No One Knows the Hour (part five)

 Harold Camping's beliefs about the end of the world (continued)

Harold Camping, during his life ( for 50 years) was the host of a talk radio program called,  Family Talk where listeners could call in and ask questions concerning the Bible.

In this video of Harold Camping's prediction of the world (Wheats and Tares, Amazon Prime) he says that concerning spiritual things, there are people that don't know the things of God, because they need to be able to see and hear spiritually but God has to open our eyes and hear first so that we can understand the things he wants us to know. And he doesn't do that for just anyone.

While I myself believes that to be true, he definitely wasn't hearing God right on the subject of the world ending. What? He didn't have his glasses on during that time or his hearing aide in? Speaking spiritually, of course.

During the video, some of the people that believed, and didn't believe his prediction, gave their thoughts of the situation.

This included the pregnant woman who had spent her savings. A son who was worried for his family that they might commit suicide if they weren't taken to heaven, and I believe his mother that had quit her job because she didn't think she would be here once Jesus came back. 

Camping had stated that all churches have their own set of doctrines that don't agree, and how can that be if they all are reading out of the same bible?  He says it is because they don't study the bible enough.

The problem with that statement is that a lot of religions have their own bible (even those that claim to be Born Again denominations) which some differ or have changed their scripture, so while it can mean that some just don't study enough, that is not the only thing that answers how "that can be."

And so, how can it be that Camping believed that the world would end on that date, and was able to persuade many, many people, only for it to not be so? Was his spiritual eyes and ears not working, or what? And not only his, but all those that followed him. Maybe they all should have been paying more attention to what the Bible actually said. And asking God for His wisdom. Not anyone eles's.

They might have saved themselves from quitting jobs, spending their money, and had family members that worried for their very lives, had they realized he was wrong. Or at least questioned it.

I am not saying these things may not come to pass at some point. Maybe sooner than we think. Maybe not until later. Christs return has been predicted since bible days. And yet, they say we are now living in the end times. The disciples thought it was going to happen in their time.

The thing that is important is that no matter when Jesus does come, we are called to be ready because along with not knowing the date or hour comes this scripture:

 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 1 Corinthians 15:52

And that, my friends is what we can count on. Not any thing that a man tells us that is different from the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Thanks for coming today, friends! This series will be continued next time. Have a blessed day!

No One Knows (part four)

 Pre-May 21, 2011 What Harold Camping believed and was preaching to anyone that would listen.

Harold Camping

Source: Wheat & Tares/Amazon Prime

"You will see the graves open or you will see people being raptured before that earthquake comes to your city. But when the earthquake hits your city then instantly, instantly you will come out of the grave with a glorified spiritual body. And you will have one And you will have oneeee direction that you are going right up to be with Christ." (Harold Camping)

Camping arrived at that date using a complicated  mathematical formula based on biblical numbers. He claimed there will be a huge earthquake which will first hit Fiji and New Zealand, and then work its way around the world.

Many people in this video seem to be taking him at his word. People on street corners hand out tracts and try to talk to those passing by. CNN reports that many people have left their families

A pregnant woman with a child has spent all her savings because she will not need it once the end comes. (Which of course, did not happen.)

Camping states that scientists can know a lot about the earth such as with telescope/lightyears, etc but when it comes to spiritual things, "...no, no they don't realize that the world has never been as rebellious against God as it has been as it is today."

My notes: Notice that God  destroyed the earth in Noah's day for their rebellion and yet has not yet ended the world in our own day...yet. So what, are we not yet as rebellious as it was in Noah's day? I am not saying we aren't getting there, but really, if what he said is true, why hasn't it happened yet? Just something to think about.

There will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and pestilences. And there will be terrors and great signs from heaven. Luke 21:11

Thee will be earthquakes, but  so far I have not found anywhere in the bible that states that earthquakes will be what starts it. Maybe we will discover that as we go on, but at this point I am not sure.

