July 29th, 2010 / No Comments » / by Pam
To all of my faithful followers…
Current Bible Study will be updated first of next week. I know that my posts have not been consistant lately, but it’s summertime…..my Grand-babes are out of school (love to spend the extra time with them)….we’re more mobile at this time of year….etc., etc., etc….
I will be away from my computer for a few days. Where I’m going, the phone service is poor and no internet service. Gee, I’ll just have to do without!
Be postin’ at ya in a few days! Hope you are enjoying your summer as much as I am mine!
Posted in: My Family
July 23rd, 2010 / No Comments » / by Pam
Let’s Travel To Moab
Ruth ~ Chapter 1:1-18
Once upon a time there was a woman named Naomi. Her husband’s name was Elimelech. Naomi and her husband had two sons. Their names were Mahlon and Chilion. Naomi lived with her family in Bethlehem-Judah when the Judges ruled, and there was a great famine in the land. One day Elimelech said to his family, pack your bags we are going to sojourn (reside temporarily) in the country of Moab. Scripture says that when Elimelech and his family came into Moab, they continued there.
In verse 3, we read that Naomi’s husband died. We don’t know how long the family had resided in Moab before her husband died. But, in verses 4 and 5 we read that Naomi’s sons took women of Moab to be their wives (Ruth and Orpah), and the family dwelled there in Moab about ten years. Then her sons died.
After Naomi’s sons had died, she began to think of returning to Bethlehem-Judah because she heard that the Lord had visited (an action on the part of God which produces beneficial result for His people ~ Ruth 1:6 ~from The Hebrew-Greek Key Study Bible) His people in giving them bread. In other words, the famine was over by the very hand of God.
Verse 7 says, “Wherefore she (Naomi) went forth out of the place where she was, and her two daughters-in-law with her; and they went on the way to return unto the land of Judah.” Apparently, Naomi must have been having second thoughts about taking Ruth and Orpah back home with her, because in verse 8 she encourages them to go back to their homes of origin. I think she must have been genuinely concerned about her daughters-in-law, because of the beautiful little prayer she tried to leave them with. “Go, return each to her mother’s house: the Lord deal kindly with you , as ye have dealt with the dead, and with me. The Lord grant you that ye may find rest, each of you in the house of her husband. Then she kissed them; and they lifted up (to wail or lament) their voice, and wept.” (verses 9 & 10)
I wonder how far they traveled before Naomi began to encourage Ruth and Orpah to stay in Moab? Hopefully, not far. I did a little research to find out how far of a journey it would be to walk from Moab to Bethlehem-Judah. If you look at map of the Holy Land, you will see that Moab is on the east side of the Dead Sea. It is probably below the Arnon River, which is close to the middle of the Dead Sea. The journey would begin by heading north across the Arnon River (over some very rugged terrain). After reaching the northern tip of the Dead Sea, the Jordan River would need to be crossed, heading west to Bethlehem. The whole trip would be around 120 miles, and take anywhere from 7 to 10 days to complete (walking). One interesting fact I learned about the Arnon River is that its name means rushing torrent. “It was a river rising in the mountains of Gilead, reaching the Dead Sea through a stony and precipitous chasm of red and yellow sandstone.” This information is from www.bible-history.com. A great place to find Biblical maps is on www.bibleatlas.org. All of this to say, I hope that Naomi didn’t take the girls too far before she tried to talk them into staying in their homeland.
Again, in verses 11 & 13, Naomi tries to encourage the girls to stay where they are. Some would say she tried to discourage them from going with her. I prefer to say and to think that Naomi had the heart to encourage Ruth and Orpah to do what she thought would be best for them. “Turn again, my daughters, go your way…it grieveth me much for your sakes that the hand of the Lord is gone out against me.”
Verse 14 is where we see decisions, by Ruth and Orpah, being made. It’s interesting to me that we we are not told of the faith of Ruth and Orpah. We have to base all of our information, in that way, upon assumption. We are told that they are women of Moab, and Ruth is called the Moabitess. With that information we all assume they were ‘pagan, worshipers of many gods.
On day 1, I asked you to answer a question. Why do you think that Orpah made her decision to stay, and Ruth made her decision to go with Naomi? One assumption we could make is that Orpah was not a believer in the One True God, and that Ruth was a believer. We don’t know that Orpah was not a believer. She may have led many of her people to believe, after Naomi and Ruth left, and she may have chosen to stay because she was frightened to travel to a strange new land. We just don’t know why she chose to stay. Maybe she was stiff-necked (stubborn), as her name would suggest, and she had no affection for Naomi’s God. Orpah’s weeping at the thought of Naomi leaving suggests that she loved her mother-in-law, yet she could not leave her homeland. Who knows?
