average change in weight was. A researcher can tell you something is statistically ‘significant’ even if it’s not that meaningful in real life. In the paper, it was reported that at 12 and 26 weeks the kids demonstrated a reduction in the percentage point change in BMI 95th%ile. But what does this actually mean in terms of real life weight change? It is impossible to tell. Luckily, the lead author presented her data at a conference where she did talk about the average kg weight loss for 19 of the 21 study completers. At this conference, she reported that after 12 weeks of intermittent starvation, the kids had lost on average 3.5kg. But by 26 weeks, these changes were not maintained; the teens had regained 1.4kg, so in total after 6 months of regular starvation, they were @2kg less than when they started, and they are likely to keep regaining. That’s not a big change, especially given the huge effort, and we know weight will keep coming back. We know this is the norm for most people who diet: dieting triggers a metabolic defence response, and our bodies fight to regain any weight loss. This is not a failure or a problem, it is the body’s built in response to dieting. What a difference between the raw data at a conference and adding the statistical wizadry in the published paper! There’s more to this story: in the paper,” Figure 3” is a graph which represents each of the kids percentage point BMI95th%ile change at 12 and 26 weeks. There’s a cute little diamond which represents each kid. And when you look at Figure 3, you can clearly see that one kid really stuck out from the rest of them: this kid lost WAY more weight at 12 and 26 weeks than the others, who really didn’t lose much at all. And it seems that this kid - this ‘statistical outlier’ - is responsible for changing the story of this data from concluding that weight loss between 12 and 26 weeks was ‘not maintained’ to saying that it was maintained, all because of one child who may in fact be developing an eating disorder right in front of us. Instead of removing this outlier (which is what a lot of researchers would do, because one person’s unusual results are skewing the data, and this isn’t what science is all about), it was left in. The fact that one person had an unusual response was not discussed in the paper. This is why it’s important to read the studies! To see what actually happened. We can also see in the Figure that at both time points, several of the kids had GAINED weight above the starting point - 3 at week 12 and 5 by 26 weeks. This is normal when we look at it from the perspective of the body’s response to starvation, but weight gain was not discussed in the paper. If you have almost a quarter of your sample over shooting with weight gain, it should be discussed!! Worryingly, the results show a significant reduction in height between 12 and 26 weeks. This was not discussed in the paper. This means that the teens' growth cycle is being interrupted. If a growing body is not getting adequate nutrition, the body will stop growing in order to compensate. Any impact of starvation on the teens’ menstrual cycle was not investigated. Given that 25 of the 30 were girls, this is staggering. Metabolic impact of starvation on the teenagers’ growing bodies was not measured or discussed in the paper. 28 of the 30 kids were reported to be ‘insulin resistant’ at the outset of the experiment. This was exactly the same after 6 months of semi starvation. Measures of cardiometabolic risk including cholesterol, blood pressure, and insulin resistance did not change after 6 months of intermittent starvation. Small changes in plasma triglycerides were reported, but these were in the normal range to begin with. A small increase in fasting plasma glucose occurred at 6 months, but overall no changes in insulin resistance occurred. Expensive and complicated vascular structure and function (heart) measures were taken, of 9 vascular measures only one was significantly changed by 6 months - arterial wall thickness. Measures of these factors were not taken for all of the completers. The comments made to The Age newspaper regarding the effectiveness of the Fast Track pilot are not true. The teenagers in the pilot study did not see "benefits in their cholesterol, blood pressure, liver and heart function". At best, one aspect of a secondary marker of heart function improved at 6 months, but the majority of bio-markers were unchanged. Dietary restraint - a measure which can indicate disordered eating and presence of an eating disorder - was significantly increased by 26 weeks. These scores were elevated to start with and became even higher as the starvation diet progressed. The paper does not discuss this at all. Although the paper reported ‘improvements’ in emotional eating and eating for external reasons, these scores were not unusual to begin with, therefore any reductions do not reflect a real life improvement, they are likely just reflecting the fact that the teens were eating less overall. Of 7 measured areas of quality of life, only 2 showed improvement by the end of the 6 months. Interestingly, the results showed that improvements in quality of life were more likely to happen for those kids who did manage to maintain their weight loss at 6 months, the ones who didn’t maintain their weight loss were worse off. Given that we know that all of these kids will continue to regain weight, it seems likely that their quality of life measures will worsen. However, the researchers will not follow them up long enough to find out. So they’ve just reinforced the idea that their self confidence is based on their weight. These outcomes are not great, yet their conclusions are effusive! I am sorry (not sorry) but the conclusions do not match the data. This Pilot study is being used to justify the Fast Track trial, and there is no plain English version out there. My guest Ruth Leach is an eating disorder survivor, her whole family suffered with eating disorder thanks to her dad’s obsession with fasting and his subsequent eating disorder. Ruth is tenacious, she organised a group complaint co-signed by 35 health professionals and people who have experienced eating disorder (many of whom attributed the cause of their disorder to teenage dieting). In the 1960’s Ruth was a ‘fussy eater’ - this would now be labelled as ARFID but back then there was no definition. When Ruth was 9, her dad went on a ‘wacky diet’ to prevent cancer - a fasting diet. The whole family began fasting. Ruth’s sister was 12 when they started fasting, and her growth was impacted - she didn’t grow very tall - Ruth is 8 inches taller than her - and she did not get her period until she was 17. Ruth developed childhood Anorexia, and then developed Bulimia as a teenager. She attributes the fact that she was able to grow taller to the binges she engaged in - they allowed her body the nutrition it craved in order to allow growth. Ruth follows the work of Gwyneth Olwyn, who talks about the concept of ‘extreme hunger’. A lot of people see bingeing as negative, but Ruth’s ‘extreme hunger’ was just her body trying to recalibrate after years of starvation. In Ruth’s early 50’s Ruth’s dad died, from complications of cancer. Even throughout his illness, he kept on fasting - he had an eating disorder. He was hospitalised repeatedly for re-feeding syndrome, and eventually this killed him. At this point Ruth’s eating disorder flared up, and she has been battling Anorexia again. Ruth’s dad did everything ‘right’, but still died of the cancer that fasting was meant to prevent. This is part of the reason the Fast Track study affected Ruth so much. It was only when Ruth’s dad was dying and her symptoms were returning did Ruth realise that it wasn’t just her, but her dad who was eating disordered. Ruth went through years of hell, but is out of her eating disorder now. Ruth became involved in peer support and online eating disorder support networks. Through the process of her recovery, Ruth learned about weight science and the ‘BMI lie” and how the ‘war on obesity’ is a complete beat-up. So much weight bias rampant in the field of ‘obesity’, and also the multi-billion dollar diet and weight loss industry that keeps the beat-up going. One of the reasons the industry is so huge is because our bodies have a built in mechanism to regain weight if we fall below our set point. This theory of set point is well established in science. This ‘war’ against obesity is really a war against biological reality. Ruth is concerned that the Fast Track trial will launch kids into either an eating disorder or a lifetime of disordered eating. The kids will also be introduced to a lifetime of weight cycling, and all of the health issues that come from that. The metabolic impact of repeated dieting causes a lot of the health damage that is attributed to higher weight itself. Ruth’s own life experience, and the experience of everyone in her peer to peer support networks, is that adolescent dieting ‘cost us dearly’.  