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Hello, Friends. Please bare with me during these days that are very stressful for me. I do want to continue on with what I have started here on end times and false doctrine. But my posts will be shorter most days and maybe every day. Not only that, but on this subject, it is probably better this way so that we don't get overcome with such a very important subject as the end times. Thanks for coming. God bless!

No One Knows! (part three)

False Teachers/Pastors

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• Should we  name people to others when we find they are false teachers or pastors. The Bible tells us not to judge or gossip about others?

To be able to avoid them, we have to know who they are. Therefore, we need to warn others when we become aware of those that distort the true teachings of Jesus Christ. These people may be in the very church or Bible study we go to. We in fact, years ago knew of such a person in a Sunday School class that tried to interrupt the Pastor who taught the class, with false ideals about the lessons each week. Then one time, he called out when the pastor was preaching and tried to interrupt his message. Eventually, because he finally would not stop, he was asked to leave. And wouldn't you know that he showed up in another church doing the same thing.

Now we command you brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from any brother that is walking disorderly, and not in accord with the traditions that you have received from us. 2 Thessalonians 3;6

The apostle Paul did name some false teachers:

Demas in 2 Timothy 4:10

Hymenenaeus and Alexander: 1 Timothy 1:19-20

Philetus and Hermogenes 2 Timothy 1:15

And others. But this one sums it up well, I think:

But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness. 

 And their word will eat as doth a canker: of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus;

 Who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already; and overthrow the faith of some. 2 Timothy 2:16-18

It is not gossip or sin to tell others when we find someone telling us that they are not lining what they say with the Word of God. Nor is it wrong to shun them  And if they come to our home, proclaiming a different gospel, we are not to let the into our home. 2 John 1:10

Does this mean we are not to let Mormons and Jehovah Witness into our home? Well, let me say this. I know for a fact that JW will not come into someone's home. That is unless they can get you to agree to them coming in to teach you their doctrine. They do not want to hear yours. Having said that, we should be willing to at least try to drop  a bit of truth to them even if it is just something to make them think. Years ago, 2 women came to our home and I asked them about the 144,000 that is in Revelation 7. They believe (or did at that time) that those 144,00 were JW and were the ones that "were sealed."  And so I had asked them what they believed they were sealed to. They said they would be in heaven. And so then I said that, well by now I understand that your church has way surpassed 144,000 members, so if that is true, where will you two go?

You knows something? They could not answer that question. They had to admit they didn't know.

You know something else? Those 144,00 are from the 12 tribes of Israel and if you know anything about Israel, they don't believe like the JW do. Not only that, but chapter 7:9, says that there are also many people, more than can be counted, "from every nation, tribe, people and language standing before the  Lord."

What do they do with that part of scripture?

Well, these ladies did not tell me that. In fact, they didn't stay much longer because they weren't getting anywhere with me. They were most likely unaware of it because they are taught what they are to share and if it is still like it was in those days, they have their own bible. And they give you just enough truth to get your attention and then the rest is false teaching. Then do you know what? If you insist on telling them the truth, they do leave and that is filed away wherever they keep it, and never come back to your door. 

They are also told not to let others pray for them, or talk to them about anything other then their own doctrine.

What had I done? I dropped a nugget of the truth in there because, we knew a lady once that had been born into a JW family. One day some Christians came to her door and had said something that made her  from  another doctrine question about her own doctrine, and it changed her life. She began to ask more questions and she found the real Jesus and got saved and she was so thankful to God for that person she had tried to witness too, instead witnessed to her.

I don't know if what I gave them that day, started them on a search for the truth. I hope it did. But if Christian would give those people a little bit of truth to those that come to their door, instead of turning them away, God can o anything to debunk those false teachings and bring them to him. 

 

We are not to let anyone in with false teaching, but if we give a bit of the truth while they are at the door, it can make a difference to a lost person who would otherwise go to hell because they were not told the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

We need to tell those that are in darkness. To call out those that are spewing satan's lies. How else will they know, if we don't tell them?

