What Happened To Solomon?

Greetings in the name of Jesus! This is Rob Haymes. This is 15 Minutes With Jesus.

Today’s program is called, What Happened To Solomon? Why did King Solomon, with all his wisdom that God had given him, why did he turn away from God to disobey Him and marry many strange women who ended up turning away his heart to worship their idols. I’ve been thinking about this question for several days, and the other day my wife Darlene spoke to me the answer by the Word of the Lord. She said, Do you know what happened to Solomon? He stopped fearing the Lord. That is truly the answer; that is what happened to him. Let’s turn to 1 Kings 3:1-15, Now Solomon made a treaty with Pharaoh king of Egypt, and married Pharaoh's daughter; then he brought her to the City of David until he had finished building his own house, and the house of the Lord, and the wall all around Jerusalem. Meanwhile the people sacrificed at the high places, because there was no house built for the name of the Lord until those days. And Solomon loved the Lord, walking in the statutes of his father David, except that he sacrificed and burned incense at the high places. Now the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for that was the great high place: Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings on that altar. At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, Ask! What shall I give you? And Solomon said: You have shown great mercy to Your servant David my father, because he walked before You in truth, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with You; You have continued this great kindness for him, and You have given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day. Now, O Lord my God, You have made Your servant king instead of my father David, but I am a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in. And Your servant is in the midst of Your people whom You have chosen, a great people, too numerous to be numbered or counted. Therefore give to Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours? The speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing. Then God said to him: Because you have asked this thing, and have not asked long life for yourself, nor have asked riches for yourself, nor have asked the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern justice, behold, I have done according to your words; see, I have given you a wise and understanding heart, so that there has not been anyone like you before you, nor shall any like you arise after you. And I have also given you what you have not asked: both riches and honor, so that there shall not be anyone like you among the kings all your days. So if you walk in My ways, to keep My statutes and My commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your days. Then Solomon awoke; and indeed it had been a dream. And he came to Jerusalem and stood before the ark of the covenant of the Lord, offered up burnt offerings, offered peace offerings, and made a feast for all his servants. It says in verse 3 that Solomon loved the Lord, walking in the statutes of David his father. 

Solomon finished all the work of building the Temple, and they brought in the Ark of the Covenant into the Temple with much celebration, sacrificing many sheep and oxen. 1 Kings 8:10&11,  And it came to pass, when the priests came out of the holy place, that the cloud filled the house of the Lord, so that the priests could not continue ministering because of the cloud; for the glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord. Verses 22-26, Then Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in the presence of all the assembly of Israel, and spread out his hands toward heaven; and he said: Lord God of Israel, there is no God in heaven above or on earth below like You, who keep Your covenant and mercy with Your servants who walk before You with all their hearts. You have kept what You promised Your servant David my father; You have both spoken with Your mouth and fulfilled it with Your hand, as it is this day. Therefore, Lord God of Israel, now keep what You promised Your servant David my father, saying, You shall not fail to have a man sit before Me on the throne of Israel, only if your sons take heed to their way, that they walk before Me as you have walked before Me. And now I pray, O God of Israel, let Your word come true, which You have spoken to Your servant David my father. Verses 54-61, And so it was, when Solomon had finished praying all this prayer and supplication to the Lord, that he arose from before the altar of the Lord, from kneeling on his knees with his hands spread up to heaven. Then he stood and blessed all the assembly of Israel with a loud voice, saying: Blessed be the Lord, who has given rest to His people Israel, according to all that He promised. There has not failed one word of all His good promise, which He promised through His servant Moses. May the Lord our God be with us, as He was with our fathers. May He not leave us nor forsake us, that He may incline our hearts to Himself, to walk in all His ways, and to keep His commandments and His statutes and His judgments, which He commanded our fathers. And may these words of mine, with which I have made supplication before the Lord, be near the Lord our God day and night, that He may maintain the cause of His servant and the cause of His people Israel, as each day may require, that all the peoples of the earth may know that the Lord is God; there is no other. Let your heart therefore be loyal to the Lord our God, to walk in His statutes and keep His commandments, as at this day. So, after that, King Solomon and all the people of Israel offered many sacrifices and peace offerings, and they had a huge feast that lasted for 2 weeks.

Let’s turn to 1 Kings 9:1-9, And it came to pass, when Solomon had finished building the house of the Lord and the king's house, and all Solomon's desire which he wanted to do, that the Lord appeared to Solomon the second time, as He had appeared to him at Gibeon. And the Lord said to him: I have heard your prayer and your supplication that you have made before Me; I have consecrated this house which you have built to put My name there forever, and My eyes and My heart will be there perpetually. Now if you walk before Me as your father David walked, in integrity of heart and in uprightness, to do according to all that I have commanded you, and if you keep My statutes and My judgments, then I will establish the throne of your kingdom over Israel forever, as I promised David your father, saying, You shall not fail to have a man on the throne of Israel. But if you or your sons at all turn from following Me, and do not keep My commandments and My statutes which I have set before you, but go and serve other gods and worship them, then I will cut off Israel from the land which I have given them; and this house which I have consecrated for My name I will cast out of My sight. Israel will be a proverb and a byword among all peoples. And as for this house, which is exalted, everyone who passes by it will be astonished and will hiss, and say, Why has the Lord done thus to this land and to this house? Then they will answer, Because they forsook the Lord their God, who brought their fathers out of the land of Egypt, and have embraced other gods, and worshiped them and served them; therefore the Lord has brought all this calamity on them. The Lord appeared to Solomon the second time and He told him that He had heard his prayers, but He also solemnly warned him of what He would do if Solomon and his people would forsake the Lord to worship other gods.