Ruth, on the other hand, was extremely verbal in her reasons for following Naomi to a new land, a new way of life. I might add, Ruth followed even after Naomi tried one more time to encourage her to stay in Moab (verse 15).
So, Ruth clave unto Naomi and said to her, “Entreat (petition to urge a desired request, to make a pact ~ verse 16 ~ from The Hebrew-Greek Key Study Bible) me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee; for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge; thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God: Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the Lord do so to me, and more also, if aught but death part thee and me.” Ruth 1:16-17
As with Orpah, we don’t know what Ruth’s faith was before she met Naomi and her family. I can see that Naomi loved both Orpah and Ruth, even in her mournful state. Her husband was dead, her sons were dead, and you may not have thought of this, but she never had grand-children through her sons. How sad is that? I believe that Naomi must have passed on her love of God, at least to Ruth. I just can’t read verses 16 and 17, and believe anything else. These two verses are often recited in weddings, because of the great impact the words have. For me, these words are one of the illustrations of Biblical Submission in Ruth’s story. What a beautiful open heart Ruth has, as she makes the choice to place herself into the hands of her mother-in-law, and more important ~ into the Hands of Naomi’s God.
Verse 18 says, that finally, Naomi gets it. Ruth is not going to stay behind!
Today, begin to memorize verses 16 and 17. It doesn’t matter what version of the Bible you use. I am using the King James version because I want to understand the meanings of specific words. Write down, in your own words, what the Lord is saying to you through the words of Ruth in verses 16 and 17.
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Posted in: Bible Studies
Tags: Ruth
July 15th, 2010 / No Comments » / by Pam
A Great Love Story
I was looking through my notes, from a Bible study I had written several years ago, on The Book of Ruth. This is what I wrote as a beginning to the study.
A good love story always brings joy to the heart. Ruth’s story is God’s love story. I see the love of a man for a woman that beautifully illustrates Christ’s love for His church. Ruth’s story touches my heart on more than one level. There is the love of Ruth for her mother-in-law. There is the love of a man for a woman, and there is God’s love for His people.
My topics for the lessons were Life Determining Choices, The Redeemer, Seeking Security and Taste and See That The Lord Is Good.
It has been several years (16 years) since I wrote the Bible study. Honestly, I had forgotten about it, until the Lord brought it to my mind a few days ago. It’s going to be very interesting, for me, to compare what the Lord placed in my heart back then to what He touches my heart with now. I already see something that is very embedded in my heart now, that touched me 16 years ago. That is Life Determining Choices. If you have read any of my recent writings, you will know that I believe my testimony is one of defining moments which have made a great impact on my life, and the choices that I have made. Since I began writing Butterfly Bible Studies, almost a year ago, I have been working up to writing my testimony. This has been a year of the Lord bringing to my mind those defining moments in my life. Some of those moments are from many years ago, which the Lord has brought to my mind as confirmation for my strong convictions and His plan for my life. Some of those moments are more recent. Just a few days ago, my Hubby and I were talking and I remembered something from many years ago. I must have been 13 or 14 years old. I would go into my Daddy’s office when he wasn’t there, and use his typewriter to write about my life and my feelings. I remember dreaming about writing about my life. I remember one day my Mom found it, and she asked, did you write this? I can’t say whether she thought it was a great attempt at writing or she didn’t get it. I have no idea what happened to my first attempt at writing. It doesn’t matter, I just know I hadn’t thought about it since the time I wrote it. Perhaps that moment in time, in my life, has something to do with my desire to write today. What does this have to do with Ruth? I believe that those defining moments in the lives of those involved in Ruth’s story, especially Ruth, have everything to do with the choices they made. I believe that choices and the reason for those choices will be a huge part of our study.
Today, I want to begin Ruth’s story with a little background and meaning. Her story takes place during the period of the Judges. This is what my Hebrew-Greek Key study Bible says about this period. “The nation of Israel was in disarray; they needed help from God. This was one of the blackest periods of history of the sons of Israel. They were in a spiritual state of confusion. They were without leadership, they repeatedly fell into idolatry, there was intermarriage with pagans, and other major sins (see Judges 17:6). Ruth was a heathen girl from Moab who married one of Naomi’s sons.”
“Ruth’s Moabite background is repeatedly stressed in her story. She had no opportunity to know the God of Israel in her childhood, yet she was chosen to be an ancestor of Christ. While Israel was reaping the harvest of their disobedience, at this period in time, God was producing the Fruit of The Spirit in Ruth and Naomi.” (quote by unknown author).