Today's post gives us a lot of food for thought. It is a serious subject. Next time I will post about Harold Camping and what he believed all those years about end times. After it didn't come twice for him, he did finally say he had been wrong and renounced his sin. I do believe he was saved, I have no doubt it had been an embarrassing situation and for all those who followed him. Anyway, more on him tomorrow if I can get here. But if not, stay tuned, it will come. Thanks for coming and for your patience with me. 

This little light of mine, hide it under a bushel, NO! Let it shine til Jesus Comes!

L

No One Knows (part two)

 

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If you have been with me for awhile, you will know that I believe that Jesus is who he says he is. God does not change. He doe not lie and he sent his Son to die for our sins.

And I believe that because Jesus had said there would be those we need to be aware of. Because friend, he and his word is the final word for what we are to believe.

So watching these videos then, why were so many that were misled into believing what this man was saying to them about May 21, 2011? Was he so ignorant of the bible that he didn't know what it said? And why did so many people follow him and had not figured out by scripture that he was wrong. His own family believed him.

No, he was not ignorant to what Jesus said about them He shouldn't have been, if he was really a saved by grace, born again Christian.  He was about 90 in 2011 and had been a  "pastor" for many years. He even had questioned why God had chosen him for this mission to warn people that they needed to wake up.

The notgso funny thing about that question that God had chosen him for the mission to war people is that GOD DID NOT CHOOSE HIM FOR THAT MISSION!

 The date of May 2011 and before that in September of 1994,  he was saying it was meant for that time in history, and not our own. After Jesus did not come back, he made excuses for it. Well, he had to come up for some reason why. 

Right? But first, what can we know of Harold Camping, assuming that all that has been written about him is true. I found it to be a very interesting study. So over the next few days, I will be posting things I have found out about this man. 

Today however, I wanted to find out what it means to be a false prophet. I will start with what the bible says they are.

If we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we have preached to you, let him be under a curse. Galatians 1:8

Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inside they are ravenous wolves. Mathew 7:15

Pay attention to yourselves and your flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers to teach the church of God which he bought with his own blood. And I know that after I depart,  wolves will enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves, men shall arise, speaking perverse things, to draw disciples away after them. Acts 20:28-30 

And then of course, some will try to predict the coming of Jesus Christ:

No man knows the day or hour....Mark 13:32

And so, in a nutshell, we are to watch what someone is teaching us  and make sure it is the gospel of Jesus Christ, to beware of those that might be of a different gospel and what they teach lines up with God's word,  for pastors to watch over and protect their flocks from these people, because they are out there, ready to take us away from the true gospel. 

How do we do that? 

By studying God's Word. 2 Timothy 2:15. When someone teaches, preaches, or even is just talking about God's word, if we don't know what they are saying is truth, we need to search it out for ourselves by using God's word to go back and see what it says about it. Do not just blindly take someone's word as truth.

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I may or may not be able to post part three tomorrow. I will try, but my son needs help tomorrow with some serious problems going on with his family. If not, I should be back on Thursday. Thanks for your patience as it is a trying time for us. 

What else is there that we can learn about false prophets? Come back next time and maybe we can find out.

Thanks for coming by, and supporting me by reading what God leads me to write about. I appreciate you all! Til next time, 

No One Knows! (Part one)

  I like to watch documentaries about so called prophecies about the end of the world and cults. Why? Well, when I had said this to a friend one time, she pretty much jumped on me and said that God doesn't want us to have anything to do with witchcraft. She was and still is a fairly new Christian and so I explained that I did not mean witchcraft, though, I believe we need to know about those to)  but instead I wanted to know about false prophets and what they are teaching because I want to know what is out there. So I can know what to avoid. How do you know, if you don't learn and how can you avoid if you don't listen? If you don't find out they are preaching?

Having said that, last evening I looked through some of the  videos  on cults that Amazon Prime offers and found some updated ones, and a couple that I had never heard of. Such as one on Jim Jones, Heaven's Gate, and the one I hadn't heard of: Wheats and Tares.