For some, it has cost their lives: Ruth knows of at least 18 people in the last 2 years who have died from their eating disorder. And as teenagers, many of these people did the same thing that the kids in the Fast Track are being told to do. The Fast Track model is utterly a model of anorexia nervosa being sold to larger kids. Ruth’s complaint to the Fast Track ethics committee went into great detail about weight cycling and the risks to metabolic health, and also the risk of eating disorders. It was a very detailed complaint. We already have so many studies which demonstrate this risk. One study mapped out the pathway to developing an eating disorder. This starts with a child feeling dissatisfied with their body and experiencing bad body image, stigmatisation based on weight, and then dieting. So many of these kids have already crossed 3 out of the 4 stages of development of an eating disorder. So when the head researcher says there is no risk, Ruth asks how can you say that when there is good, consistent science based on thousands of people to say otherwise? The study the Fast Track is based on relies on just 21 kids’ results. And there was no follow up so we have no idea what happens to them a few years down the track. The study talks about the kids being placed on a healthy diet, but also says they were drinking Optifast shakes. On what planet is a shake an example of a healthy diet, especially for growing kids! This is an extreme intervention, but to realise in plain English that this means in all likelihood, your child will lose @3.5kg and then put it back on again, and not see any major health improvements - why on earth would you do this to your impressionable teen? This weight cycling aspect is not something the Fast Track parents or kids are being told about. The Fast Track has also been designed to stop following kids up at one year. At year 2 they have the option of reporting in again, but not a lot of effort is going into seeing what happens longer term. We really need to stop doing these short term studies and to design weight loss trials (if we do them at all) to have a 5 year follow up period - this is the only way we’ll be able to see the patterns of eating disorder development. What will the kids do when they overshoot in weight? Why isn’t anyone following people up? This research is already established - The Minnesotta Semi Starvation experiment showed clearly what happens to a starving body when it re-feeds. We really don’t need to keep ‘proving’ the risks, we need instead to stop exposing people to them. Out of the complaints that were lodged and following meetings with eating disorder organisations like the Butterfly, the Fast Track researchers said they would update the parent consent forms to better inform parents of the risks. That was back in February, and still we’ve heard nothing. In 2019, if you’re going to go into a weight loss experiment, you need to know what the science says about what you can reasonably expect in terms of weight loss and regain, and what to expect in regards to risk. This isn’t rocket science, it’s a basic human right! If they wrote down exactly what to expect, I wonder if anyone would sign their kid up! The increases in restraint are concerning, this is a marker of eating disorder development. Regardless of weight, this is a worry. In Ruth’s networks she advises parents to look at sudden weight losses in their kids, regardless of BMI - look at the disordered relationship with food, not the size of the child’s body. The fast Track researchers are saying that their adjustments to the study protocol - as in, checking more frequently for eating disorder markers - will increase safety, but how on earth can you detect an eating disorder behaviour if the study itself encourages disordered eating and rewarding restriction? If we put together the diary of someone with an eating disorder and a journal of the Fast Track kids, they would look almost identical. If someone was getting really sick, they won’t see it ! They will look like weight loss ‘success’ stories. People with eating disorders feel really good, and positive, when they are restricting. They can feel calm, clear headed, and energetic when they are starving. This is not a normal response to starvation, and it’s a deadly response. The Fast Track researchers will not be able to view this as troubling, and the kid will fall through the cracks. How do you get $1.2 million to fund a study with such unimpressive results? The data do not match the conclusions. Even the title of the pilot study is seriously overblowing their actual findings. We need to listen to the American Academy of Paediatrics - where it specifically says discourage dieting, and skipping meals, and encourage healthy eating. It’s not hard. This experiment is unacceptable. It only makes sense through the lens of weight bias. If we’re worried about people’s health, there’s better ways than risking the metabolic damage that comes from weight cycling from crash diets. At this point the Fast Track trial is still continuing, in spite of the enormous global protest. Please sign the petition! Emerging news this week - the Fast Track researchers have published another paper, a meta-analysis which claims or concludes that hospital based weight loss programs for kids and teens definitely doesn’t cause eating disorders. The team have now told the Butterfly Foundation that they are planning to post this study and the pilot study up on the Fast Track website as a way of communicating risk to the parents and teens who might be enrolling. I will dive into this paper & let you know - is there a difference between the data and the conclusions? Spoiler alert: they’re doing it again….. Informed consent is everything, and this is a serious problem with the researchers slapping up their own research as a way of getting around presenting potential participants with straightforward risk information. This brings up the very issues we’ve talked about today - how on earth are parents supposed to be able to read and understand this dense data? That’s why we need the plain English website where we clearly tell people about the risks and likely outcomes. Visit the Fast Track parents information website! ** Via a letter from a legal firm, the Fast Trackers informed me that this statement is incorrect, and that in fact the kids all had an 'age and sex adjusted' adult equivalent of a BMI over 30. No other aspects of my interpretation of the paper (including the interesting tweakery between the presentation figures and the addition of the outlier which changed the results) were challenged by the team. Resources Mentioned: Ruth’s complaint My complaint The Fast Track parent information website Gwyneth Olwyn Sign the Petition Join our fb group Connect with Ruth on Twitter Ruth’s tumbler post The ‘experts in the room’ blog What’s wrong with ‘obesity prevention’ ?

