His Will Revealed?

Greetings to all! The game is afoot! What amazing path will be opened to us by the Spirit? He is so faithful, and has such a great love towards us. Each day is brand new for those who count Jesus as friend. I was blessed by the Lord, to have a few independent pieces come together. The theme and direction it seems for us is to find out what is the will of God. By that, what do we do actively, and what do we wait for. How do we know what we are spending our time and effort in is aligned with His will? And can we get in deeper (perhaps beyond our imagination!), penetrate through the activities of modern Christianity, and touch His power?

I believe it is for us to experience, the quickening of His purpose in this time, in this city. So in praying about these lofty question, one book came to the forefront, the book of Ruth. Hopefully everyone reading along and contributing will be placed in the flow of life as we find out our relationship to His will.

As we are transitioning, I might as well present my spiel and disclaimer again. The disclaimer is very comprehensive: believe only the Spirit inside of you. Live by that witness. If I go off on some academic tangent, or spill into flawed theology, my apologies beforehand. This is not a quest of knowledge, or display of mental machinations. We are here to find life. If you find life, share it! If you don't find life here, do something else that is fruitful! By all means, and at every opportunity, seek life. I am very hungry for spiritual meat, and strong drink that comes from His table. You are the ones who can get that meal, and share it with myself and everyone else you meet with. Praise God for that supply of life!

For the promotion side, forward any of these along to someone you might think is interested. We can accommodate plenty more. And if someone is interested in editing or learning about HTML and blogging, there are a few things that can be done with our material now. Feel free to inquire. These are easy non-time consuming tasks, and if you are planning on doing some writing, can be great training. Ok, enough of that, lets get started with the meeting.

I got a great question about where to go next after Jonah from a faith filled reader here. It was right in line with what the Spirit was speaking to me: "... knowing when we must heed God's call to action and when we should be still and know that God is in control." There was a clear witness in my spirit about this being the direction to go next. Then two other saints within a few days raised the same basic question. I love how He makes things clear to us. This is the first lesson in His will! If you think you are hearing something from the Spirit, that same Spirit lives in the saints in the body. He will speak it to you through them, and more than once.

We need not rely upon ourselves, nor upon another man, for our guidance. Rely upon Christ in the body. Rely upon the Spirit in the believers in the body where you meet. I have never been led astray by that choice of council. Even in things that were hard to hear, or strange in my understanding. He has never left something undone if I am open to the practical council of the Spirit in reality.

Now for the book of Ruth, you may have had a brief second of "What?" Don't worry, I did as well. But the unfolding of this book has already begun in my inner man, and it is pure glory to Him. So much in there about what He really wants, and how we know we are in His will. Amazing, I can't wait to hear all the riches you will find in this book. If you are unfamiliar with the story, or have not read Ruth in a long time, it is quick, and has a plot structure making it easy for us to access at first. Read the whole thing this week, and get ready for what the Spirit will be speaking in your heart.

The first verse sets the stage for where things are, and what the state of the people of God is. Throughout this book, there are many times we will compare the natural and the promise of faith. The physical (descendants) people of God vs. the innumerable children of Abraham through faith. It all begins in the first verse where a man of Bethlehem Judah left his people and went to Moab. It is the time of judges, and famine has come upon the land. This period had a few bright spots, but the age of judges was not particularly one of following the Lord closely. However, it would be presumptuous to link the famine with failure in the camp, take it as you see it.

At this verse it is quite pleasing that place names and condition come together. In fact, throughout the book of Ruth, many names are "statements of condition" that contribute to the picture. So we have from "Praising God in the House of Bread" (Bethlehem Judah) a presumably hungry man who sets out. He heads to the land of Lot's descendants of illegitimacy (Moab). The result for this man isn't great. So for a simplistic end, praise God in His house! Don't leave! Sometimes I get hungry, even in His house, so I must find more of Him! And praise the Father there is never a famine where we are, in this Kingdom.

By this we find the first component of His will in Ruth. He wants us to be in His house, and He wants to feed us. I believe it is His will for me and all who call upon the name of Jesus.

For this meeting, here is the current agenda:

Prayer and Thanksgiving:
I want to thank Him in the assembly, for being faithful to shake us free of ourselves. I get absorbed in work, and kids, and my own mentality... Then go for days without being completely open with my friend and King. Yet He loves us far beyond our expectations! Thank you Lord. Please everyone, consider now the afflicted you know. Many are dealing with viruses and infections, and some we know are fighting daily for physical life itself. Enter into the throne room, with supplication on behalf of each. He is our physician, and amazingly, appointments are readily available. There is no waiting room at the office, and you can even get help for someone else while you're there!

Open questions:
Any last threads to wrap up with Jonah? The last message was a bit disjoint, and the conclusion was as stark as Jonah itself. If you want something answered, or need more consideration of what went down with the word from God to Jonah, send a note along. It was powerful for me, and will soak inside for a while.

Current topic:
Lets read Ruth 1:1-4 and get into the book. Actually, it would be good to read the whole book, as some sections are in a literary style, and may go by fast. Enjoy the word!

Conclusion:
Be filled in love! I hope that each will enjoy Ruth, and get hungry for all the riches He has for us. May your week be abundant in eternal life, and may your eyes be open each day to all the good things He prepared for you.