“Your people will become my people, and your God will become my God.”

(Ruth 1:16)

Ruth is a vignette of love, devotion and redemption set in the historical context of the darkest period in Israel’s history, the days of the judges. Part of the second major unit within the seventeen Historical Books, the Conquest or Pre-Kingdom Period, it’s a heartwarming story of compassion, devotion, and faithfulness. Ruth is a Moabite widow who leaves her homeland to live with and care for her widowed Jewish mother-in-law, Naomi, in Bethlehem. Ruth not only embraces Naomi’s people but her God.

The contrast to Judges underscores the remarkable faithfulness of Ruth and Boaz. Ruth is a woman who lives above the norm of her day. A virtuous woman (3:11), Ruth shows loyal-love to both her mother-in-law Naomi and her near-kinsman Boaz. In a time when all of Israel is forsaking God for idols, Ruth forsakes her idols for the true God:

Ruth is one of the most important “bridge” books in the Old Testament. Chronologically—Ruth advances the genealogy of King David. Historically—Ruth links ruined Israel (Judges) with restored Israel (Samuel). Doctrinally—Ruth illustrates redemption. Morally—Ruth demonstrates purity is possible even in a polluted moral environment. The theme of Ruth is God’s care for those who trust in Him. The story illustrates the truth of Hebrews 11:6: Now without faith it is impossible to please him, for the one who approaches God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him:

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“I just want to know what God wants me to do,” the man said to me.

His eyes filled with rage at my answer: “No you don’t!”

“What do you mean?” he protested. “I do too; I want to know God’s will!”

As we sat across the table in my office, I reminded him that he had asked me to help him determine God’s will in his finances three times before, over a period of about six years. Each time I brought him to the same conclusion from God’s Word: “God’s will is clear—give to His work. You cannot look past His clear teaching that connects all of His financial promises to your faith in Him. You must trust Him enough to give before you can expect His guidance and blessing concerning your money situation.”

But here we were, going around the same block, considering his same questions, and reviewing God’s same answer.

Don’t Ask If You Won’t Follow

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The scribe wondered at the behavior of the Jew from Tarsus. Typically an author simply signed the letter he was dictating, proving its authenticity and adding a personal greeting. But not Paul, not in this impassioned letter to his friends in Galatia.

NOTICE WHAT LARGE LETTERS I USE AS I WRITE THESE CLOSING WORDS IN MY OWN HANDWRITING! (Galatians 6:11)

The desperate heaviness of the letter compelled the apostle to keep writing. One more paragraph, all in bold capital letters. One final plea, one last opportunity to turn this fledgling church on the frontier of faith from Satan’s most effective lie about Jesus and his work on the cross.

The same lie Paul battled in Antioch of Syria. The lie even Peter seemed vulnerable to. The church at Antioch was still abuzz over Paul’s shouting match with the revered Apostle from Jerusalem.

The same lie Paul was preparing to stand against next week up in Jerusalem. The Apostles and elders had called a meeting to discuss the matter.

He stops, wipes his brow, and sums up the main lessons of his epistle in eager, disjointed, and intense sentences. The words erupted from the deepest part of his heart.

It doesn’t matter whether we have been circumcised or not. What counts is whether we have been transformed into a new creation (Galatians 2:16).

In my mind’s eye I picture the Apostle putting down his pen, leaning back, and handing the document to the courier.

“Make haste!” Paul’s companions who have fought against the lie with him add. “Everything depends on this message. If the lie takes hold in their hearts, it’s over.”

It’s Over

By “over” I’m not saying that a true Christian can lose his or her relationship with God. By “over” I mean failure as a victorious follower of Jesus—neutralized as a Jesus-enjoying, Jesus-representing, Jesus-focused world-changer.

The most insidious aspect of the lie is that its victims, who are trying so hard to live the Christian life but failing, are told that the reason they’re failing is that they’re not trying hard enough, need more commitment, or be more fully devoted. Before we know it, we’re in this try/fail death spiral. Try; fail. Try harder; fail more. Try even harder; fail even more.

Finally, our Christian life crash lands and we just give up. “Guess I’ll never be a ‘victorious Christian’,” we conclude. “So what’s the use?”

Does this describe you? Are you one of those worn-out-by-constantly-striving-but-still-failing believers the Holy Spirit had in mind when He inspired Paul to write Galatians?

Has your Christian life become less about enjoying Jesus and more about getting “it” right? But then, just when you begin to get “it” right and think you can start enjoying Jesus again; somebody moves “it” to a more demanding standard to live up to?

What if I were to tell you that the problem isn’t your failure to try hard enough to be a better for God because striving to be better isn’t the issue. It never was.

Now there’s nothing wrong with wanting to be better for God as the Bible defines “better”–a devoted follower of Christ. The problem is the idea that trying harder, getting more committed, or becoming more devoted is the way to get there.

That’s not Christianity; that’s religious slavery.

Christianity is not about what we’re doing for God; it’s what God has done for us.

That’s the Good News. We have been made new already, the moment we believed.