In Ruth 1 Naomi loses her whole family and gains Ruth. Along the way, we learn interesting lessons about being true to your name, accepting the outsider, and God's faithfulness in our unfaithfulness. Jon Hall | June 16, 2019 We're Incarnation Tallahassee and our weekly Sunday Worship is at 10am at 1609 Branch Street at the Family Worship & Praise Center building. We hope to see you there!

Ask Win is a podcast where you are a VIP. Win wants to focus and teach people more and Cerebral Palsy. You’re welcome to ask questions about anything that you want. CP questions but mainly life questions on how to deal with CP or not. Win can ask you base questions if you want. Please let us know or there will be no base questions. If you have any questions for Win please email her at askingwkelly@gmail.com. Please donate to Ask Win by going to https://www.paypal.me/WCharles. Patron Checkout: https://www.patreon.com/join/Askwin?. Simplecast's Brand Ambassador Program: http://refer.smplc.st/rtTvG. Check out Win's books at https://www.amazon.com/Win-Kelly-Charles/e/B009VNJEKE/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1538951782&sr=1-2-ent. To buy Win’s new book, Smile with Dictation, go to https://books2read.com/Win. I, Win: http://books2read.com/Iwin Check out Danielle's books at https://www.amazon.com/Danielle-Coulter/e/B00OFIOY3C/ref=as_li_ss_tl?qid=1483655853&sr=8-2&linkCode=sl2&tag=paradimarket-20&linkId=8490a064c62cededb762ed5b949ed144. On Ask Win today (Sunday, February 3, 2019), Best-Selling Author, Win C welcomes Ruth Anne Garcia. Ruth is a wife and mother of two living in Las Cruces, NM. Writing has become a passion of mine. When Ruth took ill in 2014, Ruth needed to find a way to occupy her mind and her time. Ruth have always been a reader. When Ruth was young, Ruth turned to books for entertainment, learning, and escape. Ruth decided that she did try to write something and see how it went. Four years later, Ruth is still writing and learning about the process. Ruth is currently unpublished, but she do post a wide variety of snippets on websites like Inkitt and Scribophile. Ruth have very rough manuscript drafts posted on Wattpad. Ruth try to gain critique partners and beta readers to get feedback on my writing. In Ruth’s personal life, she is a wife to her computer enthusiast husband and mother to two gorgeous children who are the lights of Ruth’s life. Ruth currently attend New Mexico State University as a BSW student of Social Work. Ruth will be graduating in May 2019. Go Aggies! To learn more about Ruth visit ruthannegarciabooks.wordpress.com.