For the Hebrews, a person’s name represented something about their character, and also foretold something about their life. I thought it only fitting to understand the names of the characters in The Book of Ruth, as the book is filled with word pictures of Christ’s redeeming love.
Elimelech, Naomi’s husband, means My God Is King.
Naomi means Pleasantness.
Mahlon, Naomi’s son and Ruth’s first husband, means Invalid (weak or sickly).
Chilion, Naomi’s son and Orpah’s husband, means Pining or Wasting Away.
Orpah means Neck, that is, Stubborn-ness.
Ruth means Comrade or Companion. We don’t know what her name means in the language of Moab, but it sounds like the Hebrew for friendship.
Boaz means Quickness or Swiftness. One commentary said this of his name. “Swiftness, a fact essential for his later exercise of the kinsman-redeemer role.”
Just for fun, look up the meaning of your name. My name is Pamela. It is Greek in origin and it means honey or all sweetness.
In the introduction to The Book of Ruth I asked you to read the entire book. Today, please re-read chapter 1.
Thought to Ponder: Chapter 1 is one of choices, great loss and sorrow. It is full of tears. Yet we know that God is not hidden from Naomi, Ruth, Orpah and their situation. We know that He is moving, for His purpose. We know this because He is God, and He is always moving in our lives.
Write down verses 9 &10 and verse 14 of chapter 1. Then answer this question. Why do you think Orpah made her decision to stay, and Ruth made her decision to go with Naomi?
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Posted in: Bible Studies
Tags: Ruth
July 13th, 2010 / No Comments » / by Pam
Introduction
No matter how many times I read the book of Ruth, I find something new and fresh. Although this is a very short book in the Bible, it cannot be discounted. It it one of two books in the Old Testament that are named after women. The other book, is the book of Esther. Esther was a queen. Ruth was a girl from Moab. Esther was a ‘Jewess who married a ‘Gentile. Ruth was a ‘Gentile who married a ‘Jew. The book of Esther begins with a feast. The book of Ruth begins with a famine. Although Esther and Ruth are different, God chose each of them for His purpose. It was for the preservation and salvation of His people ~ Jews and Gentiles.
Ruth’s message to us is grand, in comparison with the short length of the book. The message is one of choices and defining moments, of loss and risking loss, of love and being loved, of the biblical concept of submission, and of a wedding that we can only imagine and the birth of a child.
Your assignment for today is to read the entire book of Ruth. For now, just read it. Don’t try to analyze it. Write down any first thoughts you might have.
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Lord, this is a very important book nestled quietly in your Word. It’s message is great. Help us to listen very carefully, so that we might understand the message. We thank you for your Word and pray for enlightenment from the Holy Spirit, as we ponder your meaning and will for our lives. Amen!
Posted in: Bible Studies
Tags: Ruth
July 13th, 2010 / No Comments » / by Pam
We are Daughters and Sons of The King. 2 Corinthians 6:17-18 “…separate yourself, touch not the unclean and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord ALMIGHTY.”
His mercies are new every morning. Lamentations 3:22-23 “It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.”
I love The Word…It lifts us up…It lightens our heavy hearts…It encourages us to press on…It gives us courage to continue the work of the Lord~press forward the Kingdom of God…It transforms us into New Creatures~In Christ~2 Corinthians 5:17 and Romans 12:2.
My prayers for us all today, is that we would have joyful hearts, bodys and minds~in the Spirit. That we would remember who we are in Christ. That we would not think highly of ourselves, but “give preference to one another, in honor” (Romans 12:10). That we would remember that our purpose in life is to Glorify God~Relationship with Him, and that He does have a plan for each one of us~according to His will and His kingdom plan. That the most important part of this day would be the time we spend LISTENING to what the Father has to say to us. AMEN!
“Find your self-esteem in the Lord, not in how great (or not so great) you (or anyone else thinks) think you are” pam
“Step back into the will of the Lord, and what He has asked you to do for His Kingdom. It’s all about Him, not you or me.” pam
“Be sensitive to the door He opens for you today, to live and speak The Gospel” pam
“Prepare yourself for the doors He will open for you tomorrow, and the next day, and the next…” pam
“There has yet to be a book written titled, “Humility and how I achieved it” Author Unknown
Posted in: Daily Steps
July 6th, 2010 / No Comments » / by Pam
Sensitivity To The Holy Spirit
Is it life, or is it the Spirit? Do you ever experience times in your life that you feel extremely sensitive to your surroundings? Do you ever feel that daily events or normal happenings are teaching you something, illustrating a point? I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised.
