This week’s lesson begins with Naomi and Ruth leaving the land of Moab and returning to Bethlehem. You can see by what the author writes that Naomi is worn out physically, mentally and spiritually and upon her arrival in Bethlehem she even declares; “call me Mara (which means bitter) for the Almighty has dealt very bitter with me”. It was definitely time for a fresh start for Naomi and she couldn’t have picked a better time to return to her roots.

It was harvesting time in Bethlehem and Naomi’s act of obedience to return there would eventually bring full restoration and healing, but it will come in a more indirect wat through her daughter in law, Ruth at just the right time and in just the right way.

We will be introduced to a new character in our story and his name is Boaz, a kinsman (near relative) of Naomi’s husband Elimelech. As the story unfolds, we will see two hearts (that of Ruth and Boaz) blended together just as God intends a relationship to be between a man and a woman. Through a series of events, through the providence of Almighty God, Ruth and Boaz will meet and fall in love! Eventually they will marry but a few details remain to be ironed out before that happens. We will learn the significance of who Boaz is, where he came from and how he fits into this story of this Moabite woman named Ruth. Sometimes referred to as a “Type of Christ”, Boaz will redeem Ruth and become her protector and provider showing nothing but love to someone who may never have known love otherwise. Ruth and Boaz will become the Great Grandparents of King David – the one who rules over a Kingdom that has no end!

Welcome to the Biblical story of Ruth and Boaz – the Great Grandparents to King David through whom the human lineage of Jesus Christ the Messiah can be traced. This story of Ruth and Boaz is as much a love story as it is a story of God’s grace and mercy, redemption, providence and protection all rolled up in a little book of the Bible with the title of Ruth.

The assumed author is the Prophet/Priest Samuel and the period in which the story takes place is during the Biblical narrative of the Time of the Judges. Long after the conquest of the land of Canaan by Joshua and the twelve tribes of Israel, the people who were then known as the Israelites (commonly referred today as the Jews) were not fully obedient to God’s instructions. Although the Israelites settled in the land of Canaan (often referred to as the Promised Land), they never fully conquered the people of that land who worshipped false gods, practiced pagan rituals and lived outside of God’s blessings. This resulted in continual warfare between the 12 tribes of Israel and the non-Israelite tribes and people groups, such as the Moabites, Ammonites, Canaanites, Amalekites, Philistines and others.

The events found in the Book of Ruth probably takes place toward the end of the period of the Judges (perhaps during the time of Gideon) in which the people of God (The Israelites) were known for this statement; “In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes” (Judges 21:25). The events of the Book of Ruth precede the events recorded in the Book of I&II Samuel in which the people of Israel eventually secure their first King (Saul) and the King that succeeded him was David. This first lesson introduces two of our main characters – Naomi and Ruth. Through a series of tragic events, Naomi will find herself in the foreign land of Moab and she will lose her husband. Two of Naomi’s sons will each marry a Moabite woman and subsequently both of Naomi’s sons will die. This will leave Naomi in a foreign land, among people who worshipped multiple gods and not the God (Jehovah) that Naomi worshipped. Naomi will decide to leave Moab and return to the land of promise and this decision will be life changing for her and her two daughters in laws. Ruth will follow Naomi and her God while Orpah (the other daughter in law) will stay behind in Moab. This first chapter of Ruth will show evidence of God’s mercy and grace to two people who will find redemption, restoration and hope all because they chose to obey God.

Coming soon……

Those who set out to reform the Roman Catholic Church as well as the Anglican Church (The Church of England) spawned a later movement that is often referred to as “The Great Awakening” or “The Great Revival”. This period in history (17^th through the 21^st century) will see the church grow immensely and the gospel message (The Good News) will spread to large unreached regions that will witness the transformation of lives from small tribes to large ethnic groups who (prior to this time) never heard the gospel message or the read the Scriptures in their own native tongue.

New movements and new Christian organizations will develop and “be the church” to a world who are in desperate need to hear the Good News that Jesus Saves! There will be Gospel Crusades, Revival meetings (large and small) and other venues that will witness masses of people crying out to God and submitting to Jesus as their Lord and Savior. In addition, organizations (often sponsored/supported by the church) will reach out and help to feed the hungry, provide medical aid and relief to those in need.

There was no longer just “one voice”, one council, or even one denomination that spoke for believers. The local church often led by a Pastor/Shepherd who themselves felt led or called by God through the leading of the Holy Spirit will lead/guide their local congregation.

While many Christian denominations, Christian leaders and other Christian groups find disagreement on many things – the one thing we must agree on is that Jesus is the only way to the Father – “And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12)

In the same way that these evangelists, preachers, reformers, theologians, pastors, teachers, apologists, and apostles boldly proclaimed the Good News of the Gospel – we too must carry the torch of faith until the Lord Jesus returns as he promised. The message of the Gospel (The Good New) remains at the core of what the church believes, and the church continues to declare that message until Jesus returns. “Behold He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes will mourn over Him. So, it is to be Amen. I am the Alpha and Omega, says the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty” (Revelation 1:7-8)

The Church Grows Up – Part 3 of a 4-part series.