1 Kings 11:1–13, But King Solomon loved many foreign women, as well as the daughter of Pharaoh: women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians, and Hittites— from the nations of whom the Lord had said to the children of Israel, You shall not intermarry with them, nor they with you. Surely they will turn away your hearts after their gods. Solomon clung to these in love. And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines; and his wives turned away his heart. For it was so, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned his heart after other gods; and his heart was not loyal to the Lord his God, as was the heart of his father David. For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. Solomon did evil in the sight of the Lord, and did not fully follow the Lord, as did his father David. Then Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the abomination of Moab, on the hill that is east of Jerusalem, and for Molech the abomination of the people of Ammon. And he did likewise for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and sacrificed to their gods. So the Lord became angry with Solomon, because his heart had turned from the Lord God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice, and had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods; but he did not keep what the Lord had commanded. Therefore the Lord said to Solomon, Because you have done this, and have not kept My covenant and My statutes, which I have commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom away from you and give it to your servant. Nevertheless I will not do it in your days, for the sake of your father David; I will tear it out of the hand of your son. However I will not tear away the whole kingdom; I will give one tribe to your son for the sake of my servant David, and for the sake of Jerusalem which I have chosen. In verse 3 it says that Solomon’s wives turned away his heart. The Lord warned him about this and it was written in the Law of Moses. Solomon forsook his own wisdom which the Lord had given him and which he wrote in the Book of Proverbs. We don’t have time to read through Proverbs, but in chapter 4, verses 20-23, Solomon wrote, My son, give attention to my Words; incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them depart from your eyes; keep them in the midst of your heart; 

For they are life to those who find them, and health to all their flesh. Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life. Solomon did not heed his own words, and he let go the fear of the Lord. Then he let his heart go after those women, and they turned his heart after their idols. In 1 Chron 28:6, the Lord spoke to King David and said of Solomon, For I have chosen him to be my son, and I will be his Father. Moreover I will establish his Kingdom forever if he will be constant; notice, “IF”, if he will be constant to do my commandments and my judgments, as at this day. And in verse 9, David spoke to Solomon, As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a loyal heart and with a willing mind; for the Lord searches all hearts and understands all the intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will cast you off forever. 

In 2 Tim 3:1-4 the Apostle Paul wrote, But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! This is what happened to Solomon: he loved the pleasures that he had with all those strange women more than he loved God, and he stopped fearing the Lord God, to keep His good way, and went after his pleasure in them, and ended up in idolatry and sin, as they turned away his heart from the Lord to worship their idols. Don’t think that this cannot happen to you. You may be a devoted servant of the Lord Jesus Christ, but God knows what is in your heart. The Apostle Paul said, I die daily. What does that mean? He said, I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. Jesus said we must deny ourselves every day, and take up our cross: the place where we are crucified with Him, and follow Him. We must put to death the lusts of our flesh through the Spirit, building ourselves up on our most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit; praying in tongues, and in our native language; keeping ourselves in the love of God; loving Him who gave Himself for us on that Cross, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed, and purify us to be His own special people, zealous for good works: the works that He leads us to do by His Holy Spirit, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. Now to Him who is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, to God our Savior, who alone is wise, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen! 

 

 My Dad’s Testimony

Greetings! This is Rob Haymes; This is 15 Minutes with Jesus. Wherever two or three are gathered together in my name, Jesus said, there I am in the midst of them. I want to share with you a little bit about my Dad. I believe it would please God for me to honor my Dad before I go any farther with this program. My Dad’s name was Robert William Haymes. I’m Robert William Haymes Jr. I’m very thankful for my Dad. He was an extremely talented man. In his early days he was involved in singing with the big bands, back in the 1940’s; also involved in several movies. He was involved in show business and television. He also was in the Army. He was in the last mounted cavalry in the Army. He actually had an accident and injured his knee and was discharged honorably from the Army. My Dad, as I said, was very talented. He began writing songs in the 1950’s. He wrote some incredibly beautiful music. I had the privilege of growing up watching him and listening to him play piano and sing songs that he wrote, and other songs, and tell stories. My Dad was a wonderful storyteller. I have memories of him at our house, telling stories while smoking a cigar. When my Dad would tell a story you would forget all about that he was telling the story; it was as though you were in the story; he was such a good storyteller. My Dad was also a gourmet cook. He was a man of excellence. Everything he did, he did with all his heart; he did excellent work; as a songwriter; also he had an audio visual production company in the 80’s. Everything he did he did very well, and he taught me that. That’s one of the things I’m very thankful for with my Dad: he taught me to do things in an excellent way. He taught me about quality, in music and the arts; in many things. Unfortunately I did not inherit my Dad’s ability for cooking. My Dad could cook! My parents were divorced when I was around 1 year old, which would have been 1951. My Dad lived in New York City, and my Mom and I and my sisters, and brother lived in Greenwich, CT with my step father. We lived in a big old colonial house in Greenwich, CT, and Dad used to come and pick me up in his MG TD 1953; many of you know what that was like. He’d pick me up in his sports car and take me to New York; my Dad used to have a radio show on NBC Radio, and I would go with him to the studio in Rockefeller Center, and he would do a show at night. Then we would drive out to Long Island. He had a little house on Long Island in Sag Harbor, which is in the northern part of Long Island. And we would spend the weekend, and in the summer, a week or two. My Dad had a little boat, which he restored. The name of the boat was Boat; he had it written on the stern. My Dad, as I said, was very talented; he could be very funny, and he could tell wonderful stories. He took me out to wonderful restaurants in New York City, and out in Long Island. My Dad was a very famous and talented songwriter; he wrote a song called That’s All, which many of you may be familiar with. It’s in the American SongBook. The first person to record it was Nat King Cole, but also Frank Sinatra, and many other artists, including Michael Buble’, recorded that song. It’s a very famous song. My Dad wrote it with another man named Alan Brandt. So I grew up with my Dad; I’m very thankful for my Dad. I’ve always considered him to be a great man. He taught me many things; he taught me about manners. I can remember when I was young, he would say, “Now, say ‘thank you’; say ‘please’; say ‘you’re welcome’”. So I figured out if I said all three every time, I’d be covered. So I used to say, “please, thank you, you’re welcome.” each time.  Anyway, I thank God for my Dad. 

