"I love you, Teacher"

Children are a wonderful gift. I always learn something when I am around a child. Every time my Children disobey I think about my relationship with God. When I first started teaching English in Korea, about a year ago, I had one little boy that was just a very hard child. He was three. He did not like school. He did not like English. It was my constant frustration. He spit in my face, hit me a couple of times, pinch me and anything else to make it quite clear he did not like me or anything related to what I did. I gained much patients from this little boy. I was reminded on the day that the little boy spit in my face that while on the cross Jesus was spit on. Matthew 26:67 "Then they spit in his face and struck him. And some slapped him," I too "spit" in Jesus' face, and I argue with him almost everyday; yet God loves me unconditionally. The Happy ending of this story is that the little boy and I eventually became friends, No better then friends... We are buddies. now he is one of the sweetest little boys. My co-teacher and I were patient with him and we won him over to the "sweet side." About 6 months later that same little boy would press his little face next to the window and wait for me to get to work before he would go play with his friends. He could not speak much English but He learned "I love you, Teacher!" and would tell me over and over. I also learn about God when my kids do sweet things, like Today. Today, I went out to eat with some of my kids from school and their parents. I teach 7 year olds English. Some of my Children gave me love letters! One little boy gave me a present of perfume. :) It was a hard year in Korea but it was all worth it when that same little boy reached up and held my hand and say "I love you teacher!!" As much as this sweet story made me feel un speakable joy. What also God must feel when we reach out to Him and say here is my hand hold it just because “I love you!”

A Little out of Tune

My school did a music performance today. All the kids had to learn a new song. My classes' song was really really long and very hard. I rather enjoyed teaching them and practicing with them because of my background in music. Some of the kids found very hard. We practiced and practiced. One little girl was still quite pitchy.

So when she got up to sing yes she was out of tune but she remembered all the words. There was a lady behind me who was was clearly frustrated with the little girl's rendition of the song. This lady having no connection with the little girl, began keep time very loudly hoping that the girl would do it the "correct" way. After putting up with this for about two minutes I gave the "teacher glare." That look of "you know what you are doing and it needs to stop right now." I had the sudden "mother bear" mentality of don't mess with my kid. It is truly amazing how fast you can fall in love with kids. EVEN if they are out of tune!!!

A Little of the Good Stuff

I eat lunch with my kids at school everyday. After watching me for a few months they have picked up on the fact that I don't eat certain foods cause it makes me sick... mainly wheat. yesterday, I overheard one of them talking, "Don't give Teacher chocolate. It will make her sick." Apparently they have decide that I can't eat any of the good stuff: bread, cake, cookies and chocolate. On that note one of my 7 year olds told her mom that I couldn't have cake and her mom brought my class a cake that had no wheat in it. This was one of those big tall cakes too. A couple of layers. Her mom told my co- teacher it was "Just so I could have the good stuff." isn't that sweet?

"How deep the Fathers love for me
How vast beyond all measure
That He would give His only son
To make a wretch His treasure…"
Nothing can Measure the depth of LOVE that King of Glory has for HIS Children

"How great the pain of searing loss,
The Father turns His face away
As wounds which mar the chosen One,
Bring many sons to glory"
WOW 100% man and 100% God... He gave up everything for eternity

"Behold the Man upon a cross,
My sin upon His shoulders
Ashamed I hear my mocking voice,
Call out among the scoffers"
All of my sins... so many...Everyones sins... ALL OF THEM upon Yeshua

"It was my sin that left Him there
Until it was accomplished
His dying breath has brought me life
I know that it is finished"
I do not have to ever fear the wicked one because Yeshua has covered all my sins.
Now I am free!!

"I will not boast in anything
No gifts, no power, no wisdom
But I will boast in Jesus Christ
His death and resurrection"
How I can I say anything outside of the Messiah's merciful gift?

Why should I gain from His reward?
I cannot give an answer
But this I know with all my heart
His wounds have paid my ransom
How many people have come to HIM because of what He has given up?
What can we give up for HIM?

