The Heavenly Matchmaker

All of us go through seasons of struggles in life and trials of life. All of us.

Some of you might be going through it even right now. That season of struggle. But regardless of your prayer life and regardless of your consecration for the Lord in your commitment to the Lord. Adversity will come to all of us. I really believe that these seasons of life are for purpose and we cannot pray a way God seasons and the seasons of struggles are meant to destroy our pride in ourselves is supposed to destroy our pride in our abilities and achievements and accomplishment. The design for a purpose. They have a purpose. The seasons of struggles are meant to reinforce our dependence on the sufficiency of Almighty God. That's what they're supposed to mean these seasons of struggles are meant to bring us closer to the Lord and I submit to you today that if I am closer to the Lord when I am going through these seasons of struggle is when I'm not. I would be the greatest prayer warrior ever came down the pike when the wind of winter blows on your circumstances. You cling to the Lord. Closer and closer and harder. We might not like the blinding wind in the icy grip of the winter season, but there's always a reason for these temporary inconveniences is always a reason for them. There are some things in life that are meant not to instantly change not to instantly remove, but to be outlived like the tree of the forest. The frost discovering it on the outside but inside silently that sin frost discovering it is refurbishing, refurbishing and strengthening in preparation for the fruitful season when the sun is shining again.

I wanted to hear me right please this is very important. Temporary setbacks are meant to be an opportunity, not for threating but there are an opportunity for a fresh commitment. There are opportunity for freshman you will in your walk with God. If you look at your life.

As I look at my life, eager to discover that there are seasons and all of our lives that are season the seasons of sunshine are seasons of rain.

There are seasons of blessings, but there are seasons of blasting. There are seasons of fruitfulness under our season of dryness. Many times we have gone through these seasons and all of their varieties, but each season is for purpose.

Each season is for a purpose for a purpose and on the Middle East. We have a saying that goes something like this. Patience is a tree whose route is better but its fruit is sweet.

One of the most common mistakes Christians might wanted to listen to me very carefully please. This is important. One of the most common mistakes that most Christians make is that they make a permanent decision in a time of a temporary circumstance, decision based on temporary situation, but that's not the mistake that they only made thank God for that woman. Thank God that in his sovereign grace. He kept those words for us to start in the Scripture for nearly 3000 years so we can be blessed of them today because not only took the only cure for comfort without God. May only follow the cure.

The only cure to get over the consequences of shortcuts we saw Abimelech and his wife Naomi and his two sons grow from Bethlehem.

The house of bread into the land of the Philistines. They left their supposedly temporarily, but they left without seeking solution among God's people are God's land. They went out into a foreign land and they got comfortable there away from God and a temporary away from God led them to 10 years away from God not only puts her hope and her trust in the God of the fathers. She knew that the God of the way life is going to be the God of the sunshine that is to come. She knew that the God of the frost and the pain and agony that you went through is going to give way to the warmth of his deliverance.

She believed that the God who allowed her and her family to suffer the consequences of their shortcut is the God of a second chance in the second opportunity, the God of forgiveness, the God of restoration. I will summarize chapter to answer some of your single women you skip chapter 2 going into Chapter 3. To summarize Chapter 2 for you when they got back to Bethlehem the only cure of turning back going home again. Ruth decided being the younger woman that she is going to go. She is the widowed daughter-in-law of Naomi that she is going to God and get a job and she ended up with a minimum wage job, but in the middle of her minimum wage job all of a sudden miraculous and supernatural. Eventually the boss invites her to the executive suite to have lunch with just by accident. God was working at all left and that's a summary of chapter 2 now I come to chapter 3 because here you go to see the incredible divine appointment. How God is working an appointment with destiny. Please listen carefully to what I'm going to tell you, God does everything he does in our lives by appointment. He does everything by appointment, God will bring to pass all the promises that he made to you because he works by appointment. God is never one second later.

One second early. Why, because he always work by appointment and don't you ever forget that an appointment is a meeting already set up that's already set up that you may not know about it regardless and even when the terrible wind blowing in your face God has already prepared a way of escape, the day you said yes to Jesus Christ. You have made an appointment with destiny and God always keeps his appointments.

When Naomi went through this indescribable pain when she's through this indescribable loss this indescribable grief when she was going through that time was working out an appointment with destiny for her and for her Royal daughter-in-law Ruth when Naomi was going through the frosty winter God was preparing her for the warmth of his sunshine. Listen to me very carefully.