He was born on March 29th 1923. He lived in White Plains, NY. As I said, He also lived in New York City for a long time. He died on January 28 1989 of Lou Gehrig’s Disease. One thing I want to say, before I go to my Dad’s testimony; this message is, number one, to honor my Dad, and number two, I want to give his testimony of how he came to know Jesus. Before I go to that, I want to say something more about my Dad; he had many talents; he was a very talented songwriter, but he was also a talented writer; he was an artist. He used to put together these inter-corporate commercials, where he would produce the whole thing; he would write the score; he would put together music, photographs, and a monologue, and produce the whole program. He was very good at that. So, like I said, he had many talents. One of his talents was saving lives. I can remember one evening we came back from boating; he used to keep his boat in a little marina there in Sag Harbor, and he would always have me wash down the boat while he would visit with his friends, drink bloody marys, and eat shellfish, which is something I never acquired a taste for. So opposite from where his boat slip was, there was a boat house with the gas pumps, across the inlet for the marina. My Dad was talking with some friends, and I was standing there, and all of a sudden I heard a noise, and I looked, and I saw my Dad throwing off his watch, and running over and jumping in the water. What had happened was there was a couple talking to the marina owner at the gas pumps, who had two little children, and they weren’t paying attention to them, and their children had fallen into the water and they were drowning. My Dad rescued them and saved their lives. Another time we were driving in his MG on the highway, going about 60 mph, and on those old MG’s the doors opened the opposite way that car doors open now-a-days. They opened the other way. So, when you opened the door, it would catch the wind if you were driving. And there was a little chain hanging from the door handle, and I was just sitting there, with no seat belt; I was about 11 years old; we were going 60 mph, and I was playing with that chain; I was holding on to that chain, and the door opened and suddenly I was looking down at the highway. This all happened in a matter of seconds; and my Dad immediately responded and grabbed me and jerked me back into the car. It may not seem like much, but this was all like in 3 seconds; you know, 1,2,3. He saved my life. I was sitting there and my heart was pumping out of my chest; it was amazing. So my Dad saved my life. I’ve heard other stories where he saved people’s lives. He was very aware of his surroundings. He was very astute, very alert about his surroundings. So, again, I’m very thankful for my Dad; he was very talented; he taught me a lot. He was a perfectionist, and he taught me to be a perfectionist. I’ve been doing remodeling now since 1980. I’m retired now, but that’s one thing I’ve always strove to do in my work, is to do excellent work. And, I found out that’s something that God requires of His servants, is excellence; it’s called virtue in the Bible. 

Another thing I want to say about my Dad is that he was a sinner; like all of us, my Dad was a sinner. And, because of his sins, he experienced a lot of trouble in his life. But Jesus came to seek and to save that which was lost. He came to save sinners. Jesus said, I didn’t come to save the righteous, but sinners. He said, I didn’t come to call the righteous to repentance, but sinners. Now I want to talk about how my Dad came to know Jesus. I got saved in 1976 in Estes Park, Colorado. I won’t go into my testimony, but I was saved. My wife and I had a baby boy, and we went on a tour around the Nation to show him off to our family members. We went to see my Dad in Florida and we were in his house; I had just gotten saved; I was a brand new Christian, and I talked to my Dad. I said, “Hey Dad! I’d like to tell you about Jesus”. And he looked at me with kind of a stern look, and he said, “Oh, everybody has to have their crutch”. That was it. I couldn’t talk to my Dad any more about Jesus at that time. He just shut me down. That was probably in around 1977. So, many years later, around 1988, my Dad went to China with his wife, and My Dad told me he was standing on the Great Wall of China, and something hit him in his chest. It wasn’t like a person hit him with a stick or something, he just felt like something hit him in his chest, and when he came home from that trip, he was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s Disease. There is no cure for Lou Gehrig’s Disease, even to this day; I don’t think they have a cure for it; so if you get it, you die. So my Dad was sick and I began to cry out to God. I knew that there was no cure for this disease, and I just began to cry out to God and pray for my Dad’s salvation. I remember being on my knees, weeping,  in my garage alone; just pouring out my heart to God; crying out to God for my Dad to be saved; for God to save my Dad. My Dad at that time was living with his wife, in Greenville, SC, and there were some Christian ladies in the area that came to visit my Dad; I don’t know if they already knew him, but they came to my Dad’s house, and they led him to Jesus, and my Dad received Jesus at that time. And he began to follow Jesus. He began to seek to be healed of his disease. He had some very famous Christians come and pray for him, including Pastor Yonggi Cho from South Korea, and others prayed for him, but he was not healed. He worked with The Happy Hunters doing audio visual work for them; he traveled with them. And he was still able to play piano when my wife and I and children went to see him. We spent Christmas with him in Greenville, and we had some good times with my Dad and his wife. Then later on; that disease is very brutal, he began to get to where he could no longer play piano. Eventually he was hospitalized, and I went to see him in the hospital, and the last time I saw my Dad in the hospital, he was lying in a bed, and he was on a ventilator, so he had tubes going down his throat and he couldn’t talk. Now, remember, as I explained earlier, my Dad was a very talented communicator; so he was lying there in the hospital bed; he couldn’t talk, but he was awake, and he looked at me; I was alone with him in the room; this was the last time I saw my Dad; he looked at me and he made sign language; he pointed to his heart, and then he put both his hands over his heart, and then he pointed to his left palm, and then he pointed to his right palm and extended his arms out, which is the deaf sign for Jesus Christ. So what he was saying was, “I love Jesus”. And then he pointed to himself, and put his hands over his heart, and he pointed to me, and he was saying, “I love you”. I’m telling you it was so powerful! That was the last time my Dad talked to me. And I’m also telling you that my Dad is with Jesus! And some day, in the not-too-distant-future, I’ll have a reunion with my Dad, because of the great love of Jesus; that He loves us so much, that He gave Himself for us, a living sacrifice on the Cross for our sins. He was tempted in every way as we are; every way; He was a man; He was tempted in every way as we are, yet He never sinned. That’s why He’s called the Spotless Lamb of God, and that’s why my Dad is in Heaven.