I was most interested in that one because it is a prophesy by about a  "pastor" (by the name of  Harold Camping) that claimed  that the end of the world was going to be May 21, 2011, when Jesus would be coming back.

Evidentially, he came up with that date because of some code or dates that he used to figure it out by the bible. Umm, I wonder how people can do that, (make prophecies based on any kind of code) when Mark 13:32 clearly states, "No one knows the day or the hour when these things will happen. Not even the angels or the Son. Only the Father."

What, they don't have that in their bible? They don't read that part? What?

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I wonderd what denomination he was. Because there have been many false prophets that have claimed the same thing by giving dates of the world ending and none have come true yet. And there have been different denominations whose leader has tried to predict this. The bible also tells us in Mathew 24, to beware of false prophets and men that would deceive us.

Obviously, he didn't know it or share it with the people that follow him. There were people on street corners handing out tracts about it, and many people that wore t-shirts with that date clearly printed on them proclaiming that date to be Judgement Day.

And this is what was really sad. That video told of one woman that was pregnant whose husband, along with herself had spent their all their money in the last few days before the event was to take place, because they weren't going to need any money after that date. And so, when it didn't take place, they were penniless. 

Can you imagine that? What did people think and feel as they anticipated the long awaited coming of Jesus, only to have it pass with the world going on the same as it had been? How many people turned away from Christianity as being just some joke because a man had promised something that he couldn't deliver? 

I guess it was not even the first time he made this prediction. Wikipedia  says that he had made the same one for September 1994, and it didn't happen. How embarrassing to have it not happen for a second time. How embarrassing for people to tell their friends and loved ones that they had better be ready for the world to end, only to still be there when it didn't happen. 

Friends, that is why we need to know what the bible says for ourselves and not by following anyone claiming to know things that are going o happen, without knowing it for ourselves. First.

Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman who needs not to be ashamed rightly dividing the word of truth. 2 Timothy 2:15.

Don't take any one's word that they are saying what the bible says. No one. If those people had done that by seeing for themselves what the bible says about the end times, there would have been no embarrassment. No shame. They would have known that this man was wrong. 

Wikipedia does say that Harold Camping did later admit that he had done wrong by trying to predict the Second Coming and so that is good that he did that. And if he was a true believer, and had asked forgiveness, God forgave him.

But how much damage he had done, only God knows. And that is the saddest part of his story.

So what happened to these people that had their hopes dashed that day? How did Camping explain it?. There is another video about it called: Apocalyse Later: Harold Camping vs The End of the World on prime if you like to see more info on it. Or come back tomorrow for Part 2.

Thanks for stopping by, Friends. Have a blessed day!

Death in My Family

    Hello Friends. I am going to take a day or two off again. Yesterday, my sister went home to be with Jesus. She has suffered for several years with Alzheimer's and it took away everything she had, and now her life.

The good news, as sad as it is for her family here on earth, is we can rejoice because even though it took her earthly life, it did not take her heavenly life.

Because of what Jesus did for her on the cross, there is no sting to her death. Her grave will have no victory because only her mortal body will be there. Now she is with Jesus.

O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? For the sting of death is sin;  and the strength of sin is the law. But, thanks be to God who gives us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ! 1 Corth. 15:55-57

When someone dies, we sometimes hear loved ones telling them at their grave site: RIP

But, I praise God, that I do not have to tell her to RIP, because I know she is now resting in the arms of her Savior. She indeed, is resting in his peace! For now and  forever more.

I will be back in a couple days. Probably Saturday or maybe Sunday. Til then, Gods blessings be poured out on you!

S

God's Word for Today: What is He Saying to You?