The only thing that matters is the New Creation!

Question: Are you working your Christian life harder and enjoying Jesus less?

Maybe you need a big dose of grace in this reminder that you were made new in Christ when you trusted in Him.

“This law scroll must not leave your lips! You must memorize it day and night so you can carefully obey all that is written in it. Then you will prosper and be successful. I repeat, be strong and brave! Don’t be afraid and don’t panic, for I, the Lord your God, am with you in all that you do” (Joshua 1:8-9). 

In the historical book that bears his name, Joshua succeeds Moses and leads the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob across the Jordan into the Promised Land. The Book of Joshua transitions the story of God’s people Israel from the Pentateuch to the rest of their history.  The author’s purpose is to give an official account of the fulfillment of God’s promises to the patriarchs. Most conservative scholars feel Joshua wrote the book (24:26). As with several other Old Testament historical books, some later editor added a few statements and updated a few names.

Joshua leads the nation on three military campaigns spanning a period of seven years in the first half of the book (1:1-13:7). His forces meet and defeat over 30 enemy armies. The second half documents the settlement of the land of Canaan (13:8-24:33). This conquest and settlement is the dramatic fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham. Born a slave in Egypt, Joshua is God’s choice to lead His people.

To ensure that no Israelite would falsely conclude that the victories were due to Joshua’s abilities, Joshua’s name underscores the message of his book—the Lord is the Conqueror. Moses had changed his name from the Hoshea, “salvation” (Numbers 13:16 to Yehoshua (Numbers 13:16), “Yahweh Is Salvation.” He is also called Yeshua, a shortened form of Yehoshua. This is the Hebrew equivalent to the Greek name Iesou (Jesus)—a constant reminder that deliverance comes only through the Lord.

The theme of Joshua is victory through obedient faith (1:8). We learn the importance of believing and acting on God’s Word. Of all the historical books only Joshua does not record a massive failure by Israel or its leadership. Joshua did everything the Lord told him to do (Joshua 11:15) and the Lord blessed the nation with complete victory (Joshua 11:23).

Joshua is the most positive book of the Old Testament. The reason is clear: This is the generation that believed and applied God’s Word to their lives. To the extent that they entrusted themselves to their God and His covenantal promises, they succeeded and prospered. .

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From Radical Christians to a Voting Bloc!

A strange thing happened to so-called evangelical Christianity in the 1970s, a rarity in church history. We became a voting bloc with a lot of political power and an exceptional opportunity to influence our society for the Lord Jesus Christ.

Unfortunately, in my opinion, what too many leaders were telling Christians to do with this power and what way too many of us were excited to hear is that we should become the “Christian right” and use this power to demand our rights and impose standards of biblical righteousness on society.

I would argue against that message, that we should use our influence to defend our rights and impose standards of biblical righteousness on society.

I would argue that the New Testament teaches that we should indeed use our political power to influence society, but that we should use it to defend the rights of others and to demonstrate biblical righteousness, justice, and mercy in the name of Christ.

I write about this in my book, Reborn to Be Wild. I think our Jesus Movement revival may have stayed more on track if we would have thought more about Christ and others and less about us and our rights.

Who wants to do that?

As I read through the New Testament I notice that not one of the disciples “aged gracefully.”

They aged full of the grace and truth of their Lord.

And they didn’t calm down as they got older.

They became more radically committed to their Lord.

I’m a radical from the 60s who found Jesus in the Jesus Movement.

I’m 62, but I don’t want to age gracefully.

Don’t Age Gracefully!

Let the pagans age gracefully.

Let the churchy age gracefully.

Who wants to buy an airstream trailer and see sites? Or blow out our aortas in Palm Springs or Sarasota?

I want to run this last lap for Jesus with all my might.

How about you?

Question: Is your heart still radical for the Lord Jesus?

If it is, determine not to “age gracefully.”

I don’t know what it is about airports.

People in airports talk too much, and a lot of them are just too loud.

Maybe it’s the temporary anonymity of it all. You’re flying with and sitting with people you’ll probably never see again. Rarely does someone ask your name. Just, “Where you from?” Or, “Where you headed to?”

But the stuff they volunteer to anyone within earshot.

Recently I flew from SoCal to South Bend, Indiana to do a TV interview about my book, Reborn to Be Wild. I’m not a conversationalist. Like a lot of writers and people who get paid to do a lot of talking, I’m pretty much non-verbal in social situations. But I know how to listen, and here’s what I learned:

• The lady waiting for my twice cancelled commute from Chicago to South Bend with the hard face of an over-the-hill party girl wearing the too-tight sweat pants isgoing to lease a home near her estranged husband who is living with his girlfriend. “He doesn’t know I’m coming. But I gotta do what I can to try to get him back. You know?”
• The corporate-type guy talking to his buddy on his bluetooth at the urinal (now there’s a picture) is telling his friend that “her” parents need to be out of the picture and, “If you can prove you’re the father by a DNA test, there’s nothing she can do to keep you from having visitation rights, even if you only lived together.”
• The couple who seemed far too young to have given up on life so early, snarled at one another. “I don’t give a s…. where eat,” she screamed. “Just make sure you make it back in time to get on the blankin plane.” “Whatever,” he never even looked back.