As the Roman Empire began to lose their grip on the world and new countries and other new empires began to form, and along with that new religious and political leaders rose to power. By the time of the next Millennium, the church began to look different. The Great Schism of 1054, brough about a division between the Western Church (headquartered in Rome) and the Eastern Church (headquartered in Constantinople). In addition to those “Orthodox” systems of worship, other groups emerged that chose not to follow those systems and “dissented” or rejected certain doctrines they felt were contrary to the Apostles teachings.

These changes, along with the cry for political, religious, and social freedom (brought on by the Magna Carta and other writings), the invention of the printing press, the translation of the Scriptures into Latin and eventually into English will shed light on the compromise and corruption within the Church at large that had been going on for centuries.

The church which remained as small as 2 or 3 believers gathered together and as large as the Roman Catholic Church looked different than it did during the times of the Apostles – but the message of the gospel remained the same. What will come as a result of the Reformation are new “denominations” such as Lutherans, Presbyterians, and Anglicans which developed out of “Protest”, and they became identified as Protestants making them “different” in practice and doctrine than the Roman Catholic Church. Other “Orthodox” churches such as Greek Orthodox, Coptic (Egyptian Orthodox), Eastern Orthodox etc. will also identify separately from the Roman Catholic Church of the West. There will also be other “dissenting” groups who didn’t identify with the Roman Catholic Church, Protestantism, or other mainline Orthodox “religions” and pursued “religious freedom” following only the teachings of Jesus, the Apostles, and the written Word of God. These “dissenting” groups, along with the “Protestant” churches will emerge in the Post Reformation Period (1700’s to the present) and will lay the groundwork for a period of “Revival” that will see church continue in the fulfillment of the Great Commission until Jesus returns!

For this lesson we will focus on 5 key Reformers of the Reformation Period who recognized the compromise and even corruption that took a foothold in the Church during the Dark Ages. We should be thankful that these reformers boldly spoke the truth, even at risk of losing everything including their life. These reforms and the work of the Holy Spirit in the lives of believers continued to see the church prevail for another 1000 years and more!

The Church Grows Up

Part 2 of a 4-part series

As the church enters the 4^th Century several key historical events take place:

1. The Edict of Milan (AD 313) was a proclamation that declared Christianity legal in the Roman Empire and slowed the murderous persecutions against Christians.
2. This opened the door for “religious tolerance” of Christianity in the Roman Empire and paved the way for a blending of power between the sacred (religious influence) and the secular (political influence). The result was corruption and compromise which unfortunately also infiltrated the church, which will bring on the need for reform (that will be the topic of our next lesson).
3. Due to the continual battle against heretical teachings (primarily Arianism), many key church leaders (I call them Champions of Truth) in the church began meeting in large gatherings called “councils” in which they debated the essential doctrines of the Christian faith that remain the “orthodox” position of Christianity to this day.
4. The results of these “councils” were the formation of “creeds” or doctrinal positions that were taught and passed on by the Apostles and early first century church leaders – which were the same teaching that Jesus Christ taught them.
5. Since the heretical teachings of Arius attacked the very Nature of Christ and attempted to lessen the Deity of Christ; these councils made it clear that their position was that Jesus Christ was not a created being, that He is God in human flesh.
6. Another key doctrine that was decided upon by those at the Council of Nicaea was the Trinity. They affirmed the truth that God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit were One and they were co-equal and co-eternal.
7. Another key event that took place was the decision to accept the 27 Books of the New Testament as the whole/entirety of the New Testament canon. This occurred at the Council of Carthage in AD 397.

While all of these historical events are taking place, the great commission (spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ) remained the mission of the church. Several key leaders in the church saw to it that the message of the gospel remained the main purpose of the church without compromise. Others used the newfound power (political and religious) to seek their own personal gain through compromise and corrupt practices. The unfortunate result of this compromise will bring about persecution by the “church” against those who sought to expose their corruption. This will lead to the need for reform and change and God will direct those future “Champions of Truth” through Reformation and Revival to ensure that His Church will continue, and the “Gates of Hell” will be unable to prevail against it. Stay tuned for those next two lessons….

As the 1^st Century ends a few historical perspectives are needed to understand the church and how it impacted the next generation of believers/Christ followers:

1. The Roman Empire destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple in AD 70
2. As a result of this siege of Jerusalem by Titus, the Jews will flee and many of the Christians from the Roman occupied region of Judea also scattered throughout the then “known world”.
3. By the time Jerusalem is destroyed, the church (thanks in part to the Roman roads, the expansion of their empire and other improvements) will have spread the gospel to (what was known to them at the time) the “uttermost parts of the earth”.
4. The Roman Empire remained the dominant empire deep into the 2^nd century but over time showed signs of failure until it eventually split into the Western Empire and the Eastern Empire (Byzantium).
5. Although the empire did fracture and many “Roman” emperors came and went (probably more bad emperors than good ones), the unfortunate result of this wicked empire was a deep hatred and animosity for both the Jews and Christians. The “religious” belief systems of the Roman Empire were a blend of hedonistic (human self-gratification) and pagan (anti-God) practices. This put them in direct conflict with God and there was no place in their system of belief for Jesus Christ.
6. As a result, Roman emperors and other leaders blamed the Jews and the Christians for anything that went wrong and often the result was persecution, torture and even death.
7. Although persecution was rampant, the spread of the gospel (Good News of the death burial and resurrection of Christ) didn’t stop or even slow down after the Apostles and early church leaders of the 1^st century passed on.
8. In fact, the preaching of the gospel and the acceptance of that good news, by faith is what transformed the heart of a later emperor named Constantine and opened a door to the world that has never been shut though many wicked leaders have tried over the centuries.