 

I will lift up my eyes to the hills, from where my help comes from. My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. He will not let my foot be moved, and he keeps me safe and does not sleep. He that keeps Israel safe and does not sleep. The Lord keeps me and the shade on my right hand. The sun will not kill me in the day, or the moon by night. The Lord shall keep me safe from all evil and preserve my soul. The Lord shall keep me safe when I go out and come in, forever. Psalms 121:1-8

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Be still and know that I am God! Psalm 46:10

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We want God to hear us, right? We want God to answer us, right? We want, we want. we want. But my question is, do we really want to listen to what he has to say? Do we really care enough to read his word and understand that it is through that, that we can know what he is saying to us.

It takes time. But it is one way that he has chosen to speak and get us to know His heart. But sometimes, we just don't want to. Maybe we are too busy. Maybe we are just too tired. Or maybe there are times, that we can't. Maybe, maybe, maybe. 

Have you 'been there, done that' as I have?

But when we are ready to open up the Bible, He is there. Waiting for us. Waiting for us to know His heart. And waiting to teach us what He is all about. And waiting to answer our prayers. He is there. Waiting for us today. Right now. He is waiting for us. Now. 

Thanks for coming by today, Friends. Have a blesed day.

"Live is Like A Box of Chocolates...."

I Love Jesus Because He First Loved Me!

 

What Valentine Can I Give Him?

What can I give to Jesus
On this special Valentine's Day?
How can I tell Him I'll love Him,
And follow Him, come what may?

How can I show I need Him?
Should I send a red heart, with lace?
How can I thank Him enough
For his sacrifice, love and grace?

What Valentine can I give Him,

My adoration to impart?
I'll give to Him what He wants most;
I'll yield to Him my heart.

By Joanna Fuchs @:   Christian Valentine Poems: Church Bulletins, Cards

For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him, should not perish but have everlasting life.  John 3:16

Happy Valentines Day and God's blessings on you today! Thanks for coming by

Trust In Him, Not Yourself

 I woke up today and needed a word from God that would give me some encouragement. We have been going through some hard things for some time.. But life has never been easy and I would think that through its battles, and seeing God work them out for me, it would be all the easier to just trust in him through this season at well.. But here I am  this morning, feeling discouraged. Again. Where are you Lord? Are you there? Why haven't you answered my prayers? Some of the titles of past posts rattle through my head. 

But I needed to get on with my post today. Because I promised that it would be here. And I admit, I didn't want to do one. I didn't feel like being here for my readers. Because I feel down hearted. How can I encourage someone else, when I am so discouraged.

But I had promised. And so I opened my Pinterest account to find something inspirational. And the graphic I found was almost the first one, that I see.

God is saying to you today, I know that you are physically and emotionally drained. But you have to keep on going. I'll see you through. Amen

And then scripture comes to my mind that I have read so many times before. 

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him and he will direct your path.

Provers 3:5

Sometimes on days when we wonder what God is up to, why he doesn't seem to be there, why he isn't answering our prayers, it is easy to think, "All I can do is pray and trust him."

It is harder to do that then to actually believe it sometimes. And it makes us want to just give up.

But the thing is, praying and trusting him, are the very best that we can do in difficult times and circumstances. He promises to direct our paths when we do acknowledge him. And I am reminded of that this morning. Yet, Again. Even though I have seen him work so many things out in my life. Over and over. And over. How can I forget, when he has done so much for me? 

"Thank you God, for encouraging me today, so that hopefully I can encourage others."

Thanks for coming by today, Friends. I pray for you a blessed day! 

A Biblical Love Story: A Wedding Invitation: (part seven)

 No matter how many weddings we humans have on this earth, for those that are saved and born again, there is only one that will outshine all others and one that will never be broken by divorce or sickness or death. Revelation and The unique Love story of Ruth & Boaz - Good News of the Gospel Way explains it this way.

A Wedding Invitation for you and me

As in all good love stories, the Bible concludes with a wedding.  Just as the price that Boaz paid to redeem Ruth paved the way for their wedding, the price that Jesus paid has paved the way for our wedding.  That wedding is not figurative but real, and those accepting his wedding invitation are called ‘The Bride of Christ’.  As it says:

Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. Revelation 19:7

 

Those who receive Jesus’ offer of redemption become his ‘bride’.  This heavenly wedding is offered to all of us.  The Bible ends with this invitation for you and me to come to His wedding

The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life.