To conclude: After my Dad had passed away, we went to his funeral in Greenville, SC. We went to the grave site and buried my Dad. On the way to the grave site, the Mayor of Greenville had arranged to have a policeman on every corner, and as we passed by, they would salute. I’m telling you that was a moving experience! I really believe, to this day, that God had him do that to honor my Dad. We buried my Dad, and in the South they have a custom called a wake, where you go back to the house, and you have black-eyed peas; why they have black-eyed peas, I don’t know; there must be a reason. Many people were gathered at the house. Some women were coming up to me and saying how sorry they were for me that I had lost my Dad; at the time I appreciated their concern and their kindness, but that’s not what was in my heart. I was not sad; I was not sad, because I knew my Dad was with Jesus. And guess what! One of the women that had led my Dad to Jesus came up to me, and she shook my hand, very vigorously, with a big smile on her face, and she said, Isn’t it great that Bob’s with Jesus !!!  I was so happy !! I was saying, Yes!! Amen!! Thank you Sister !! It was such a wonderful, closing moment! But it’s not over. I will see my Dad again. He’s with Jesus, and I will ever be thankful that he is saved, and he’s with the Lord. God bless you all.

 Radio Announcement:

I am happy to announce that our weekly program, 15 Minutes With Jesus, is now airing live on radio station WKMM-FM in Kingwood, WV on Sunday mornings at 9:00 am Eastern and 8:00 am central time; also live streaming at that time at www.kcountryradio.com, click Tune In Live. Glory be to God!

 What Does It Mean To Be Holy?

Greetings in the Name of Jesus! This is Rob Haymes. This is 15 Minutes With Jesus. You can follow us on line at roberthaymes.com. Today’s program is called, What Does It Mean To Be Holy? Let’s turn to First Peter. You know, the scripture says, Holiness, without which no man will see the Lord. And also, God said, Be you holy, for I am Holy. So we should consider very seriously what it means, since God requires holiness from us, we need to know what it means to be holy. 1 Pet 1:15-25, but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, Be holy, for I am Holy. 

And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one's work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear; knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God. Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit (This is how we purify ourselves) in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the Word of God which lives and abides forever, because, all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, and it’s flower falls away, but the Word of the Lord endures forever. Now this is the Word which by the gospel was preached to you. Let’s turn to 1 John 1:1-10, That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life—the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us—that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. And these things we write to you that your joy may be full. This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His Word is not in us. Chapter 2, verses 1&2, My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world. The Apostle Paul said, I exercise myself daily to have a conscience void of offense toward God and man. So if there is an offense; if we commit an offense against God, or against a brother, or a sister, if we are walking in the light, the light exposes that, and we deal with it right away; we go to God; we ask His forgiveness; we confess our sins; we don’t keep it quiet; we confess our sin to God; we confess our sin to our brother or sister, and they forgive us, and God forgives us, and He promised that He would cleanse us by the precious Blood; the Blood of His Son Jesus Christ washes us; through faith in His shed Blood, we are washed; we are cleansed of that sin. That is walking in holiness. Do you see that?

Holiness does not make you a self-righteous, holier than thou person. God wants you to be yourself. He just wants to take out of your life those things that are evil; those things that destroy you, and give you things that will bless you and make you a blessing to others, like love, joy, peace, kindness, gentleness, and faithfulness. That does not mean you can’t do anything you enjoy anymore. That’s what some of you think. You think, Oh, if I’m going to be a holy person, I’m just going to be religious, and I can’t do anything I enjoy. No, that’s not right. You can do anything God wants or allows in your life. But the day will come, when you want to have some beer, I’m just making an example here, the day will come when you want to have some beer and He might say, Skip the beer this time. Or you want to watch a football game, and He says, Not this time. I want you to read My Word today, and, instead of rebelling, because of the wonderful work He’s done in your heart, you obey Him with joy and you are blessed, and others are too. Another time, He may have you watch a football game with a friend, and one of the players may give his testimony after the game, and your friend will be blessed. Do you see what I’m saying? That doesn’t mean that some people won’t think you are crazy. Jesus’ own family thought He had lost His mind. But you won’t be crazy; you will be the son or daughter that God created you to be, and they will see God's blessing and power in your life, and He will be glorified. Jesus came to deliver us from evil; from the Devil; from sin; from the things that destroy us, to give us life, because He loves us: righteousness, peace, and joy, and a good reward in that day. You’ll still have fun; you’ll still laugh, and cry, and mourn, and rejoice, but you will be God’s, and no longer your own! You will be His servant, and He will direct your life. He will bless you and make you a blessing!

Some people, however, deceive themselves to continue to walk in the flesh and to justify it, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and mind, and saying, “God told me”, or “The Lord is leading me to do this”, when it is really rebellion and deceit in their hearts.

When you start out with the Lord, you’re walking in the flesh, but as you continue with Him in repentance and faith in the Cross: faith in His sacrifice; what Jesus did for you on the Cross, you will learn to deny yourself every day, take up your cross and follow Him. You will learn to walk in the Spirit; to walk as Jesus walked. If you love Him, you will want to please Him and keep His Words, and He will teach you His Word by His Spirit, and lead you to walk in it, and be led by His Spirit in all things. You will not be content with false grace, but He will teach you true grace and the fear of the Lord, and all the promises He has made to those who fear Him will be yours, if you continue with Him. It will not be easy, as He will be leading you in righteous pathways to try you and purge you and cleanse you and break you so that you may be changed; so that you may become holy! Jesus feared and loved His Father in Heaven, and He obeyed Him, even unto death. You will have the joy of the Lord. The joy of the Lord is far more than happiness and fun. The joy of the Lord is your strength. In your presence, it says in Psalm 16, is fullness of joy. Let’s go there. Ps 16:7-11, I will bless the Lord who has given me counsel; My heart also instructs me in the night seasons. I have set the Lord always before me; Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices; My flesh also will rest in hope. For You will not leave my soul in Sheol, nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption (referring to Jesus). You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore. 