In Ruth 3, we encounter a story of Ruth and Boaz at the threshing floor. Ruth and Naomi are in need and have no security for their future, like so many in our world today. They have suffered and lost, and they seek assurance from Boaz that they will be redeemed and taken care of, even in unknown circumstances in the future. Boaz, upon realizing their need through Ruth’s actions and her request for covering, goes into action that very day. Likewise, we worship a God who has taken the action, a God who even takes our place and who works on our behalf to provide our redemption and our future.

In Ruth chapter 2, Boaz enters the story. Ruth is a nobody. She is a foreigner with no husband, no job, no education. She is Ruth "the Moabite" and in a position of complete powerlessness. As Ruth goes to fields to glean for food, Boaz sees her, notices her, and exhibits an exuberant and radical kind of compassion and kindness towards her. We see in this unexpected encounter, an opportunity for God’s love to be shared, and an opportunity for our ideas about family and home to be expanded.

In Ruth 2 God works behind the scenes of Ruth's life in ways she is completely unaware and in the end, finds herself surprised by grace. In this second week of our series "The Best Is Yet To Come," we look at how God works in our lives in ways we may also be completely unaware. (We apologize for not having week 1 of the series, the audio file was lost).

Sometimes we miss the true, messy meaning of phrases because of code words. In Ruth, we encounter any number of double-entendres that can inspire a variety of readings. But the thing that remains clear is that Boaz had a choice: Act as if Ruth was not worthy of concern, or as if she was a person of worth and value. He chose the latter. As we look at people seeking asylum in the United States, we also have a choice.

Ruth 3:1-18 - In Ruth 3, we learn of a bold plan by Naomi to match-make between Ruth and Boaz. Despite the danger of the plan, God is at work behind the scenes. Boaz recognizes God in Ruth's proposal and decides to take action. Learn how you can follow God's plans with courage.

On Shavuot we read the Book of Ruth, which tells the story of Ruth, the first convert to Judaism, who ultimately becomes the great-grandmother of King David. In Ruth's honor, this week we're talking about conversion to Judaism, and hearing stories from people around the globe who have chosen to become Jewish—starting with our listeners. Reporter Abby Holtzman travels to Savannah, Georgia, to bring us the story of a 13-year-old girl who has taken the plunge, literally, to convert to Judaism. Rabbi Seth Farber, the director of ITIM, an advocacy organization that helps people convert to Judaism outside the Orthodox Rabbinate, explains the complexities of conversion in Israel, and how he's trying to change that. Nathan Steiger shares his story of losing his Mormon faith and, together with his wife and daughters, embracing Orthodox Judaism and converting as a family. Naomi Telushkin (sister of our producer Shira Telushkin) and her fiancee, Ben Pigett, an Australian submariner converting to Judaism, discuss what Judaism—and Ben's conversion—means to both of them. Listener Yolanda Wu tells us about her decision to finish her conversion 20 years after she started it — and the very jewish life she and her family lived in that time. We love hearing from our listeners! Email us at Unorthodox@tabletmag.com or leave a message at our listener line: 914-570-4869. We may share your note on the air. If you like us, please consider leaving a review in iTunes. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram, and join our Facebook group to chat with the hosts and see what happens behind-the-scenes! Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get new episodes, photos, and more. Show your love for Unorthodox with our new T-shirts, sweatshirts, and baby onesies. Get yours at bit.ly/unorthoshirt. This episode is sponsored by One Day University, which brings together the greatest professors from the world's top schools to present special versions of their best lectures live. Register for upcoming events at www.onedayu.com using the code JEWISH for 30 percent off. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Most Christians know the story of Martin Luther nailing his 95 Theses to the church door in Germany.  But few Christians know something about Martin Luther's marriage to a former nun named Katie-- a monumental marriage that helped to transform the Christian culture and mindset regarding marriage.  In Ruth chapter four, the Bible tells us about another "monumental marriage" between Ruth and Boaz-- one that made a powerful impact on the larger redemption story that includes King David and Jesus Himself.  What is the exciting climax to the book of Ruth, and what exciting applications can we make to our Christian lives today?  ~Ruth, Part 5 (Conclusion)

Television viewers held their breath as stuntman-acrobat Nick Wallenda walked a high wire across Niagara Falls in 2012.  It was the first time in 112 years that such a daring act had been performed around the famous falls.  After a 25-minute walk, Nick safely made it from the American side to the Canadian side.  In Ruth chapter 3, we see another daring act-- a daring act of faith-- as Ruth reaches out to Boaz in a midnight meeting, asking him to take her as his wife.  How does this dramatic encounter unfold, and what valuable insights does this section teach us about God, His providence, and the way we can live for Him?  ~Ruth, part 3 

One of the most famous pictures in American history-- the Navy sailor kissing the nurse in the white dress in Times Square-- was taken in the context of a joyful homecoming from World War 2.  In Ruth chapter one, we read about Naomi's homecoming-- one that was filled with sorrow, bitterness, and heartbreak.  But despite the incredible hardships that Naomi and Ruth lived through, God was behind the scenes working out His wise plans.  As we examine Ruth chapter one, how does the drama unfold?  What valuable spiritual lessons can we learn from the opening act of this remarkable redemption story?   ~Ruth, Part 2

In Ruth 3, we see what it looks like to live under the shadow of God's wings. (Text: Ruth 3:1-18)

Most people answer the door when opportunity knocks. But many shrink away when responsibility knocks. Yet, it is in answering the door to responsibility that we pave the way for many of God's richest blessings. In Ruth 4 we will see two men, Mr...