It’s easy to forget what it felt like to live in darkness, isn’t it?

The lostness of those without Christ and without hope breaks His heart.

The crushing weight of their lostness moves me to think about ways I can connect with non-Christians.

Question: Does it ever hit you how lost most of the people you meet in your daily life really are?

The Apostle John says that God’s love is never comfortable (abiding) shut up in our hearts (1 John 3:17). What God’s love always wants to do is mature (have its end) by overflowing into love for others (1 John 4:11-16).

It seems there are two benefits of not suppressing His love within us.

First, our love for one another provides seeable proof of the unseeable God we serve (11-12). This is an amazing and wonderful possibility for any follower of Jesus. No one has seen God at any time, but when we love one another with His love, people see His presence on earth! This is exactly what Jesus predicted in John 13:34: They will know you are my disciples by your love.

Second, as others are seeing God’s presence in our love for one another, the Spirit is confirming His pleasure with the sure understanding that God is abiding in us (13-16).

The Priority of God’s Heart

Picture your church on a Sunday morning and all the “things” and “stuff” we focus on to attract others to Christ and prove to doubters that God exists: facilities, music, preaching, programs, bulletins, friendliness….

God’s heart is crying out for a different priority—love one another!

“Love one another,” John says, “and everyone watching will know that God is real. It is the only way they will ever “see” Christ here on earth until He shows up.”

That’s my prayer for you, for me, and for the precious Bride of Christ.

If you agree, you may want to tell your Father right now:

Father, please mature your love in me so that my life, my family, my church provides the most convincing evidence possible to a watching world that you are—my love for other Christians. Help me, please, to love others with the love you have loved me.

I’m Through With God!

A young Bible School graduate marched into my office and announced, “I’m through with God. This isn’t at all what I expected my life to look like. So I just wanted you to know that I won’t be doing anything at church anymore!”

Before I had a chance to respond, he explained his decision, careful to emphatically count off each of his supporting points on the fingers of his left hand. “I’ve been out of school for two years. I prayed for a wife, and I don’t have one yet. I prayed for a full-time position in a church, and I don’t have one yet. If I would have known that God wasn’t going to let me do these things, I could have gone to a regular college and studied engineering. I’d be making a lot of money right now.”

Nobody Gets That

After he calmed down, I jolted him with my answer: “Nobody gets that.”

He shot back. “Nobody gets what?”

“What they expected.” He seemed bewildered.

I knew I could prove my point from Scripture, but I decided to tell him stories instead.

I told him about some of the ladies in Judy’s His Alone class who did everything “right” but have to move on without a husband because he decided he would be much “happier” with a new wife and family.

I told him about a friend who teaches at a seminary who lives with a disease that randomly confines him to a wheel chair and sometimes even threatens his life.

I told him about the dedicated Christian couple whose only daughter was born with such a severe birth defect that in the precious few months they had with her this side of heaven she never smiled…never acknowledged their presence in the ways most mommies and daddies long for.

I told him stories for ten minutes.

And then I told him how the Lord used each of these disappointments and tragedies to transform not only the ones suffering through the pain, but also those who were watching.

We talked. He cried. By the end of our time together, he was able to hear what I wanted to tell him when he first walked in. “It’s not what you’re expecting God to do that matters, it’s what He wants to do. Once you get that straight, you are ready to receive His very best for your life–both the expected and the unexpected.”

“For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing”(James 1:3-4, New Living Translation).

Disciples!

What if we actually made disciples?

Jesus’ Command

In Matthew 28:18-20 Jesus tells every Christian exactly what He wants us to do, “Make disciples of all the nations.”

It would seem that any theory of church growth, any mobilization of God’s people, any desire for revival would begin with making disciples.

Is your heart longing for revival?

Do you want to change your world, your nation, your community, your neighborhood, your church, your family?

What if we just did what Jesus said? What if we just started making disciples–maturing followers of the Lord Jesus?

What If?

You make disciples—the church must take responsibility for its role in revival to make disciples of all nations.

• What if you told some people you told about Jesus that you would love to meet with them for breakfast once a week, or they came over for dinner, or two or three of them agreed to come over to your house or meet in a conference or break room at work or school weekly?
• What if you asked them to tell their own story about Jesus so that they could get to know one another better?
• What if you asked them how you could pray for them, and if they knew anyone who needed Jesus?
• What if they said yes, and you showed them how to tell their friends about Jesus?
• What if their friends believed in Jesus and suddenly you were hosting a “minichurch” in your home or at your workplace or school?

And What If?

This was duplicated many times over in your neighborhood, your city, and your area?

And these small Bible studies sprung up all over and more and more people were talking about Jesus?

Why it would be…

Revival.

Just because someone actually did what Jesus told us to do: Make disciples!

Question: Would you like to see this happen?

Then find someone, tell them about Jesus, and start teaching that same person how to walk with Him.