Heb 11:23-26, This is the chapter on faith: the roll-call of faith, as we call it. By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden three months by his parents, because they saw he was a beautiful child; and they were not afraid of the king's command. By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward. If you want to hang on to the pleasures of sin, you won’t make it. 

If you would rather have the cheap, shallow pleasure of sin over the joy of the Lord in His presence and glory, you won’t be with Him, but you will perish forever. Choose you this day whom you will serve. As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. We may have the fellowship of His sufferings now, but we will have pleasures forevermore in His glorious Kingdom, in His presence, serving Him who died for us and loved us and washed us from our sins in His own Blood. Even now, through the Holy Spirit, we have joy and pleasures in His presence. Hallelujah! 

So, what can we do? Let’s turn to Rom 8:1-14, There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God. But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. 

And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. That’s referring to water baptism: once we have received Christ and we are born of the Spirit, we are baptized in water; baptized into His death, burial, and resurrection. We are crucified with Him and raised with Him. We are the servants of sin no more but we serve Him in newness of life. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. (Referring to the First Resurrection of the dead in Christ when He shall return in the clouds of Heaven.) Therefore, brethren, we are debtors—not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. Verse 4, The righteous requirement of the Law is fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. There you have holiness: learning to be led by the Holy Spirit to do the will of God every day, denying yourself, taking up your cross, and following Jesus. How can you follow Jesus? by being led by the Holy Spirit. We must receive the Holy Spirit; be baptized in the Holy Spirit, and then He is going to lead us. He is going to lead us in the Word of God; He’s going to teach us the Word of God; He’s going to lead us in doing it, and as we are led by the Spirit; as we are yielding to the Spirit, we are walking in holiness. Do you see that? He’s not going to lead us to sin. Amen! Thank you Lord. Walk in the Spirit and you will not fulfill the desires of the flesh. Walking in self-righteous religion of man does not work; it does not accomplish the righteousness of God. Jesus drank wine, but He never got drunk. Jesus ate with sinners and conversed with them, but He never sinned. Jesus always did the will of His Father. Jesus walked in love. Love does no ill to his neighbor, therefore love is the fulfilling of the Law. This is the key. If you love God, you’re going to want to keep His Words; you’re going to want to follow Jesus. The righteousness of the Law is fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. The wages of sin: transgression of the Law, is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus. 

John 8:31-36, Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, If you continue in My Word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. They answered Him, We are Abraham's descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can You say, You will be made free? Jesus answered them, Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed. 

 By Your Words

Greetings in the name of Jesus! This is Rob Haymes. This is 15 Minutes With Jesus. Today’s program is called By Your Words. Let’s turn to Mat 12:33-37, Jesus said, Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree corrupt and its fruit corrupt; for a tree is known by its fruit. Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things. But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned. Just let that sink in. Let those Words sink in; just consider those Words that Jesus said. Let’s turn to James 3:1-18, My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment. For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body. Indeed, we put bits in horses' mouths that they may obey us, and we turn their whole body. Look also at ships: although they are so large and are driven by fierce winds, they are turned by a very small rudder wherever the pilot desires. Even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great things. See how great a forest a little fire kindles! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell. For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and creature of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by mankind. But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so. Does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter from the same opening? Can a fig tree, my brethren, bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Thus no spring yields both saltwater and fresh. 

Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. Chapter 4, verses 4-12, Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously? But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.  Therefore submit to God, resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 

Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up. Do not speak evil of one another, brethren. He who speaks evil of a brother and judges his brother, speaks evil of the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. There is one Lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy. Who are you to judge another? 

Here is the answer: All of us have some evil in our hearts. Our hearts have been corrupted by the evil and the lust of this world. The scripture says, The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked. The answer, as James says, is to humble ourselves before God. Don’t run from Him. He is not looking to condemn you. He sent His Son Jesus into the world to save sinners from their sins. Draw near to Him and confess your sins to Him; the wickedness of your heart. Humble yourself before Him and be honest and ask Him to grant you His grace that your heart may be changed, and He will lift you up. He promised that if we will seek after righteousness, we shall be filled. He promised that if we will seek Him and His Kingdom first, He will add to us everything we need. We don’t need to be stressed by the cares of this life. He will give us what we need. He knows what we need. We don’t need anything else. We need righteousness; we need peace, and we need joy. Phil 4:6&7, Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. It is our Father in Heaven’s good pleasure, Jesus said, to give us His Kingdom.

Let’s turn to Eph 5:1-11, Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma. But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints; neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not be partakers with them. For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. Verses 17-21, Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another in the fear of God. Verses 25-27,   Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the Word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. Jesus said, If you continue in My Word, you will be My disciples indeed, and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free. He said, Truly, truly I say to you, whoever commits sin (or practices sin), is a slave of sin. And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed! Jesus came to take away our sins and to purify us to become His spotless bride. But we have to do something: We have to continue in His Word, with the Holy Spirit teaching us; revealing His Word to us; leading us in doing it, and letting His Word wash us and cleanse us, with all humbleness of mind and heart, drawing near to Him; confessing our sins, and believing His sacrifice for us on the Cross; faith in His Blood washing us white as snow.

If your tree is corrupt, and you want to change, if you will do this, God can make it good, and cause you to bring forth good fruit and glorify Him. But you have to have a willing heart. If you are stiff-necked and proud, and will not humble yourself, you won’t find His grace, and you will continue as a corrupt tree. Jesus said, You will not come to Me that you might have life. 