In Ruth 3, we will study the story of the Kinsmen Redeemer. We will see a beautiful illustration of how God has redeemed us!

Sometimes the gift of God comes in the form of an unexpected, maybe even unusual, opportunity. In Ruth 3, both Naomi and Boaz recognize such opportunities. Ruth was simply left in the middle of an elaborate scheme as Naomi elected to take a chance on...

Sometimes the gift of God comes in the form of an unexpected, maybe even unusual, opportunity. In Ruth 3, both Naomi and Boaz recognize such opportunities. Ruth was simply left in the middle of an elaborate scheme as Naomi elected to take a chance on...

Every great story needs a crisis. If there is no problem to overcome, there is not much of a story. In Ruth, one crisis leads to another as problems continue to mount. First, famine leads to displacement, displacement leads to death, death leads to...

Every great story needs a crisis. If there is no problem to overcome, there is not much of a story. In Ruth, one crisis leads to another as problems continue to mount. First, famine leads to displacement, displacement leads to death, death leads to...

We experience God's love through community. But often, instead of loving the community we're in, we hold back because waiting for a better one to come along. In Ruth 2, we see a man loving the community in front of him, as God commanded. The community experiences love through him and in his actions, we witness compassionate love. Listen in as we consider what it looks like to love a diverse, challenging community.

In the first chapter of Ruth we see calamity come to the life of Naomi which discourages her. In Ruth chapter two, light springs up as we see the favour of God to Ruth and Naomi through Boaz. He goes out of his way to care for and provide for Ruth. This is a beautiful picture of how the Lord in His lovingkindness shows us favour, provides our needs, and comforts us with His promises. Through the eyes of Ruth we see how God cares for us. Through the eyes of Boaz we realize how God wants us to care for others.