Thoughts on Ruth

There are three things that I have seen or read about from other books about Ruth’s character that I have tried to adapt in my life:
First Her Faith in God-
What made Ruth have the courage to go to Israel, a place she had never been before, and believe that God would watch over her? What enables a person to give up all they know?
When Ruth became a believer in God she learned the first rule of following God was to, “love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.”

Ruth used her heart to love God. She kept her emotions in check…She was not out in the fields telling everybody else how Boaz was showing his kindness to her. She was not getting her emotions tangled up in a relationship that might not last… Boaz points that out in Ruth 3:10, “The LORD bless you, my daughter,” he replied. “This kindness is greater than that which you showed earlier: You have not run after the younger men, whether rich or poor.”
Just like Ruth we need to keep our Hearts, our emotions in check… We need to protect our hearts

We also need to keep our Soul engaged in love for God- My understand of our soul is the place where we keep the knowledge of our Identity- as Believers our Identity is “that I am loved by God and I love God” Ruth Identity understanding is seen when she talks to Naomi before leaving Moab, in ruth 1:16-17, But Ruth replied, “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. 17 Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even death separates you and me.” Ruth knew she would have nothing by leaving Moab but she knew what God had called her to do… Follow God and stay with Naomi.

How do we love God with our Minds? we need to guard the doorways of our minds- what we think about… Ruth according to the book was not fretting and worrying over the possibility of being provided for. In fact in chapter 3:1 of Ruth, it was Naomi who mentioned finding her someone to look out for her. Ruth 3:1, “One day Ruth’s mother-in-law Naomi said to her, “My daughter, I must find a home[a] for you, where you will be well provided for.” It is stated in ruth 3:11 that ruth is a woman of noble character. Character is started with the thoughts that are pondered upon in the mind. ruth must have had a very pure mind. A professor of mine at moody was teaching us to read Ruth in the orginal Hebrew. He made the statement that the word “Noble” which means “honable, or above question” is only used in the bible when talking about Ruth.

Loving God with all our Strength includes- physical strength but also time and money. –Ruth used her physical strength to feed herself and Naomi which honored God. Ruth took the incentive to go get grain for them to eat in Ruth 2:2, And Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, “Let me go to the fields and pick up the leftover grain behind anyone in whose eyes I find favor.” In Ruth 2:7later on in that chapter it states that she worked hard.

The second thing that I see in Ruth is her servant’s heart
In reading the book I stumble upon Ruth’s servant heart. She works really hard providing for Naomi and herself. In Ruth 2:7, Boaz’s worker is speaking about her the passage states, “She said, ‘Please let me glean and gather among the sheaves behind the harvesters.’ She came into the field and has remained here from morning till now, except for a short rest in the shelter.” Ruth was out in the hot sun kneeling or bending over to gathering grain. It is back breaking work, yet she only took a short rest. Ruth worked so hard she gathered an ephah the first day… which is about 22 liters or 5and a half gallons. In the following verse where it explains that Ruth gathered and ephah it says, “She carried it back to town, and her mother-in-law saw how much she had gathered. Ruth also brought out and gave her what she had left over after she had eaten enough.” The statement she carried it back to town is a big statement, The cities in Israel had the fields outside of the city walls. To get back and forth to the field is a good hike maybe a couple of miles and Bethlehem and the area around it is really hilly and mountainous. Ruth dedicated herself working hard and serving Naomi.

Lastly I have noticed in Ruth that she had a teachable spirit and she listened. The entire last two chapters of the book show the taeachableness of Ruth. It must have been hard to be in the position that Ruth was in, an grown adult who had been married but now found herself in submissive position that required listening to others. She could have not listened but it would have been her down-fall. She trusted Naomi to know when to move and when not to move. It must have seemed very odd what Naomi asked her to do. She most likely had never heard of an idea like that before but Ruth listened.