This lesson picks up after many of the Apostles and early church leaders have died either by a martyr’s death or natural causes. Those Apostles and early church leaders prepared a new generation of believers for what they knew (because it is what Jesus taught them or they received as direct revelation from God) was coming. There would be a rise of false teachers (antichrists) that would attempt to change, alter, or water down the truth that Jesus Christ is God, and the only way to the Father. They would do this through false teaching and the promotion of heresy and lessen/cheapen the Good News by claiming Jesus either wasn’t God or he was less than God which is utterly false! These false teachers failed in that attempt and continue to fail. New leaders would rise up and carry the torch into the second and third centuries and beyond. The church (the called ones) though still an organism became something that the “Gates of Hell” could not prevail against and remains His Church from then to now and until He returns. I hope you enjoy this lesson….

When you think of the early church it is easy to overlook the other significant individuals (beside the 12 Apostles and Paul) who contributed to what I like to call “The Beginning of an Unfinished Work”. The missionary activities recorded in the Book of Acts and other letters/books of the New Testament reveal a host of individuals who continued the work of ministry that began with those early followers of The Way. The church was on the move, it was growing and influencing a pagan and godless world by spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ – His death, burial and resurrection.

In this lesson we will look at the contributions to the early church from people like: Mark who wrote the earliest gospel account of the life of Jesus and instrumental in the establishment of the church in Alexandria Egypt. Luke, who wrote 2 books comprising 28% of our New Testament. Timothy, who was personally mentored by Paul and known as Paul’s son in the faith was instrumental in defending against the influence of heresy in the church at Ephesus. Others, like Titus, James (the brother of Jesus) who wrote an Epistle (letter) containing instructions and guidance on living out our life of faith and many more individuals whom we owe a tremendous debt to.

These early leaders of the church battled heresy and false teaching in spite of the persecutions they faced and often dying a martyr’s death. It was because of them and the influence of the Apostles themselves that the Scriptures were put to paper and eventually canonized into the 26 books of our New Testament. What a legacy they left us and our contribution is to continue steadfast to the faith we embrace, and they gave their lives for!

When we use the word “church” we need to continually remind ourselves that it is an organism and not an organization even though in modern context the perception of the church is a building, a denomination, or a ruling/authoritative body. In its purest earliest definition, the church is “the called ones” or perhaps; “a called-out assembly of believers”. This is how the church began and as time progressed; the church at Jerusalem expanded to include the church or churches of Antioch (where believers were first called Christians – “little Christs”), the churches of Asia, the churches of Macedonia, the churches of Rome and so on. The need for organization became obvious and evident, especially as the church faced persecution and heretical teaching from non-believers posing as believers.

Jesus made this declaration to His 12 Apostles; “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:18-20). In those days after the resurrection of Jesus, this was the precisely what the Apostles and other followers of The Way did even if it meant persecution to the point of death.

No one caused a greater stir or imposed such an immense fear among the followers of The Way than a man named Saul of Tarsus. His initial mission, fully sanctioned by the Sanhedrin and Jewish leaders, was to gather up these followers of Jesus and bring them to Jerusalem to be stoned for their perceived blasphemy. Saul willingly participated in this persecution and while on his mission of destruction he met Jesus on the road to Damascus and submitted to and surrendered his life to his Savior and Lord Jesus Christ. Read the story (Acts 9) – it is very compelling, and I don’t know how anyone could walk away after reading it without coming to the same conclusions that Saul did.

From there, everything changed for Saul who was better known in history by the name of Paul. Shortly after he met Jesus on the road to Damascus, he spent some one-on-one time with his Savior and from there began a life of missionary service unmatched by anyone since. I won’t kid you; it took a little convincing to the other Apostles and followers of Jesus that Paul was now one of them but in short order Paul jumped right in and continued to obey the Lord’s command to proclaim the good news of Jesus death, burial and resurrection to the Jew first and then to the Gentiles.

This lesson; Why the Church – Part 2 is the story of the Apostle Paul and his 3 Missionary Journey’s and all that was accomplished in his life until he was martyred by Emperor Nero in 67 AD. He wrote half the books of the New Testament, 13 in all and in addition to preaching the gospel message (the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus), he (along with Jesus and the other Apostles) provided all the teachings we need on how to live a Christ like life. We owe a great debt to this man Paul – but if he were alive today he in his normal humble manner would take no credit but lay all praise to His Savior Jesus Christ. I hope you enjoy this lesson – Why the Chruch Part 2.