Our guest today is Makuini Ruth Tai.  I first met her as Ruth Tai. She is happy to be called either Makuini or Ruth, because she knows and honours the source of both her birth names. Some two hundred years ago, the word Maori was not used as an identity term, It was only when the European landed on the shores of Aotearoa that a shift happened.  When Ruth was young - she identified more with her whanau (immediate and extended family) and her hapu (sub-tribe or clan).  The use of Maori as an identity label is fairly recent. Ruth asserts that Maori was not just an oral language, it was also recorded. However, the European translators did not recognise the graphics as a written language.  REO means language and voice.  Every design, every pattern is the voice recorded/written in graphic form.  Ruth is  committed to decoding REO through the Rich Earth Oratory of the old time Maori, who understood the power of the voice and its varying tones.  They didn't just 'talk', they also intoned or chanted and sang and were very passionate orators. The interview: Decoding REO Maori (Maori Language) in esoteric terms is extremely illuminating. This unveiling will resound throughout the Maori world and beyond  - unfolding a renaissance in all things Maori and how we see and relate to existence in a 21st century setting.  It appears that British colonialists interpreted the Maori language incorrectly. That there was another esoteric level encoded in the resonance of the sound of REO. The evidence points to this. In the 1800’s when the European colonised  Aotearoa a land they called New Zealand, their mindset was of the Industrial revolution - being mechanistic - as well as of Victorian values - of the church - (and yes there were pioneers and adventurers). Essentially that was the level of language and understanding at that time. That was the degree of ‘consciousness’ they brought to the actual translation of REO - into English. The translators knew nothing of the pulse and resonance or the real depth of what was embedded in the language - especially that of the messages that were encoded within ‘every single word’. Thus, they misconstrued the hidden elements. Whereas Maori, who navigated the vastness of oceans by the stars, yet were equally at home in the density of the bush/forest - (that virtually covered the whole of Aotearoa NZ) - had indeed a language of immersion into nature itself. And Ruth in her personal research over many years, realised that we have not been able to factor in the depth of REO, so she has focused her life on recovering and unfolding it for a new paradigm that we are entering. Ruth, unpacks the word Maori Ma-ori … ma translates as clear, clean, pure, white light. Ori is vibration, energy. When we see the word Maori with these insights we have a totally different translation. We can see that the word Maori codes an origin from light and sound and today quantum physics speaks to this … The words  clear, clean, pure, white light, vibration or energy - do not speak of identity . Thus Maori describes who we are within ourselves - our state of beingness. Kia Ora is usually only thought of as a greeting. Kia  is pronounced  Key-Ah -   This one little word packs a lot of power. Kia is the verb To Be, To Do, To Have. Ora pronounced Aw-rrrah also refers to ‘wellness’ and ‘of Light and Sound’. Thus, to use the greeting Kia Ora you are in fact saying, "Greetings O Being Of Light and Sound. Be well, Do well and you will Have wellness". Ora means receiving the light of that divine source - to bring us into wellness and we know in todays world via our technical knowhow, light and sound travel together. But in the early 1800’s the translators did not understand the higher dimension of both electricity and sound. Kia Ora becomes more meaningful when you greet with this intention, when you greet each person as a radiant being of light and sound. When mentioning Ra and the Egyptian connections - Ruth says Ra is also inner light, it is not always an outward projection. When travelling to the US and spending time with first nation peoples, she noted a certain similarity of resonance or vibration as to how they spoke and voiced words…  and how she perceived language to be.  She recognises that first nations connect with nature and cosmos as first teachers - they sink into mother earth and are receptive to all that pulses. - such as star light and Matariki the Pleiades.   She mentions that the word mother and father used to describe Earth Mother and Sky Father - as terms of endearment are lovely really, but their personified names of Rangi and Nuku (Papa-tu-a-Nuku) convey an even truer meaning… Cross over-words that are also in the universal field like tapu and taboo - how do they come about?   Pu is always about the source - puna. It also means spring (where water emerges). In this interview, Tim who was brought up in a rural area surrounded by Maori community that was impelled to speak English, mentions how he communicates to foreign visitors what Kia Ora means and in particular how to remember this important word. Tim’s version =  key - aura    Kia  remember as a KEY to open up something and ora is an aura  - we all have an AURA or an energy field surrounding our body. Ruth ' s understanding of Aroha   aroha is unconditional love aro is a word for thought - how we breathe that thought - how we emote that thought - will either bring it to life or if we do not breathe it deeply if we do not emotionally involve ourselves around it - it just sits there. aro is thought - also to intend and also to pay attention     ha is the life force - it’s the breath - or even the love force - the love behind the thought She says that aroha is also obedient … it obeys everything - it is the unconditionality of aroha of love - that is its nature. So where we put our intention and our focus, that is what we are bringing into reality  - we are moving the force of aroha to have it express itself in the here and now. Thus, aroha becomes very extensive and all encompassing.  