Let’s go to Mat 15:8–20, Jesus said, These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. And in vain do they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men. When He had called the multitude to Himself, He said to them, Hear and understand: Not what goes into the mouth defiles a man; but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man. Then His disciples came and said to Him, Do You know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying? But He answered and said, Every plant which My Heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted. Let them alone. They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch. Then Peter answered and said to Him, Explain this parable to us. So Jesus said, Are you also still without understanding? Do you not yet understand that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and is eliminated? But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. These are the things which defile a man, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man. 

Friend,   Jesus loved you, and gave Himself on the Cross for you to wash you from your sins in His own Blood. He gave His life for you. Will you love Him? Will you give your heart to Him, and let Him walk you in righteous pathways to break it and purify it and change you to be like Him?, that He might bless you in turning you from your iniquities, and that you might bless others, as the Holy Spirit pours out His love through you? As your heart changes, so will your words change. His Word will be in your mouth, and His Spirit will be with you to bless others and do them good. And you will give praise and thanksgiving to the Father for all His goodness to you. You will honor Him, and He will honor you. Out of the abundance of your heart your mouth will speak, and by your words you shall be justified, or by your words you shall be condemned. So guard your heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life. If you will not guard your heart from the evil things of this wicked generation, your heart will be defiled. If you entertain evil, it will move into your heart and begin to come out of your mouth and defile you. 

But if you will repent and turn from the evil and seek the Lord and His Kingdom, continuing in His Word, you will be cleansed more and more, and more and more good will be coming out of your mouth. The Word of God in your heart and in your mouth will bless you and your family and the people in your life, and you will be a blessing. Also, faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. As you continue in the Word of God, faith will come into your heart and out of your mouth, and good things will happen in your life and in the lives of others. God will hear your prayers, and He will answer. 

Remember Jesus said that we will all give account for every idle word that we have spoken on the day of judgment. We need to do something about our words now! Don’t ignore what Jesus said. He spoke the truth. Continue in His Word; let His Word wash you and cleanse you and purge you; let the Holy Spirit teach you His Word and reveal His Word to you, and lead you in doing it, and you will be cleansed more and more. 

Interpretation of a message in tongues:

I am God Almighty. Consider the words of My servant Rob this day that I have given him to speak to you to warn you about your words; about your heart. Turn to Me! Come to Me! Draw near to Me, and I will draw near to you, and you will be changed, as you draw near to Me with all your heart. If you will humble yourself and seek My face, and turn from your wicked ways, then I will hear from Heaven, and I will cleanse you and wash you and purge you and sanctify you, and you will be a blessing; you will inherit a blessing! 

 Jesus Christ Our Anointed Savior

Greetings in the name of Jesus! This is Rob Haymes. This is 15 Minutes With Jesus. Today we’re going to talk about Jesus Christ Our Anointed Savior. Isa 9:6&7, For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this. Let’s turn to Luke 1:26-38, Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary. And having come in, the angel said to her, "Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!" But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. Then the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end." Then Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I do not know a man?" And the angel answered and said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. For with God nothing will be impossible." Then Mary said, "Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her. “Therefore that holy thing which shall be born of you shall be called the Son of God.”  Jesus is the Son of God, and He is holy. It is written in Isa 7:14,  Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel. Mat 1:18-25,  Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins." So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying:  Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel, which is translated, "God with us."   She shall bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He shall save His people from their sins.  The name “Jesus”, or “Joshua”, means, “The Lord is salvation”. The name “Christ” means, “Messiah”, “The anointed one”. Jesus is the Christ; He is our anointed Savior. Let’s turn to Luke 3:21&22,  When all the people were baptized, it came to pass that Jesus also was baptized; and while He prayed, the heaven was opened. And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven which said, "You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased." Chapter 4, verses 1&2, Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, being tempted for forty days by the devil… Verse 14,  Then Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee… When Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist, in the River Jordan, the Holy Spirit came upon Him in a bodily form of a dove. Jesus was filled with the Holy Spirit; He was anointed of the Holy Spirit, and His Father spoke to Him from Heaven, out loud, saying, “You are my beloved Son; in you I am well pleased.” Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit every day to do the will of His Father. He delighted to do His Father’s will because He loves His Father, and His Father loves Him. Not only does the Father love Jesus, but He loves us too, very much. That is why He sent His Son to save us from our sins. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. John 3:14&15, And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. God gave His Son on the Cross of Calvary to die for the sins of the whole world, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. Verses 18-21, He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 

For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God. Jesus said, I am the light of the world; he that follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. 

John 1:1-5, In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. Verse 14, And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. Jesus is the Word of God, and the Father sent Him to become a man; to become His only begotten Son, born of the virgin Mary. The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory: the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. Jesus is full of grace and truth. Eph 2:4-8, But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God. God gave His Son; God so loved the world that He gave His Son, and His Son gave Himself to do His Father’s will and die on that Cross for all our sins; He loved us and washed us from our sins in His own Blood. John the Baptist said of Jesus, Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Jesus became a man. He lived as a man like us, and He was tempted in every way as we are, yet He never sinned. He became the spotless Lamb of God to be offered upon the Cross for all our sins. Everyone who hears of Him; of His loving sacrifice of Himself on the Cross for their sins, and comes to Him in repentance, believing in Him and what He did for them, believing that He died for their sins and rose again from the dead to justify them, shall be saved.  Whosoever shall call upon His name: the name of Jesus Christ, shall be saved. Because He humbled Himself to the death of the Cross, the Father has highly exalted Him, and given Him a name above every name, that, at the name of Jesus, every knee shall bow, in Heaven, on the Earth, and under the Earth, and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Jesus Christ is Lord! Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be delivered. 

Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father but by Me. Jesus is the only way to the Father; to become a son or a daughter of God. He is the way. As many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them who believe on His name, who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God: born of God. If any man be in Christ he is a new creature, old things are passed away, behold, all things are become new. Because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into your hearts crying, “Abba, Father”. 