Not all people allow themselves to be taught. We must be “willing”
In Hebrew the word “listen” means “to do.” There is an understanding that when the command or advice is given that command will be done instantly. I have a very wise Israeli friend who’s native tongue is Hebrew. One day gave me advice on how to handle a negative problem with a brother of mine. I heard what she said, then I stated to her “I heard you.” The advice she gave was great advice but I deiced not to follow it. She however, expect what she suggested to be carried out within the next day. When she came upon the fact that the advice was not followed she was surprised. As I tell this story I remember other times when mentors of mine have given me wise advise such as praying intensely for a couple of weeks and I just don’t want to do that so I don’t or I reason with myself it will take too much time. We should be the women who hear wise words and do it instantly.
Notice how ruth had a trusted adviser in Namoi. Ruth told her what was on her heart, she lived life with Naomi and they learned from each other.
AS a younger person we must be under a mother but as we grow older the relationship between the mother and the daughter changes. My mom and I have a different interaction now then when I was little. She is more of my adviser. No matter how old we get we will always be under some kind of authority. I have always done better in life when I have an older wiser woman praying for me and looking out for me like Naomi was for Ruth. No matter how old we get it is always good to have mentors in life. I have four mentors, not my mom, who pray for me and give me wise counsel. Do you have a mentor? if u don’t I would suggest praying about it and then going and asking that person.

Isaiah 50:5-11

The Sovereign LORD has opened my ears;

I have not been rebellious,

I have not turned away.

I offered my back to those who beat me,

my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard;

I did not hide my face

from mocking and spitting.

Because the Sovereign LORD helps me,

I will not be disgraced. Therefore have I set my face like flint,

and I know I will not be put to shame. He who vindicates me is near.

Who then will bring charges against me?

Let us face each other! Who is my accuser?

Let him confront me! It is the Sovereign LORD who helps me.

Who will condemn me? They will all wear out like a garment;

the moths will eat them up.
Who among you fears the LORD

and obeys the word of his servant? Let the one who walks in the dark,

who has no light, trust in the name of the LORD

and rely on their God. But now, all you who light fires

and provide yourselves with flaming torches, go, walk in the light of your fires

and of the torches you have set ablaze. This is what you shall receive from my hand:

You will lie down in torment.

Fight, my brothers and sisters, for your purity!!!!!

Joel 2:13 and 14 says this, "Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity. Who knows? He may turn and have pity and leave behind a blessing—grain offerings and drink offerings for the LORD your God."

These verses were talking about Israel right before it was taken into captivity. Israel was in a state of religiosity. The people would say they believed and followed God with their mouth but not honor Him with their words or actions or most importantly with their hearts. America and many other countries are doing the same thing. We proclaim that we are Christians but we live sinful lives! Sin is gross, nasty, disgusting. God is not ok with it.

Why did Israel go in to captivity? It was because of sin. I ask you if God sent the Israelites out of the land because of sin what might happen to American or any other country because of their sin? America or anywhere else is not more important that their sins would be over looked.
Even as believers we will still be punished for the nasty sins in our life. Do not become passive about the sins in your life my brothers and sisters. We have to do something about the sin in our life.

This passage of scripture, is to a church, the people of God that already believed in Jesus as their messiah. Put aside the theology for a moment, the puzzling idea of whether we can or cannot lose our salvation. Read this:

Revelation 3:14-16
"To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God's creation. I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.”

Webster defines lukewarm as “1 : moderately warm : tepid; 2 : lacking conviction : halfhearted.
God will weed out those who are lukewarm. DO not be lukewarm

Also found in revelation written to another church, body of believers is Revelation 3:1-2
"To the angel of the church in Sardis write: These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your deeds complete in the sight of my God.”

Are you asleep? Are you ignoring your God? Are you allowing the sin that are in you life to rule? It does not matter how small there are get rid of them.

What are sins? What does God hate? These are a few verses that give the idea.

Corinthians 6:9-11. It reads as such: “Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offender’s nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.”

Galatians 5: 19-21 which states, “The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God,” then that person is in a place that requires correction."

If there is any sin in our life to any degree, get rid of it! We serve a Holy, sinless God. He can not stand Sin! Fight, my brothers and sisters, for your purity!!!!!

"lukewarm." Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. 2010.
Merriam-Webster Online. 8 May 2010