10 (Main) Reasons To Be A Christian

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1. Christianity is the largest religion in the world.
2. Your life will have meaning.
3. You can live eternal life with Jesus.
4. You can be forgiven of your sins.
5. You can be born a new creation.
6. You can be able to pray.
7. You can have an awesome relationship with God.
8. There is a heap of proof that events in the Bible are real.
9. You can take advantage of the amazing plans God has in store for you.
10. Jesus wasn't some martyr, he rose from the grave for the worlds sins.

If you aren't already a Christian, do you want to be one? You can become a Christian right now by praying to God and asking Him to forgive your sins so you can have eternal life in Heaven with Him.  When you pray you must admit to God that you are sinful and broken and that you always will be.

If you did ask the Lord to forgive your sins, now you are a Christian.  It's pretty simple, but that's the beauty of it!  God gave us everything for nothing.  He gave me and you eternal life with Him, and what have we done for Him?  Nothing.  We don't deserve to have a relationship with a loving God.  God sent His son down on this earth to die for me and you, so your sins could be forgiven.

The next step of being a Christian is a vital one, read the Bible.  All I ask is that you read a chapter a day, which is usually only a page.  Read the New Testament first so you can get to know Jesus better.  The Bible is a lamp to your feet, to have a close relationship with Jesus you must act on what you read.  Do your best to do what the Bible tells you to do.

Another reason that reading the Bible is so vital is because many people will tell you lies about Christianity, and unless you read the Bible those lies will look very believable.  Strive to learn as much as you can about Christianity so you can stand firm in your faith.  Your journey along the narrow path starts now, I wish you well! 

Me The Lunch Lady

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This summer I have a job at a Christian summer camp working in the kitchen, so essentially, I'm a lunch lady. The camp is for kids and teens, my job on most days is to serve them breakfast and lunch as well as to vacuum after they leave for both meals.

Serving is my favorite for a lot of reasons. There is a rhythm to it. There are several dishes on a line with someone to serve each of them. One server grabs a tray and relays it off to the next server until a serving of all the dishes are on the tray. The server at the end of the relay hands the tray to a hungry camper and seven out of ten times gets thanked.

If the rhythm gets disrupted everyone is off their game. A dish runs out and we need to get another tray out of the warmer or a camper asks for more of this dish but definitely none of that dish; the rhythm is suspended.  Because of this we actually have to put thought into "one serving of corn on tray, corn on tray, two servings of corn on tray, one serving of corn on tray, corn on tray, corn on tray" until the blissful rhythm is restored.

Campers come by the hundreds. Last week there were more than four-hundred campers and after second servings there were more than six hundred trays that had to be washed. Most groups of campers only stay for a week or so but you start to remember faces. Maybe it's the little girl who had a bright smile or that vegetarian kid who only asks for a tray and helps himself to the self serve salad trays we set out.

The vacuuming is less pleasant than other tasks but it has gotten easier. I've learned that my apron (which I wash often, may I note) is the perfect place to store little items that can't be vacuumed such as used, abandoned napkins and empty ketchup and mustard packets left behind by the campers. I love shredded cheese, but not when it's on the floor. It has been trampled upon which means it is already stuck in the carpet. Sometimes it takes a couple days worth of vacuum sessions to finally get the yellow out of the dark brown carpet.

Of course I do other odd jobs like rotating the stock which consists of checking that we have everything that we ordered when a new shipment comes in and putting those new items under the old stock so the older food gets used first. The only bad thing about rotating stock is how cold the industrial freezers can get. On a totally unrelated note I really need to start bringing my winter coat to work.

When I first arrived I was very surprised at how clean the kitchen is and how great the food is. All the tables are wiped down and then sanitized. The dishes are all scrubbed and then put in the dishwasher. None of the dishes are hand dried but put on a rack to dry instead. The silverware is sprayed and put through the dishwasher twice. The floors are swept and mopped daily.

Even though most of the food is frozen, so much goes into the preparation and so much is added to it; you would never guess it came out of a freezer. I get a lunch break everyday and eat what I serve, I can honestly say I love every meal I have eaten from camp. I'm getting more and more comfortable with the people I work with, all of them are older than me but it doesn't matter because we all follow the same orders from the head chefs. The head chefs are the best too, God knows they have been so patient with my distracted newbie self. Two of the girls who work with me go on mission trips, one of them is currently going to seminary.

God obviously knows what He is doing. I'm in such a godly and spiritually nurturing work environment. There is such an age different between the kitchen staff. From teenagers to women who have been working since the camp started many decades ago, and we all treat each other like family.

The Lord works in mysterious ways, and because of that, I am working as a lunch lady—and loving it.