Jesus is the truth. He is the Word of God. The Word of God is the truth. He said, If you continue in My Word, you shall be My disciples indeed, and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. Jesus spoke the truth; He only said what He heard His Father saying. Jesus said, To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Everyone that is of the truth hears My voice. Jesus said, Father, sanctify them through your Word; your Word is truth. The Word of God is the truth. Jesus is the truth. 

Jesus is the life. John 1:4, In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son Jesus Christ. The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Jesus came to save us from our sins, and to give us eternal life with Himself and His Father in His glorious Kingdom.  He accomplished it all through His death on the Cross and His resurrection from the dead. It is a finished, complete work which Jesus did for us, but we must repent and believe what He has done; we must receive what He has given us and lay hold on eternal life.  We must come to Him, through faith in His sacrifice, and be baptized into His death, burial, and resurrection, being crucified with Him and raised with Him into newness of life. We must become a new creature in Him and receive of His Holy Spirit to walk in newness of life, putting to death the deeds of the flesh; the lusts of our flesh, the pride of this life, and the deceitfulness of riches, to yield to the Holy Spirit, denying ourselves every day, and taking up our cross and following Jesus, as the Holy Spirit will lead us.  We must come to Jesus and ask Him to baptize us in the Holy Spirit, that we may serve the Father, in newness of the Spirit, not in the religion and doctrines and traditions of men, which are vain and empty. It’s all about Jesus. It’s not about us, and our ambitions and desires. Greater love has no man than this: that a man lay down his life for his friends. Jesus loved us, and laid down His life on the Cross to save us from our sins; from eternal torment and damnation. If we will love Him, and lay down our lives for Him and follow Him, doing the will of the Father, yielding to the Holy Spirit every day, walking in His Word: His Word is truth, we will overcome sin, the world and the Devil, as Jesus has overcome it all and is seated at the right hand of the Father in Heaven. Jesus said, He that overcomes will I grant to sit with Me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with My Father in His throne. 

Rev 1:5-8, …Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the Earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own Blood, and made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the Earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen. “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, says the Lord, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty”.

 Ruth

Greetings in the name of Jesus! This is Rob Haymes. This is 15 Minutes With Jesus. Today we’re going to talk about Ruth. Let’s turn to the Book of Ruth, chapter 1, verses 1-22 , Now it came to pass, in the days when the judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehem, Judah, went to dwell in the country of Moab, he and his wife and his two sons. The name of the man was Elimelech, the name of his wife was Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion—Ephrathites of Bethlehem, Judah. And they went to the country of Moab and remained there. Then Elimelech, Naomi's husband, died; and she was left, and her two sons. Now they took wives of the women of Moab: the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth. And they dwelt there about ten years. Then both Mahlon and Chilion also died; so the woman survived her two sons and her husband. Then she arose with her daughters-in-law that she might return from the country of Moab, for she had heard in the country of Moab that the Lord had visited His people by giving them bread. 

Therefore she went out from the place where she was, and her two daughters-in-law with her; and they went on the way to return to the land of Judah. And Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, "Go, return each to her mother's house. The Lord deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead and with me. The Lord grant that you may find rest, each in the house of her husband." So she kissed them, and they lifted up their voices and wept. And they said to her, "Surely we will return with you to your people." 

But Naomi said, "Turn back, my daughters; why will you go with me? Are there still sons in my womb, that they may be your husbands? Turn back, my daughters, go—for I am too old to have a husband. If I should say I have hope, if I should have a husband tonight and should also bear sons, would you wait for them till they were grown? Would you restrain yourselves from having husbands? No, my daughters; for it grieves me very much for your sakes that the hand of the Lord has gone out against me!" Then they lifted up their voices and wept again; and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her. And she said, "Look, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods; return after your sister-in-law." But Ruth said: "Entreat me not to leave you, or to turn back from following after you; For wherever you go, I will go; and wherever you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God, my God. Where you die, I will die, and there will I be buried. The Lord do so to me, and more also, if anything but death parts you and me." When she saw that she was determined to go with her, she stopped speaking to her. Now the two of them went until they came to Bethlehem. And it happened, when they had come to Bethlehem, that all the city was excited because of them; and the women said, "Is this Naomi?" But she said to them, "Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. I went out full, and the Lord has brought me home again empty. Why do you call me Naomi, since the Lord has testified against me, and the Almighty has afflicted me?" So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess her daughter-in-law with her, who returned from the country of Moab. Now they came to Bethlehem at the beginning of barley harvest. 

Ruth 2:1-13 , There was a relative of Naomi's husband, a man of great wealth, of the family of Elimelech. His name was Boaz. So Ruth the Moabitess said to Naomi, "Please let me go to the field, and glean heads of grain after him in whose sight I may find favor." And she said to her, "Go, my daughter." Then she left, and went and gleaned in the field after the reapers. And she happened to come to the part of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the family of Elimelech. Now behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem, and said to the reapers, "The Lord be with you!" And they answered him, "The Lord bless you!" Then Boaz said to his servant who was in charge of the reapers, "Whose young woman is this?" So the servant who was in charge of the reapers answered and said, "It is the young Moabite woman who came back with Naomi from the country of Moab. And she said, 'Please let me glean and gather after the reapers among the sheaves.' So she came and has continued from morning until now, though she rested a little in the house." Then Boaz said to Ruth, "You will listen, my daughter, will you not? Do not go to glean in another field, nor go from here, but stay close by my young women. Let your eyes be on the field which they reap, and go after them. Have I not commanded the young men not to touch you? And when you are thirsty, go to the vessels and drink from what the young men have drawn." So she fell on her face, bowed down to the ground, and said to him, "Why have I found favor in your eyes, that you should take notice of me, since I am a foreigner?" And Boaz answered and said to her, "It has been fully reported to me, all that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband, and how you have left your father and your mother and the land of your birth, and have come to a people whom you did not know before. The Lord repay your work, and a full reward be given you by the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge." Then she said, "Let me find favor in your sight, my lord; for you have comforted me, and have spoken kindly to your maidservant, though I am not like one of your maidservants." 