Your blessings might not come to you the way you thought it would. Your blessings might not come to you through the person you thought it would. But when God is in charge in your life to me right when God is in charge in your life.

Rest assured that he is going to keep his appointment.

Nyman belongs here God always synchronizes his answer to accomplish his purpose. He always synchronizes his answer to accomplish his purpose. I was coming back from Kansas City and I had forgotten not to fly on Fridays, but that can help with appointment God to keep him in us coming back Friday afternoon and coming to Atlanta Friday after mothers of your travel. You know we command on schedule so their control must've instructed the pilot to wait in there for the first time it struck with all the travels of the first times when a strange place to wait in the ear of them that spiritually, to believe in the here but you see the controller has to synchronize the scheduling of the landing, so the captain announced to us, and he said well you know we going us to upholding parking. I don't like that word until further instruction. Now some of you are now being instructed to be in a holding pattern until further instruction and you don't like it anymore than I but God is synchronizing and working things out for you, as what is doing in here and Ruth chapter 3, you see God synchronizing this plan to work out to change Naomi's and Ruth despair to hold to change their shattered dreams with a kinsman redeemer to replace all the years I've eaten by the locusts to a great use of blessings to give them one of the greatest blessings recorded in the Old Testament, a kinsman redeemer and all.

What a kinsman redeemer God has prepared for them. Best kind you would want them telling someone they love the best of matchmakers from the pull this one off. God is the best matchmaker that you will ever know if and when you trust him with all of your heart, he's gonna match you with blessings is going to match you with people is gonna match you with opportunities is going to match you with healings is gonna match you with joy and peace. Unspeakable because he is the best matchmaker in the world. They remember the song in the movie fiddler on the roof that missing it.

Just kidding, matchmaker, matchmaker, make me a match. Find me a fine catch me catch make me a perfect match is what I God's is in the business of making perfect matches. What a great God we worship. Put a great God we serve. He is a heavenly matchmaker you know when Naomi discovered the man who had showed kindness to Ruth her widowed daughter-in-law was a kinsman redeemer and he also happened to be one of the richest men in Bethlehem. She knew that this was a match made in heaven.

She could in the fall of Babylon because it was a match made in heaven.

I am convinced that beyond marrying Bowers for his money and Naomi knew that dollars character is to be trusted implicitly look at versus two, four and 18 of chapter 3 the book of Ruth, Naomi, who lived through the pain of shortcuts knew that these two Bowers and Ruth are real match. Naomi, who have learned from the pain of failure and compromise knew that Ruth and Bauer as share a common moral excellence that they share a common loyalty that they share a character of sterling quality and they truly deserve each other to me Naomi proved the saving that no man is actually successful until his mother-in-law admits it only they say that the man decides to marry. It might be the very last decision here will ever be allowed to make but I heard this volatile sometime ago about two political candidates in Arkansas and on the government try to guess who they are with these political candidates for political office were having a public debate was a heated debate in one of the candidates says said they said what about the powerful interests that control you and the other candidate screamed back and said you leave my wife out of this. You figure that you know you must remember that for Naomi to try to broker this marriage between Bowers and her widowed daughter-in-law Ruth is perfectly normal in that culture in that day perfectly normal.

This is how marriage is always well arranged and you must understand that back then parents got together and they talked about their children. They match their children in that culture.

There were no dates in the disco. There were no passionate moments in the movies. None of that stuff. There were no opportunities to hold hands in the moonlight living.

Back then when you got understand that in the context of that culture, or in the part of the woman.

She did not have to impress him with her measurements finger. She did not have to impress him with her Max factor beauty, but with the beauty of holiness. See the Bible never insults a woman by writing her on a number card that many men will talk about women like to talk about race horses were she's a 10 less degrading was unconcerned but mother Naomi knew that these two had something far more in common than the superficial things by which we judge the but more than that.

She also knew that God is at work. The moment of truth came back and told mother Naomi that she met this man and she knew it was a kinsman redeemer invited me to the executive office executive dining room and lab lunch with him. God is doing it. God is at work. Bowers and Ruth excelled in character excelled in integrity.

They excelled in honesty.