 Revelation 22:17

 The relationship between Ruth & Boaz is a model of love that is still making itself felt today.  It is a picture of the heavenly romance of God who loves us.  He will marry as His Bride all who accept His marriage proposal.  As with any marriage proposals, His offer should be weighed to see if you should accept it.  Start here with the ‘plan’ laid out in the beginning from the beginning of human history and follow its development. Notice how it is all predicted long beforehand to prove it really is God’s Proposal.

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What an exciting event to dream and plan for! The marriage supper of the Lamb where those of us that have accepted his free offer of love, grace and salvation will live on with us in heaven. Where not one thing can go wrong, disrupt and destroy it. Where no sin can invade it.

We, the church will be married to Jesus himself, as our Bridegroom! 

Can we even imagine it? Not entirely. But the promise is to all of us, that have said yes to his invitation: Will you come?

Yes Lord, I will come. Thank you!

Hello, Friends. I will be taking the rest of this week off but plan to be back on Saturday, Feb.13. I hope you will come back then and that in the mean time God will richly bless you in his love!

A Biblical Love Story (part six)

 The wedding rings that couples exchange on their special day, are a wonderful and beautiful expression of our love for someone that we have come to love.

And yet, as we know, they are not what hold a marriage together. 

Anyone that has been married for awhile would agree, that after the honeymoon has worn off, marriage is a lot of hard work, and not the fairy tale pictures we see in our minds, as we prepare for and dream about the life we are about to take part in, with another person.

The Bible clearly lays out for us, what marriage really is, according to what God says about it. And we can also find it at the site I have used it for the past few days concerning the topic of Ruth and Boaz at:  The unique Love story of Ruth & Boaz - Good News of the Gospel Way

Please read on....

A Model for our marriages

The way Jesus (and Boaz) paid to redeem and then win his bride models how we can build our marriages.  The Bible explains how we establish our marriages:

Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.

25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, 27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. 28 In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.29 After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church— 30 for we are members of his body. 31 “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” 32 This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. 33 However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband. Ephesians 5:21-33

As Boaz and Ruth established their marriage on love and respect, and Jesus’ care for the church is a model for husbands to love their wives sacrificially, so we do well to build our marriages on these same values.

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Marriage is serious business. It should never be taken lightly. And first and foremost, Christ should be at the head of a couple that are coming together to create a family.

Easy? Well, in my almost 70 years on this earth, and 50 of them being married to one man, I have never seen one marriage that was without its share of problems. But I can say, that those that are truly committed to Christ, have been the most successful. 

As humans, we stumble and fall in this life. And we make mistake and sometimes we want our way. But God is there to help us through the rough times if we don't give up and we turn to him.

Marriage really is hard work. But God is there for us when we stumble and fall in this part of life. After all, sin is all around us. From the time of Adam and Eve, to now, to until Jesus comes back. We just have to trust in him to get us through the tough times of marriage. Because he will if we ask him.

Did you know that you and I have a very special wedding invitation that will be like no other wedding we have been invited to? Come back and check it out in tomorrow's post. It will be the most beautiful even that our minds can even fathom. 

Thanks for stopping by! Praise be to God our Father and blessings to you!

A Biblical Love Story (part five)

 

As if the stories between people like Ruth ad Boaz, Adam and Eve, and Mary and Joseph weren't enough to give us a true picture of human love, there is one story that surpasses all others. Again, from the God's Word and:The unique Love story of Ruth & Boaz - Good News of the Gospel Way comes to us the true meaning of what it is to really love. Read on.......

