Ruth...Who Wouldn't Want To Be Like Her?

Did you know the book of Ruth is such a joy to read? I was so fascinated how dedicated Ruth was to her mother-in-law. After Ruth's husband died, which was Naomi's son, she dedicated her life to a people who did not originally care for her or her people at all. But Ruth won them over with her obedience, humility, and again, dedication to her mother-in-law. Ruth took Naomi's god as her god.

A mother-in-law and daughter-in-law relationship is a very important one. We may have the attitude, "I married you, not your family" but that is so far from the truth. We inherit one another's family when we marry.

To keep harmony in our marriages we should make a great effort to adapt to the differences in our families and spouse's family. What a great marriage we can have by being more accepting, more loving, and more willing to please toward our spouse's family. Ruth was this type of person. She did not want to leave Naomi alone after the loss of Naomi's husband and two sons. Ruth wanted to go with Naomi and make Naomi's people her people and Naomi's god her god. Naomi tried to send Ruth back to her own family but Ruth begged to stay with her mother-in-law.

This reminds me of the many young women I have heard make the comment, "I married my husband, not his family". It's so sad that many doesn't appear to care if they have their inlaws acceptance or not. I think some are afraid they won't be accepted but when you are serving a living God then He will work out things that you may think are impossible.

I enjoy loving my daughter-in-law like a daughter. I like thinking of her as my "inherited" daughter. She is such a blessing to our family and I'm sure we don't see eye to eye on everything but we can discuss those things we disagree on. We laugh together and we cry together. God blessed our family with a wonderful Christian daughter-in-law. I trust her as much as I trust my children and do not hesitate to allow her to handle financial matters for me when need be. I would like to believe our relationship is a close one, maybe not like Naomi and Ruth but close nonetheless.

Who wouldn't want to be a Ruth. A woman of dedication, obedience, very humble, and eager to please. God was very pleased with Ruth and blessed her by giving her a husband and a son. God saw how willing Ruth was to take care of her mother-in-law.

Wouldn't you like to be a Ruth? You can be, not by losing a husband and clinging to your mother-in-law, but you can be a woman of virtue as Ruth was. You, too, can be a Ruth in today's crazy world.

Mindset Pleasing to God

Dying out to ones self can be a very difficult task to do. We become accustomed to the way we personally do things. We have a mindset that we have grown to depend on rather it is a judgemental mindset, a humble mindset, or a consistent mindset. Let me explain.

A judgemental mindset is when you know you should not judge another person. Matthew 7:1 Judge not, that ye be not judged.Yet, no matter who makes a mistake or falls by the wayside, we just can't keep our mouths shut. We have to put our negative word in or our so called "knife in the back". Some of us like the "I told you so" theory.

A humble mindset is one where you know and act upon what the Lord would expect you to do. You bridle your tongue no matter what you may be thinking. You don't give into the, "You might as well say it since you're thinking it". You know that is a lie straight out of hell and you will not give place to the devil. Psalms 39:1 I said, I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue: I will keep my mouth with a bridle, while the wicked is before me.

A consistent mindset is much like the humble mindset except you keep that humbleness no matter where you are. If you are in your home you don't give in to personal thoughts because you may be a hindrance to your lost spouse or children. You are a consistent Christian. You make a prayerful effort to gain control of your tongue and your thoughts. James 3:1 If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.

Living for the Lord is not a hard task but we make it difficult on ourselves. Right now I'm studying on women's dress, attitude, modesty, etc.. I didn't realize how I would love to disagree with some things but it is of the flesh and I know that I have to listen and read with my spirit and not my mind.

I have been praying for the Lord to search me and reveal those things in my life that are not pleasing to him. Do I like what God is showing me? Surprisingly, No! But if I desire, as I say I do, to do His will then I may not like what God is showing me but I have to accept it because I asked him to reveal those things. I don't want to stay in my own ways. I want to be able to win souls for the Lord. I want to be a great influence on the women I teach in Bible study. I so desire to influence youger women to serve the Lord and teach them Christian life is only hard because we make it hard but if we stay tuned into the Lord then we can live a godly life everyday. Titus 2:4-5 That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children,  5 To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.

Search yourselves and see what mindset you have. Is it one that is pleasing to the Lord. You know in your heart that is the only mindset that is acceptable.

Is It Too Late

By viewing the gas prices I’m sure you can tell that those on fixed income are spending more money without more money coming in. Allowances for increase in food and gas is not added to the monthly check.

We can complain until the cows come home. Until we understand what to do and what steps to take we have no control over these things. Until we make a stand against gas prices the American people will not see a change other than everything getting worse. We need someone to teach us what steps to take to make a difference in the economy. This same teaching works in Christianity. The psalmist David speaks about asking God to teach him to walk in His ways so he will be pleasing to him.
Psalm 25:4-5 Shew me thy ways, O LORD; teach me thy paths. Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day.
Psalms 27:11 Teach me thy way, O LORD, and lead me in a plain path, because of mine enemies.
Psalm 86:11 Teach me thy way, O LORD; I will walk in thy truth: unite my heart to fear thy name.
Psalm 119:12 Blessed art thou, O LORD: teach me thy statutes.
Psalm 143:10 Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God: thy spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness.