Chapter 3, verses 1-13, Then Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, "My daughter, shall I not seek security for you, that it may be well with you? Now Boaz, whose young women you were with, is he not our relative? In fact, he is winnowing barley tonight at the threshing floor.  Therefore wash yourself and anoint yourself, put on your best garment and go down to the threshing floor; but do not make yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and drinking. Then it shall be, when he lies down, that you shall notice the place where he lies; and you shall go in, uncover his feet, and lie down; and he will tell you what you should do." And she said to her, "All that you say to me I will do." 

So she went down to the threshing floor and did according to all that her mother-in-law instructed her. And after Boaz had eaten and drunk, and his heart was cheerful, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of grain; and she came softly, uncovered his feet, and lay down. Now it happened at midnight that the man was startled, and turned himself; and there, a woman was lying at his feet. And he said, "Who are you?" So she answered, "I am Ruth, your maidservant. Take your maidservant under your wing, for you are a close relative." Then he said, "Blessed are you of the Lord, my daughter! For you have shown more kindness at the end than at the beginning, in that you did not go after young men, whether poor or rich. And now, my daughter, do not fear. I will do for you all that you request, for all the people of my town know that you are a virtuous woman. Now it is true that I am a close relative; however, there is a relative closer than I. Stay this night, and in the morning it shall be that if he will perform the duty of a close relative for you—good; let him do it. But if he does not want to perform the duty for you, then I will perform the duty for you, as the Lord lives! Lie down until morning." 

Chapter 4, verses 8-17, Therefore the close relative said to Boaz, "Buy it for yourself." So he took off his sandal. And Boaz said to the elders and all the people, "You are witnesses this day that I have bought all that was Elimelech's, and all that was Chilion's and Mahlon's, from the hand of Naomi. Moreover, Ruth the Moabitess, the widow of Mahlon, I have acquired as my wife, to perpetuate the name of the dead through his inheritance, that the name of the dead may not be cut off from among his brethren and from his position at the gate. You are witnesses this day." And all the people who were at the gate, and the elders, said, "We are witnesses. The Lord make the woman who is coming to your house like Rachel and Leah, the two who built the house of Israel; and may you prosper in Ephrathah and be famous in Bethlehem. May your house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah, because of the offspring which the Lord will give you from this young woman." So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife; and when he went in to her, the Lord gave her conception, and she bore a son. Then the women said to Naomi, "Blessed be the Lord, who has not left you this day without a close relative; and may his name be famous in Israel! And may he be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age; for your daughter-in-law, who loves you, who is better to you than seven sons, has borne him." Then Naomi took the child and laid him on her bosom, and became a nurse to him. Also the neighbor women gave him a name, saying, "There is a son born to Naomi." And they called his name Obed. He is the father of Jesse, the father of David. 

Ruth loved her mother-in-law Naomi, and she fully gave herself to her, and to her people Israel, and also to the God of Israel. She whole-heartedly left behind her own people, the people of Moab, and their gods, to join with Naomi and her people and her God. She honored her mother-in-law; she honored the people of Israel, and she honored the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and, though she was a stranger, she became as one of them; she became a Jew and a daughter of the God of Israel. Because she did this; because she humbled herself before God, to forsake all that she had to go with Naomi and love and serve Him and His people, God Himself greatly honored her; she was accepted of the Jewish people and they respected her. God also gave her to Boaz to be his wife; a wealthy and righteous man in Israel. He blessed her, and she also became the great-grandmother of King David. Ruth 2:10-13,  So she fell on her face, bowed down to the ground, and said to him, "Why have I found favor in your eyes, that you should take notice of me, since I am a foreigner?" And Boaz answered and said to her, "It has been fully reported to me, all that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband, and how you have left your father and your mother and the land of your birth, and have come to a people whom you did not know before. The Lord repay your work, and a full reward be given you by the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge." And so did the Lord do: When God gave her to Boaz, He placed her in the lineage of King David, and in the lineage of Jesus Christ, our Savior. And He even gave her a Book after her own name: The Book of Ruth, in the Bible, which has been preserved by Him for thousands of years. Because she humbled herself before the Living God and His people Israel, God highly exalted her.

I want to speak to Christian women; especially young Christian ladies. Consider Ruth; let her be an example unto you; see what God will do in your life if you will humble yourself before Him as she did. He has made it very clear in His Word that He is not a respecter of persons. Whoever will humble themselves before Him, male or female, He will exalt them. And whoever exalts themselves will be abased and brought low by Him. Jesus said, How can you believe who receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that comes from God only. Ladies, don’t seek to exalt yourselves; don’t seek the honor of men and women, but seek the honor that comes from God only. Humble yourself before Him to love Him; to love and honor your husband as unto Him; to love and honor His people Israel, and the servants of Jesus Christ. See what He will do in your life!  God looks on the heart. When God sent the Prophet Samuel to anoint one of Jesse’s sons to be king over His people, as Jesse brought forth his son Eliab before him, Samuel was impressed with his appearance, but God said to Samuel, Do not look at his appearance, or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. As it was, God had chosen David to be king, and He commanded Samuel to anoint him in the presence of his brethren. God knew David’s heart, and He said that he was a man after His own heart. David always loved God and served Him with all his heart. From the day that Samuel anointed him, the Holy Spirit came upon him, and he continued with God, loving Him, honoring Him, and believing Him. The Apostle Paul said, For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision (the covenant of God) that which is outward in the flesh, but he is a Jew who is one inwardly, and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter, whose praise is not from men, but from God. If you will honor God, He will honor you.