That Kind Of Redeemer (Part IV)

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The first verse of chapter four tells us that Boaz "went up to the town gate and sat there (The Teen Study Bible, Ruth 4.1)." In the walled city of Bethlehem there was a gate--that anyone had to use to get in or out of the city--and a corridor leading to said gate. Along this corridor there were benches. This was where Boaz was sitting. It was a custom for the people to settle legal matters by the gate. Judges would sit on the bench (after Boaz get's up in a moment) and the people involved in the legal dispute would stand before the judges (E. W. ,60, 61).

Boaz sits at the gate until he sees the second kinsmen redeemer that has been mentioned and invites him kindly to sit down on the bench while he rounds up ten elders or judges of the town. Once the ten elders are sitting on the bench and the two kinsmen-redeemers are standing before them, court is in session. Boaz is very smart about how he bargains with the other kinsman. "Naomi, who has come back from Moab, is selling the piece of land that belonged to our brother Elimelech. I thought I should bring the matter to your attention and suggest that you buy it in the presence of these seated here and in the presence of the elders of my people. If you will redeem it, do so. But if you will not, tell me, so I will know. For no one has the right to do it except you, and I am next in line (The Teen Study Bible, Ruth 4.3, 4)." Boaz tells the other kinsman, "Remember that land Elimelech had, Naomi has mortgaged it and I want to redeem it. But I came to you to see if you wanted to redeem it since you are first in line to do that". The other kinsman then tells Boaz, "I will redeem it (The Teen Study Bible, Ruth 4.4)." This is where Boaz plays his best card, "On the day you buy the land from Naomi and from Ruth the Moabitess, you acquire the dead man's widow, in order to maintain the name of the dead with his property (The Teen Study Bible, Ruth 4.5)." Boaz says, "Oh yeah, did I mention you will have to marry a Moabitess?" Suddenly the other kinsman changes his mind, "Then I cannot redeem it because I might endanger my own estate. You redeem it yourself. I cannot do it (The Teen Study Bible, Ruth 4.6)." How great the triumphant Boaz must have felt. He is going to marry the girl of his dreams.

The other kinsman took off his sandal and handed it to Boaz, this signified that both parties understood this trading of property (Ernest, et al. 126-133, 318). Boaz announces to the crowd that they are witnesses to the redemption of Naomi's land as well as Ruth. Boaz went to the gate to claim his bride. Likewise, Jesus came to earth to claim His bride (Vernon 88-120). Just like Boaz saved Ruth from marrying the other kinsman, Jesus saved us from the Mosaic Law. Just like Boaz loved Ruth, Jesus loves us. To think that Obed—the son of Ruth and Boaz—would be the great grandfather of this Redeemer. The Kinsman Redeemer needed by all. It's not something one can entirely appreciate or grasp until it has been experienced. To be redeemed.
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Bibliography

Deen, Edith. All of the Women of the Bible. New York: Harper Collins Publishers, 1988.
     81-87. Print


George, Elizabeth. A Devotional Walk with the Women of the Bible: Women Who Loved God.
     Oregon: Harvest House Publishers, 1999. 142-154. Print


Heaton, E. W. Everyday Life in Old Testament Times. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons,
     1956. 60-61. Print


McGee, J. Vernon. Thru The Bible with J. Vernon McGee: Joshua through Psalms 2.
     Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1988. 88-120. Print


The Teen Study Bible, New International Version. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 1998.
     317-321. Print


Wright, G. Ernest, Vaughn E. Crawford, Stephen J. Hartdegen, Laton E. Holmgren, Robert H.
     Johnston, James B. Pritchard, Nahum M. Sarna, Patrick W. Skehan, et al., Great
     People of the Bible and How They Lived. Sydney, Australia: The Reader's Digest
     Association, 1974. 126-133, 318. Print

That Kind Of Redeemer (Part III)

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Ruth stays with Naomi and continues to glean in Boaz’s field until the harvest is over. Every day Naomi gets more impatient, she cooks up a plan and serves it casually to Ruth,

"My daughter, should I not try to find a home for you where you will be well provided for? Is not Boaz, with whose servant girls you have been, a kinsman of ours? Tonight he will be winnowing barley on the threshing floor. Wash and perfume yourself, and put on your best clothes. Then go down to the threshing floor, but don't let him know you are there until he has finished eating and drinking. When he lies down, note the place where he is lying. Then go and uncover his feet and lie down. He will tell you what to do (The Teen Study Bible, Ruth 3.1-4)."