We are failing at seeking God when it comes to making decisions in our lives concerning finances, marriage, children, etc… We tend to think we have all the answers or we don’t want to bother God with such frivolous things. God wants to be bothered. He wants us seeking him for every area in our lives. We will live a more productive life and have less problems if we only turn to the Lord to guide us and teach us his ways. Once we allow Jesus Christ to guide us and teach us in all things then we will be able to deal with the economy, our marriages, our children, our home life, and on and on.

Won't you give your all to Jesus today and allow him to be the pilot and not the co-pilot. Our prayer is that you do just that. May the Lord richly bless you today.

How Are You Doing

I cringe when that question slips from my lips before taking control of my words. I stand waiting to be reprimanded strongly for such a question. It appears to be the exact statement most of us find ourselves asking to someone who has just faced a death in their family.

We faced a tragic death in our community this past week and once again we wonder to ourselves, what do I say to the family? Death is never an easy topic to discuss and it sure isn’t easy when it is sudden and unexpected.

I was remembering back when my father died of heart failure in 1991. We knew he was dying a couple of years before he actually did pass away. He weakened by the day and suffered endlessly. Even though it was difficult to let him go we were more prepared for his leaving this world. We were glad he didn’t have to suffer any longer. Not the case with my brother who died suddenly of a massive heart attack and was found five hours later sitting in the company truck on company property with employees scouring around throughout the day. Many questions still linger from my brother's death for me. I'm sure I will never know the true story on his death.

As some of my sisters in church and I spoke on this matter I said I was going to write about it so here I am. When we are placed in a situation where we attempt to console someone we may shy away from contact due to feeling useless and not able to speak comforting words. Some people do, however, have a gift for comforting others but I don’t consider myself blessed with that gift at all. I find myself most times saying, “How are You?”. If someone yelled at me and said, “How do you think I am since losing a loved one, or how do you think I feel?” I could not be offended at ll. It isn’t the most glamorous question to ask during time of loss. So I am going try to offer a few mall pointers that I am learning to use from articles I’ve read on the internet such as hospice newsletter and Successful Aging and hopefully these will be a blessing to someone who stumbles over what to say during time of death. The pointers are brief and to the point. We need only know simple things to say or do.

(1) We are sorry for your loss
(2) We are praying for you and your family.
(3) We want to prepare a dinner for your family to help out.
(4) Most important, be honest, if you don’t know what to say, don’t be afraid to say so. Just offer a hug or quietly sit with them.

People grieve differently so don’t be guilty of judging the way a person grieves. When grieving we deal with anger, denial, depression, and bargaining. Some people will grieve longer than others. I regularly think of my father who died in 1990 and my brother who died in 1997. I still miss them. Sometimes I cry when it’s their birthday or another special occasion and sometimes I’ll focus on good times or crazy incidents with them and have a good laugh. All the grief never goes away. We only learn to deal with it on a daily basis.
Psalm 4:7 The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivered them.

Sometimes we don’t grieve as much as others and sometimes we may grieve as if it were only yesterday. Another thing we may catch ourselves saying to the grieving is, “Call me if you need anything”. Unless the person is absolutely so close to you that you are as a family member then it isn’t going to happen. Be more specific. We may want to say, “If I can do anything to help you around the house, let me know, or If I can run an errand for you I’ll be more than happy to do so”. Many times just sitting quietly or giving a wonderful hug will let someone know you care. So don’t be afraid to not know the right things to do or say. Being a friend during a time of bereavement is the most important thing you can do.

Showing sincerity in your caring brings more than just a day of comfort for a bereaving family. I’ve always been the person to shy away but with the guidance of God I am learning to step in those uncomfortable places and think of others more than focusing on my insecurities. Believe me, being a minister’s wife does not exempt me from feeling uncomfortable in dealing with death. But as I learn I pray that I can pass it on and be a blessing to you.
2 Thessalonians 2:17 Comfort your hearts. And stablish you in every good word and work. Our greatest comforter is the Holy Ghost.
John 14:26 But the Comforter, which is the holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance. Whatsoever I have said unto you. Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

We can go so far with the bereaved but the Holy Ghost will bring spiritual comfort that we can not bring.

In Loving Memory of Robert “Butchie” Cornett Jr
Publisher: Darlene Monhollen Date: June 6, 2007

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Forgiven But Not Forgotten

“I may forgive you but I sure won’t forget”. Sound familiar? It has been said many times over the years. It’s our nature to remember things and especially remember those who have caused us or the ones we love pain. Acts 13:38 -Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: Paul is sharing that through Jesus Christ is preached forgiveness of sins. When Jesus forgives us of our sins he forgets them.