They excelled in loyalty how we desperately need these qualities today with something else very important have to tell you about Ruth's approach to Bowers that you must understand in the context of the history and culture versus 3 to 13 of Ruth chapter 3, you must understand this because there are preachers in these liberal churches who take this out of context and interpreted from a modern-day promiscuous kind of society, understanding, and say the truth was approaching Bowers for sexual favors far from the truth. Far from the sea. The morality and the character of these two are absolutely unquestionable. Not only that but the all man in that time hesitated from proposing to Ruth, the younger woman simply because a man of his stature at that time will be turned down by Ruth and therefore he did not want to put her in that all plays of rejecting which you cannot do it. Got understand this from a cultural and historical point of view, and that is why in verse 10, you see it clearly. Bowers was given with all the signals but he cannot propose to her because of that culture of the day. So when Ruth said okay. It's all right to propose to me. Look at verse 10 of chapter 3 is what Bowers said. May you be blessed by the Lord, my daughter, you have made this last kind is greater than the first and that you have not gone after young man was a poor or rich amount of the structure could never have been turned down by Ruth. Had he approached her first and that is why he was excited. As soon as Ruth.

It's okay to propose marriage to me your kinsman redeemer. There are some of these modern liberal interpreters and liberal commenters are influenced by the sleazy tabloid mindset of our time when they interpret the Scripture. When you interpret the Scripture, you must be truthful to its cultural and historical setting not interpreted by the modern Hollywood promiscuous standard. In fact, Ruth followed Naomi's plant in a complete trust in the God of Naomi. Remember I said in the last message that Ruth came to trust in the God of my own, which is all about you as a Gentile coming to the Jewish family linking to mother-in-law and would not leave because of Naomi's testimony here.

Actually, women are very subtle and I heard about this lady who went on a cruise and then she kept gazing at the man on the cruise and we go sit in the dining room. She said in a place where she can just look at him and gazing goes on the bridge and season.

She just looks at after two free days. The man just did know was going on so I went over thoroughness and momentum do I know you from somewhere.

She said oh no, not at all is just that you remind me so much of my third husband.

He said were less nice, but how many husbands have you she said to settle the truth is doing. Absolute cell. In fact, Maxie Hahnemann tells a story to story as an elderly man who was spending quite a bit of time with another elderly woman in the neither of them ever been married before and both of them living alone and gradually the old man was hard. Attending a little bit and he recognize the attachment that he was Cheyenne. Keisha did not know was lacking in something like most men do. Finally he worked hard and picking up curricula getting over his anxiety over his fear and finally went to her house and knocked on the door and he said the he brought it out before he can really loses nerves I said let's get married and the lady was so surprised and she, threw her hands up in the here and she is wonderful idea and would have us subtlety.

I'm sure that by now some of you say what is a kinsman redeemer. Some of you know what that means but others are asking the question was a kinsman redeemer with a kinsman redeemer and I'm so glad I can read your mind and here you asked that question because I want answered in the Old Testament and the book of Deuteronomy chapter 25. It tells the people of God in the Old Testament that when a man dies his brother takes his wife as his own wife why in order to save her from public humiliation and raises an offspring for his brother, and I often wondered when I was young, still have three older brothers getting married. I had to tell you this productive visit anyway.

And I said I'm so glad I don't live in the Old Testament because before these boys get married I want have a say in this because many of them keel around and end up with this woman who have a say in whom my brother married I want all that happened in the Old Testament. Thank God were in the New Testament, but furthermore, in the book of Leviticus chapter 25 again.

25 Deuteronomy and Leviticus. I can remember them. It tells us that the nearest of kin. The nearest ticket in the family is to redeem the lost not only land but individuals explain it a member of the family decides to sell himself into slavery simply because you run out of money under needed money. What happens the nearest of kin comes in and redeem him. He makes that payment to the master who brought him into slavery and freeze him. That is the task of that kinsman redeemer and that's why the kinsman redeemer is like a trustee's auto post bail and get you out, and this law of God was made there in order to make a provision to remind the people of God that they have a collective responsibility to one another. Why because the people of God and the relationship with each other.