It is having thought and breath unified - to become and to mean LOVE in all of its unconditionality… and to love wisely, which Ruth says is very important as our intent is critical.  Where you put your focus you are going to get it - that love will always obey and always deliver. So it is how conscious we are in the moment - we need to be very mindful - our thoughts can be empowering or dis-empowering - the choice is always ours and ours alone, because we own the thought. When it is all put together Ruth says it describes our aroha birthright The  interview covers tapu and the way seeds grow as well as introducing Rupert Sheldrakes morphic resonance into the idea that tapu may feed into the localised field, when the the tohunga (seer, expert) sets the intention for a tapu to be activated. Where a death occurs in a specific area, or that a crop or fishing area not be entered maybe because it was not the season. The interview covers the historical setting. We have to always remember that over the centuries the old time Maori had embedded a totally different wave length of thinking and being - and when the European came to NZ, they too had a very different wave length of thinking, too. Europeans came from the industrial revolution and some were of peasantry or serfdom and escaped as described in William Blake’s song about ‘the dark satanic mills’ of England.  Basically  they landed in a country covered in jungle (bush) right down to the waters edge. Most of the new settlers had lived outside of the deepness of ’the nature’ - of really embedding themselves in the pulse of life that vibrated when you are surrounded by virtually no humans at all, other than the sounds of birds and insects plus the wind etc. The landscape was on occasions very still. The trees sighed, the creek murmured, the wind intoned, and the rocks smiled … and everything pulsed from sun up to sundown and throughout the evening of darkness and star light … This is what the old time  Maori experienced and revered. The Early settlers were strangers in a strange land… and had to make everything up usually individually or in tiny groups as they went along toiling, cutting, digging erecting involved in makeshift  - many experienced hard learnings on the way. Indigenous people are the nature people - they are the ones with their conscious connection to all the subtle and not so subtle movement that surrounds  them, and through living and working in a group or community setting, they had their finger on the pulse of the environment that enveloped them. Whereas as when the colonialist leaders landed, they were an expression of the corporate language that made their beachhead here in Aotearoa, and in doing so took away, or lost the heart connection …and turned it into something that distanced us from nature and today we have ended up with a language that has a hardness to it  - in the sounds … The interview moves on to cover: Karakia is prayer - to bring thought into reality - to bring the sacred light into form. The fact that Ruth can decode REO and divine a totally deeper level of being that has been slumbering for too many years - it’s like finding an esoteric pathway, when in fact we have in some ways been walking an exoteric path thinking that we had the Maori language sussed. In Ruth’s words… with the decoding of the actual words as spoken by the old time Maori, we now have a window into the ancient language and she says that with the language of quantum sciences that we have at our disposal today, we can now comprehend the mother tongue, that Maori already knew and lived the science - way back then… We spoke of Tane god of the forest,  Tangaroa god of the sea and god of the weather Tāwhirimātea. Plus the hongi and what it is as a greeting - 3rd eye to 3rd eye, forehead to forehead and sharing breath. That in many ways we are not today realising it as a sacred act - there is too much chatter and we are being casual about it, when it is actually a sacred act of connection, a  special time to heal, to clear, to cleanse, to transform to transmute all of the ancestral lines. That Maori always have their sacred connection to the Land  - their local mountain, their river, their lake or spring - this extension of them, this connection is that these physical manifestations are seen as the elders. In ceremonial greetings the women are the ‘first callers’ of welcome and greetings. They chant their oratory and weave all the elements and invisible forces of life into a coherency that connects all people to the occasion of unity. There is also a plethora of female goddesses, but these were missed out by the early translators of maori myth and legend ... they are making a comeback today. Finally, when European set foot on Aotearoa - Maori described them as pakeha pa  is to connect ke  is different ha is breath People of a different breath This is only half of the interview. You can download the transcribed conversation in full and listen to the audio.  It gifts us a very profound understanding of a people who have inhabited this land for at least centuries and some say since the beginning. ******** To reiterate - this language of a different frequency was not available to the early settlers, explorers and missionaries in the 1800’s. It was lost in translation. This new rendition - throws light on a whole new way of: allowing, being, doing, seeing and understanding. This is why Maori today are driven to protect and encourage all to learn REO Maori (Maori Language). Connect with Makuini Ruth Tai at REO Communications on Facebook.