Hebrews 8:12 - For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more. We are to forget those things that have hurt us. To truly forgive is to truly forget. In our natural selves we will remember but to be able to grow spiritually we will not dwell on the hurt nor allow the pain to grow in our spirit.
Eventually you will see a change in someone who has been hurt if they have not truly forgiven. It took me several years to forgive everyone I felt attacked me physically and spiritually by their words. There was a definite change in my personality and character. It is almost impossible during time of pain to see any outlet of forgiveness. It is our Adam nature to want revenge and see others suffer as we have but this is not pleasing to the Lord. The greatest relief and freedom I have experienced is when I was able to release the pain and hurt to Jesus and allow him to fight my battles.

I had to do the following to get victory in my own life:

a. Shut up – Stop digging up the past and whining over it. No wants to share in a pity party that will bring them down also.

b. Give up – I had to surrender my pain, my thoughts, and my past to the Lord.

c. Stand up - I had to hold my head up, stand strong, and realize if I was going to serve a God who parted the Red Sea, healed the cripple, caused the blind to see, and casted out a legion of demons then I had to begin to demonstrate the word of God in my life and allow Him to manifest himself through my spirit.

Too many times we allow ourselves to stoop to the level of others who are not in God’s will. Stop looking at those who appear powerful with words but focus on the “One” who is powerful with words and can deliver you out of the snares of Satan.

Hebrews 10:22-24 22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) 24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Encouraging one another unto love and good works sounds like a plan to me, how about you? If you searched your heart can you say yoyou are a peacekeeper and that you don’t allow yourself to provoke others to wrath (anger, rage, or fury)? Do you hold fast the profession of your faith? Has your heart been sprinkled from an evil conscious? Or do you thrive on hurting others and enjoy stirring up trouble between others?

Search your hearts and ask just what are you allowing God to do in your life. Have you surrendered all to the Holy Father? Even if you are still struggling with weaknesses does not mean you have to give in to those weaknesses until God delivers you from them. It does mean you can overcome those weaknesses one by one as God teaches you how to turn your weaknesses into strengths.

You will know you have forgiven if:

1. You don’t pray for God to judge and punish the person who hurt you.

2. You can be around the person or persons who hurt you and not feel resentment but pity for them.

3. You have let go of the past incident and stop thinking of it often.

4. You don’t feel guilty before the Lord. Sometimes when we have sin in our lives such as holding a grudge or resentment toward someone then we are guilty of sin before the Lord.

Luke 6:35-37 - 35 But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil. 36 Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful. 37  Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:

Romans 12: 14-21 - 14 Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not. 15 Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep. 16 Be of the same mind one toward another. 17 Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. 18 If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. 19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. 20 Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. 21 Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.

Don’t live in the past but enjoy the present and focus on the future. Luke 9:62 - 62 And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.

Mother of Moses

Have you thought much about the mother of Moses. During her era, Jochebed was pregnant with a man child as described in the Bible. During this time all male children were being killed because the Hebrews were growing rapidly in number. Jochebed hid Moses after his birth for three months then made a cradle covered with bulrush, put Moses inside and had her daughter place the ark of bulrushes in the river with hopes God would spare his life. That is exactly what God did. She was the only mother mentioned protecting her child as long as she could. I'm sure all the other mothers were extremely grieved but Moses' mother held on as long as she could before totally surrendering to the arms of God.

That is what we need to do with our lives. We need to totally surrender to the arms of Jesus Christ and allow him to make the changes in our lives. It will always be for the better. We will be much better Christians if we'd only put our lives in the cradle of bulrushes and not hold back.

Love Me Anyway

Many young people doesn't know what direction their lives are taking these days. The drugs doesn't get it, copying images of models, weight lifters, super heroes, etc... doesn't get it. Why not be who you are? Why do you think being who you are doesn't get it? We will always be dissatisfied with ourselves. I think it's our nature. Choosing to live for Jesus Christ will get it. The Lord doesn't promise us roses without thorns or rain without lightning. He does promise us in his word, Hebrews 13:5 - I will never leave you or forsake you. Jesus Christ will go with you through the storms in your life. He may not stop the storms because he knows what you need to make you a stronger Christian but you must first accept him as your personal Saviour. Once you do this you will have someone to be with you in the darkest times of your life. You will have someone who will listen and you can trust to never repeat what you tell him. All our children want is to be loved anyway. When they go through what we think are crazy hair changes they are saying, "love me anyway." When the clothes look like they are expecting a sudden weight gain they are saying, "love me anyway". It is how we react to these changes in our children’s lives that may make the difference in how long they stay in one of these phases. I'm not saying give in, I'm saying take a step back before exploding. Keep the conversations going, pray ernestly that this too shall pass but "love them anyway".