This is a very detailed plan which Naomi obviously put a lot of thought into. She lets Ruth know that Boaz is Ruth’s to claim any time she wants to. In fact, Naomi wants Ruth to claim him tonight. She mentions a threshing floor. A threshing floor is a circular flat place on top of a hill where harvesters would lay the grain stalks out and crush them to separate the grain from the chaff (Vernon 88-120). Once the grain stalks were crushed, what was left was thrown up into the air. The chaff would blow away and the grain would fall back down (Ernest, et al. 126-133, 318). After the threshing is finished they worshiped, had a meal, and lay down on the threshing floor to sleep with their legs out like spokes of a wheel (Vernon 88-120).  Naomi is telling Ruth to look her best, smell her best, and dress her best for her redeemer. Imagine Boaz's surprise to wake up in the middle of the night to see a beautiful, well dressed, clean woman at his feet. He asked "Who are you?" Ruth replied to him, "I am your servant Ruth . . . Spread the corner of your garment over me, since you are a kinsmen-redeemer (The Teen Study Bible, Ruth 3.9)." Ruth just told him that she wants him as her kinsmen-redeemer and that brightened his mood a great deal, his dream girl just told him that she wants to get married to him.

Boaz is ecstatic. "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. And now, my daughter, don't be afraid. I will do for you all you ask. All my fellow townsmen know that you are a woman of noble character. Although it is true that I am near of kin, there is a kinsmen-redeemer nearer than I. Stay here for the night, and in the morning if he wants to redeem, good; let him redeem. But if he is not willing, as sure as the LORD lives I will do it. Lie here until morning (The Teen Study Bible, Ruth 3.10-13." Boaz has been in awe of this woman's attitude since he met her. She does not complain (like another "bitter" woman he knows) and her character really is noble. When Boaz found out she was a Moabite he was probably expecting her to run after any man she saw, for that was the stereotype of the Moabite women of his day. But no, Ruth was different, he saw that and fell hard for her. She is hard working, she provides for her family of one, and she is faithful to the LORD and to Naomi. That is a woman any man would want to marry.

Boaz told her that there was a kinsmen nearer than him. Boaz is—just like Ruth—a noble character; even though he loves Ruth dearly, he is going to allow this man who is a nearer kinsman than himself a fair chance to marry her. Boaz may be giving this other man a chance to marry Ruth but he still has a few cards to play. To be redeemed one had to be related to the redeemer. That's why Christ came down on this earth to be a man (he was fully man and fully God at the same time) so he could redeem us and pay the price for our sins.

Boaz tells Ruth to stay with him until morning. What many think to be a seducing gesture is merely something an Israelite gentleman would say. Back in the days of the judges, the highways weren't safe—much like today—and people ran through the fields instead (Vernon 88-120). Boaz was looking out for Ruth's safety. The girl of Boaz's dreams just asked him to be her kinsmen-redeemer—what is he supposed to do? — just tell her, "Scuttle along now. Don't get killed on the highway. Better yet, take walk through the fields home in the dark. Don't trip." Ruth would be having second thoughts about who her redeemer would be.

Ruth laid by Boaz's feet until the early morning. Boaz told her, "Don't let it be known that a woman came to the threshing floor (The Teen Study Bible, Ruth 3.14)." Boaz does not say this out of embarrassment. He knew gossip would spread though, and he did not want the other kinsman to know (Vernon 88-120). Boaz does not want Ruth to go back empty handed so he gives her some barley to carry home in her shawl.

Ruth gets home and tells Naomi everything that has happened, girl talk. By now Ruth is anxious and wants to know when she will be redeemed. "Then Naomi says, "Wait, my daughter, until you find out what happens. For the man will not rest until the matter is settled today (The Teen Study Bible, Ruth 3.18)." Naomi knows Boaz and how determined he is to fulfill a goal, Naomi is telling Ruth that Boaz will do the redeeming for her. We can liken Naomi to someone who knows Christ, anyone who knows Christ knows that he does the redeeming for us. There is nothing that we can do to count towards our own redemption, if there was something we could do then Jesus died for us in vain.
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Bibliography

Deen, Edith. All of the Women of the Bible. New York: Harper Collins Publishers, 1988.
     81-87. Print


George, Elizabeth. A Devotional Walk with the Women of the Bible: Women Who Loved God.
     Oregon: Harvest House Publishers, 1999. 142-154. Print


Heaton, E. W. Everyday Life in Old Testament Times. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons,
     1956. 60-61. Print


McGee, J. Vernon. Thru The Bible with J. Vernon McGee: Joshua through Psalms 2.
     Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1988. 88-120. Print


The Teen Study Bible, New International Version. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 1998.
     317-321. Print


Wright, G. Ernest, Vaughn E. Crawford, Stephen J. Hartdegen, Laton E. Holmgren, Robert H.
     Johnston, James B. Pritchard, Nahum M. Sarna, Patrick W. Skehan, et al., Great
     People of the Bible and How They Lived. Sydney, Australia: The Reader's Digest
     Association, 1974. 126-133, 318. Print