 Picturing a Greater Love Story

The chivalry and respect with which the rich and powerful Boaz treated Ruth, the destitute foreign woman, is a model contrasting the harassments and exploitations now common in our #MeToo day.  The historical impact of the family line which this romance and marriage produced, detectible every time we note the date on our devices, gives this love story an enduring legacy.  But the Ruth & Boaz love story is also a picture of an even greater love – one you and I are invited into.

The Bible describes us in a manner evoking Ruth when it says

I will plant her for myself in the land;
I will show my love to the one I called ‘Not my loved one.’

Hosea 2:23

The Old Testament prophet Hosea (ca 750 BC) used the reconciliation in his own fractured marriage to picture God reaching out to us with His love.  Like Ruth who entered the land as one unloved, but then was shown love by Boaz, He desires to show His love even to those of us who feel far from His love.  This is quoted in the New Testament (Romans 9:25) to show how God reaches wide to love those far from Him

How is His love shown?  Jesus, that descendant offspring from Boaz & Ruth, is God come-in-the-flesh and is thus our ‘kinsman’, just as Boaz was to Ruth.  Jesus paid our debt of sin to God on the cross, and thus he

gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.

Titus 2:14

As Boaz was a ‘kinsman-redeemer’ who paid a price to redeem Ruth, Jesus is our ‘kinsman-redeemer’ who paid (with his life) to redeem us.

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And so how can we bring these truths down to our own marriages or relationships today?  We will check that out tomorrow. 

Thanks for coming by. Have a blessed day!

 

A Biblical Love Story (part four)

Just how unique was this love story between Ruth and Boaz?

Well, if you have been a part of Sunday School, or Bible Studies for long, you probably know the answer to that question. However, you are about to read it as it was first given in the Bible and retold at: The unique Love story of Ruth & Boaz - Good News of the Gospel Way

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Legacy of Ruth & Boaz

In their union they had a child, Obed, who in turn became the grandfather of King David.  David was promised that ‘a Christ’ would come from his family.   Further prophecies were given and finally Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem, the same town that Ruth and Boaz had met in long before.  Their romance, marriage and family line resulted in offspring that today is the basis for our modern calendar, and global holidays like Christmas & Easter – not bad for a romance in a dusty village over 3000 years ago.

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Of course, this story though remarkable, was not the only love story that is recorded in the Bible. If you think about it, first we find Adam and Eve and how they came to be on this earth. Then there was how Isaac found his wife Rebekah, and then think of the story of Abram and Sari, and what they had gone through in their own marriage.

Situations in humanity that brought people together albeit sometimes their own sin. Which, of course has carried on with many a couple from the beginning of time. But I digress....

I think that David and Bathsheba and Mary and Joseph were among the most unique along with Ruth and Boaz, and that is because they all had a more direct part in the lineage of Jesus Christ. 

These people had produced dependents that would lead to his birth. God had greatly used them all to bring his promise of a Savior to die for man that we could be redeemed from sin and death. Talk about love stories!

And for that we can shout:

 How Great is our God!

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There is more to be said about the story of Ruth and Boaz. Join me next time for we can find its truths in our own stories of love and marriage.

Thanks for coming by and may God's richest blessings pour over you today!

A Biblical Love Story (part 3)

 

Sometimes in life, there may be difficult situations that some people have to overcome when they marry. Such as a divorce that has to happen for two people before they can marry someone else. Some people will bring children into the marriage but the question is, will the step parent accept them. Or what if someone gets pregnant by someone before marriage, and all to many times the father wants nothing to do with having to help raise their own child. Of course that isn't always the situation.

None of these were the complications that faced Ruth and Boaz in their own situation. So  what was it, and did it stop them?

Read on for a short picture of it in part 3 of this love story or go to:  The unique Love story of Ruth & Boaz - Good News of the Gospel Way to read the complete story of their love as it is recorded in the book of Ruth.