For the past couple of weeks, I think I’ve had writers block…if there is such a thing. It all started when I thought my blog had been ‘ha_k_d’…see I’m scared to type it out (insert a ”c” and an “e”). Ever since, I have felt I have nothing to write about, or my self esteem issue kicked in high gear…or somthin’. Bear with me while I reason this out…he he! Now, all of a sudden I feel that sensitivity that I spoke of in paragraph 1. Like I said, I shouldn’t be surprised because isn’t that the way the Holy Spirit gets our attention sometimes? We settle down, or we take our focus off of where it should not be, and re-focus our attention on the “Things of God” ~ where it should be. Anyone else ever experience this?
This morning, as I was driving to my office, I entered onto the highway from our country road. I looked to my right, to see if another car was coming up over the hill, before I pulled out onto the highway. I waited until I was sure a car would not top the hill. Well, guess what? The minute I pulled out onto the highway, another car did come up over the hill. I had already pulled out on the highway, so I gave my car some extra gas. I did pull out onto the highway safely, and the other car was not inconvenienced at all. Probably 95% of the time, we pull out onto the highway and another car will come over the top of that hill…at the very moment we pull out. The trick is, not to hesitate when we feel the time is right to enter onto the highway.
At that very moment when I pulled out and saw the other car come over the top of that hill, an illustration came to my mind. Go figure! How many times do we hesitate when we feel the Holy Spirit come over the top of the hill, moving toward us or moving us to action, in some way? When that car was moving toward me, I didn’t want to hesitate for fear of getting hit. When the Holy Spirit moves toward me, I don’t want to hesitate for fear of missing something.
Hey Lord, I’m Listenin’~I’m Focused
We are born of the Holy Spirit, we are filled with the Holy Spirit and we are moved by the Holy Spirit. We are moved not only spiritually (growing in the likeness of Christ~growing up), but physically (from place to place~season to season). The Holy Spirit can whisper to us, or he can pop up suddenly over the top of a hill~calling us to attention. The trick is, not to hesitate when the Holy Spirit is moving toward us, teaching us, or moving us into action. No matter how the Holy Spirit speaks to us, it is our OBEDIENCE to His call, the Word of God and the Love of Jesus Christ that matters.
Yesterday, my post was about “corruption in our midst”~”guard the purity of the gospel and our hearts”, by putting on the full armor of God. Today, it’s “don’t hesitate”~”move out boldly, in obedience”.
“…prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: Be holy, because I am holy.” 1 Peter 1:13-15
“In and through Jesus Christ, we may approach God with freedom and confidence (boldness).” Ephesians 3:12
Posted in: Daily Steps
July 5th, 2010 / No Comments » / by Pam
There Was Corruption In The Midst Of Us
I am always amazed by the illustrations (pictures) our everyday lives can impart to us. My ‘Hubby’ and I spent the weekend at a very popular music (Bluegrass) festival, here in the Ozarks (Southwest Missouri). If you know anything about Bluegrass Music, you will know that it is has a rich history here in the Missouri Ozarks. It is pure, pre-Country Music. You may have heard of Rhonda Vincent (the reigning queen of bluegrass music). She is a Missouri native credited with working tirelessly to popularize bluegrass and acoustic music. The most typical instruments used are guitar, dog-house bass (a large bass fiddle), fiddle (you will offend a bluegrass player if you call the fiddle a violin), mandolin, banjo, and sometimes a dulcimer and a dobro guitar. You will not see these musicians with sheet music (this is not to say they can’t read music), as their musical talents truly are gifts.
In the evenings after the main show has ended, many of the folks who came to listen to the bluegrass music will gather outside someones camper (home away from home) to “jam”. Jam is a term used to describe several musicians sitting in a relaxed atmosphere playing their musical instruments and singing together. It really is quite amazing to sit and listen to them. Ed (my ‘hubby’) and I had no choice but to sit and listen to the ‘jam’ session, as it was outside, underneath our camper awning. I might add, we were up until 2:00 a.m. observing and listening. I’m taking my mandolin the next time.
You’re probably thinking, “what does this have to do with~corruption in the midst of us”? Well, I’m about to get into that. First of all, I want to give you a definition of ‘corruption’. “Corruption: impairment of integrity, virtue or moral principle; a departure from the original or from what is pure or correct. And, Archaic: an agency or influence that corrupts” Definitions from Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary
Present in our ’jam’ session were 3 guitar players, 1 bass fiddle player, 1 banjo player, 1 fiddle/mandolin player and a ‘want to be’ mandolin player. These folks are always happy to let beginners play with them. It’s amazing how one person will begin to play and sing, and the rest join in to complete and compliment the song.