God is saying it flows out of the covenant relationship that you have with Yahweh. The law was intended to remind everybody that they did not own anything it intended to remind him that everything they have belongs to Yahweh and the only managers. The only stewards of what God has given. I want to tell you if you ever think what you have is yours. Your problem this is to remind them and to remind us that all of our possessions belong to him and there were given to us, not for selfish use but to help others, especially those nearest and dear that's what they wanted. Yahweh redeemed his people out of Egypt. Why so that all of those who belong to you should be able to redeem each other should be able to serve each other should be able to help deliver each other, you know, one of the greatest characteristics of our God that I can say this without breaking down, as if he is our Redeemer, God he is our Redeemer.

He redeemed me from the penalty of sin which is eternal hell here's redeemed me from Satan's oppression appears Redeemer from the mastery of sin is Redeemer from the slavery of sin and all the price that he paid for that for the pureblood of his only begotten son see it is not by accident is not by accident that God working all these things so that Bowers and Ruth will have a son who named Albrecht Norbert had a son whose name is Jesse, and Jesse had a son name is David. It is not by accident that Bowers and Ruth had the grandfather of King David is not by accident that the kinsman redeemer is related to the Lord Jesus Christ to all the love kinsman redeemer. It is not by accident, while so far so good. There's a sticky wicket here in verses 12 and 13 is sort of an unexpected complication you look at verses 12 and 13.

Bowers is a man of honor is a man of integrity and while he was flattered but ruthless proposal and you want to be married as much as anything but he said with got to do that the right way. He said there is another kinsman redeemer who still alive, who is closer to Naomi's family than I and will go over and he would redeem you.

That would be fine will be my loss. But if he doesn't, I would redeem Bowers solve the problem honorably. Honestly, legally, and you know what, above all else, with grace with grace received grace is a characteristic of a kinsman redeemer.

Grace was a characteristic of this man, Bowers.

Grace is a characteristic of our kinsman redeemer the Lord Jesus Christ was grace that motivated him to redeem us to God on the cross of Calvary was grace that overruled the consequences of your shortcuts and my shortcuts was grace that made provision for all of our needs is grace that is so rich in resources that blesses us every single day. Bowers may have been a fine kinsman redeemer, but he is nothing in comparison to our kinsman redeemer, our kinsman redeemer brings forgiveness. Our kinsman redeemer calls us children after we've been in enmity with him. Our kinsman redeemer enters with us into the seasons of pain and suffering are kinsman redeemer provides for all of our needs are kinsman redeemer walks with us in the very fiery furnace of life are kinsman redeemer never leaves us nor forsake us about kinsman redeemer holds us secure in the hollows of his hands are kinsman redeemer act as a fortress as a tower of strength for us are kinsman redeemer never slumber nor sleep about kinsman redeemer rides the clouds for your help are kinsman redeemer, everlasting arms underneath us. As our shield is our defendant is our protector is our provider is our stronghold. That's a kinsman redeemer. The something very important about kinsman redeemer is ultimately going to do getting ready to shout his going to welcome us that the wedding feast of the Lamb is going to be on the other side to welcome us when the bride of Christ meets them on their and the bridegroom will present us with the wrinkle and without a spot to his daddy. Those are the men and women in the boys and girls room.

I have died those other ones will surrender to my lordship. They're the ones who've accepted me as a kinsman, redeem new present us in heaven, but not everybody's going to make it to heaven. Only those who have accepted such redemption on the cross of Calvary that payment that was paid on your behalf. Only those will make it to the wedding supper of the Lamb of somebody here today who says I believe is a Redeemer is not my Redeemer today.

Today, he can be your kinsman redeemer.

He's welcoming you with open arms in the presence of a holy God, whose eyes can see all things not only sees your past, but knows your thoughts before you think them the great and mighty creator, redeemer God is here in the person of his Holy Spirit and he spoken to your heart today.

Harden not your heart. If he has not become your kinsman redeemer say today I want him to be my Redeemer to set me free from sin, to set me free from addiction to set me free from the consequences of sin and put me on my way to heaven. Father God, you are a mighty and a great God, you have prepared them for this message in this message for them and for all of us are precious heavenly father, who have taken your redemption for granted, who have grown accustomed to blessings, and with taken them for granted.

Those of us old God who think that is all because of our cleverness and hard work remind us who's in charge who owns it all remind us of our managerial ship.

Father God, I pray that the lives that stood to receive you as Redeemer changed in the name of Jesus. Right now. Father God that they will come to us in seek to walk with you and be decided for. We pray that in Jesus name, amen. Thanks for listening to this message from Dr. Michael.

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