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Kinsman Redeemer

But the situation is more complicated than simply love between them.  Naomi is a relative of Boaz, and since Ruth is her daughter-in-law, Boaz and Ruth are kin by marriage.  Boaz must marry her as a ‘kinsmen redeemer’.  This meant that under the Law of Moses he would marry her ‘in the name’ of her first husband (Naomi’s son) and so provide for her.   This would entail that Boaz purchase Naomi’s family fields.  Though that would prove costly to Boaz it was not the biggest obstacle.  There was another closer relative that had first rights to buy Naomi’s family’s fields (and also thus marry Ruth).  So the marriage of Ruth to Boaz hung on whether another man wanted the responsibility to care for Naomi and Ruth.  At a public meeting of the city elders this first-in-line declined the marriage since it put his own estate at risk.  Boaz was thus free to purchase and redeem Naomi’s family estate and marry Ruth.

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And so it was, Ruth and Boaz did marry. But this was not to be an ordinary union between the two. Why not? Find out in part 4 or check it out in the book of Ruth or at the website above. 

Thanks for coming by, and until next time, God bless you!

A Biblical Love Story (part two)

 

LOVE.

Balloons, cards, candy, jewelry. These items are fun to give and get on Valentine's Day. Or for any day, for that matter.

But do they speak of real true love? Because these things are big business to to the people that produce them, and the stores that sell them. And they can be given by people who later...figure out they don't want someone anymore. They can be a symbol of our love, but they can also just become just another "thing."

But real love, the kind that means "I love you til death do we part"...that kind of love, does not come from any place that we an buy. It does not come wrapped up in pretty packages. It comes from the hearts of those that truly do love. From mothers, fathers, husbands, wives, children, or from friends that care about each other. 

Ruth and Boaz had such a love. The next part of their story goes on to give us some insight into who Ruth was, and how the two met. Again, we can find the whole story at: The unique Love story of Ruth & Boaz - Good News of the Gospel Way should you want to read ahead, and not wait for my posts about it. 

Their love story continues....

, The Love Story of Ruth

Naomi and her husband with their two sons leave Israel to escape drought and settle in the nearby country of Moab (today’s Jordan).  After marrying local women the two sons die, as does Naomi’s husband, leaving her alone   with her two daughters-in-law.  Naomi decides to return to her native Israel and one of her daughters-in-law, Ruth, chooses to accompany her.  After a long absence, Naomi is back in her native Bethlehem as a destitute widow accompanied by Ruth, a young and vulnerable Moabite immigrant.

Ruth & Boaz meet

Bereft of income, Ruth goes out to gather grain left behind by the local harvest crews in the fields.  The Law of Moses, as a social safety net, had ordained harvesters to leave some grains behind in their fields so the impoverished could gather food.  Randomly it would seem, Ruth finds herself picking grains in the fields of a wealthy landowner named Boaz.  Boaz notices Ruth among the others working hard to gather up the grains left behind by his work crews.  He instructs his foremen to leave extra grain behind in the field so that she could gather more.

Because she can gather plentifully in his fields, Ruth comes back to Boaz’s fields every day to gather left-over grain.  Boaz, ever the protector, ensures that Ruth is not harassed or molested by any of his crews.  Ruth and Boaz are interested in each other, but because of differences in age, social status, and nationality, neither makes a move.  Here Naomi steps in as match-maker.  She instructs Ruth to boldly lay down by Boaz’s side at night after he has celebrated the harvest gathering.  Boaz understands this as a marriage proposal and decides to marry her.

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Naomi's husband had died. She decided to go back to her homeland in Bethlehem. Her daughter-in-law Ruth too, had lost her own husband, and she had decided to go with Naomi to Bethlehem even though she was a Moabite, and they did not serve the Hebrew God. However, she tells Naomi in Ruth 1:16 that she would go with her wherever she goes, and her God would be her God as well. So she meets Boaz there and he wants to marry her, but there is a problem that complicates matters a bit. What was the thing that could complicate the marriage by two people that were in love? Will they indeed marry?

Come back tomorrow for the answers to those questions, or you can  read the story yourself, in the book of Ruth in the bible.

In the mean time, thanks for coming and have a blessed day!