Our little group was very content and the atmosphere was most pleasant…UNTIL the ‘Archaic’ arrived. Around 12:30 a.m., a stranger broke into our midst. He was a young man, maybe around 30 years of age. He had no musical instrument, only his trusty cell phone (which by the way, no one in our little group played with or answered a cell phone while we were together that night). The young man listened for a while, but as soon as the moment was right (for him), he interrupted with a request for a Meryl H. country western song so that he might show off his talent. I believe his words were, ‘pretty good singing voice’. Right then, you could feel the atmosphere change. The young man was persistent until one of the guitar players obliged him. He requested one song after another, using his cell phone to find all the words to the songs (all Meryl H. songs…he he). The guitar man continued to play the music for him, about 35 minutes, and then nicely said, “I don’t know anymore of those songs”. The guitar man was also drawn in, to looking at immoral junk on the young man’s cell phone. Just so you’ll know, everyone else had quit playing their instruments, while the 1 guitar man played and the young man sang. And, it was not to hear his great rendition of “Okie From Muskogee”, but in protest for the interruption. The young man left when his guitar player quit playing, and stopped paying attention to the cell phone immorality.
I watched very intently as all of this went on. I also spent some additional time during the weekend observing this young man. It was like everywhere I was, he was busy networking with people and trying to sell himself, in some way. I could guess at what his angle was, but that’s not important. It’s safe to say, he was searching for something, for his own gain.
Back to the ‘jam’ session. This young man worked his way into a place where he really was not fitted for. And, because one person (the guitar player) allowed him access, he corrupted the atmosphere. It was such a quick move, that most did not know what happened, until after it happened. After this young man left, the music, the atmosphere, nor the conversation was the same. His presence and his influence created a ‘departure from what was pure’. Those present did not know how to handle the situation as it happened, or after it happened.
What does this have to do with me, and you? It is an illustration of how easily an ‘archaic’, can move in to our lives and corrupt what is pure and good. I’m talking about the righteousness of the Lord, the standards of God. What could have been said, or done, to stop the corruption in the above situation? Probably, just to say, “that is not the kind of music we are playing here“. You do whatever is necessary to dis-allow the corruption. Be prepared always. The enemy is always lurking, always waiting for that one moment when we are not prepared to say, “that is not the kind of music we play here“.
How can we prepare ourselves to be bold enough to stop the intruder (the powers of a dark world and spiritual forces of evil’ in the heavenly realms)? Read Ephesians 6:10-18 “…be strong in the Lord and His power. Put on the full armor of God…Stand firm…be alert…”
And, always be prepared to say, “That Is Not The Kind Of Music (insert your own word) We Play Here”!
Posted in: Daily Steps
July 4th, 2010 / No Comments » / by Pam
Freedom~July 4, 2010 (NIV)
Psalm 118:5
Psalm 119:32
Psalm 119:45
Luke 4:18-19
John 8:32
John 8:36
2 Corinthians 3:17
Galatians 5:1
Ephesians 3:12
Posted in: Silent Sundays
June 29th, 2010 / No Comments » / by Pam
The Code of Our Faith
How often do we hear about someone finding some hidden code in the Word of God? Or, someone writes a book or makes a movie about some person or group of persons supposed to protect some secret code (a set of numbers, or letters, or somethin’ that adds up to nothin’ ~ definition by me) or object that makes our God look, and feel, mysterious.
I want to share a passage of scripture with you, that in a sense, contains a code. The passage contains a “system of principles or rules-a moral code (definition from Merriam-Webster online dictionary)”. The great thing about “this code” is, that it is not a secret or mysterious. It is understood, by us, ”through our knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ”.
2 Peter 1:3-10 NIV
“His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins. Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”
The first part of the code involves our faith. We are told to make every effort to add to our faith, seven very important attributes, which will make us effective and productive in our knowledge of Jesus Christ.
Faith + Goodness + Knowledge + Self-Control + Perseverance + Godliness + Brotherly Kindness + Love
The Result Is
Effectiveness and Productivity in Our Spiritual Life and in Our Understanding of Jesus
The Word says, “If we possess these qualities in increasing measure (continue to grow), we Will be effective and productive…we WILL never fall, and we Will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom“. And, if you think all of this is humanly unattainable…you are correct. It is by His divine power, that we are able to possess these spiritual qualities. I don’t know about you, but that takes a lot of pressure off of me. I can’t ~ He can. I believe “this code” is perfectly clear. Don’t you? No secrets and no mysteries (period).
Posted in: Daily Steps