While they were in Moab, Naomi's husband dies and her two sons marry Moabite women. Next, Naomi's two sons die and she is left with her two daughters-in-law. After the famine ends and Eglon is defeated, Naomi decides to return to Bethlehem. On a road headed out of Moab, Naomi tells her daughters-in-law to leave her and go back to their people. Orpah cries and leaves Naomi, but Ruth clave to Naomi. In Ruth's defining moment, she doesn't allow Naomi's offense to overwhelm her faithfulness. She says to Naomi, 'where you go, I will go, your God will be my God, where you die, I will die…' Ruth stays with Naomi and the rest of the account is her encounter with Boaz and redemption of their family.

6Ten 26/05/2013 | Part 6 | At Kerith we have seen our community continue to grow over the last few years. We have moved from 2 meetings to 3 and now we are setting up a multi site in Sandhurst. Community is at the heart of Kerith because it is the heart of God to see us in community.  In Ruth 1 v16-18, Ruth shows us about getting behind your community and following God’s call on our lives in the process. Are you stuck in to your community?

In Ruth chapter 3 we find Naomi encouraging Ruth to put herself in the way of Boaz. There is really one word that can best describe chapter 3, and that is "Hope". As Ruth and Naomi are being moved through God's divine providence, from trials and difficults, to the hope that is on the horizon, God is setting the stage for the greatest hope of all.