"Wash thyself therefore, and anoint thee, and put thy raiment upon thee, and get thee down to the floor: but make not thyself known unto the man, until he shall have done eating and drinking." - Ruth 3:3

PONDER THIS

Christianity is not a code, it is not a cause, it is not a creed, it is not conduct, it is not church; it’s Christ. The mark of a Christian is a love for the Lord Jesus Christ. And the true desire of every child of God is to know Jesus Christ intimately. We want more than redemption; we want a relationship. We want more than the gifts; we want the Giver. We want Jesus Christ to be real to us.

You can know about somebody without knowing somebody. I want to know Jesus, not merely know about Him, don’t you? I want Jesus to be more real to me than any person I see face to face. The Apostle Paul said in Philippians 3:10, “That I may know Him.” In today’s passage, Naomi instructed Ruth on how to know Boaz, and Ruth followed her direction. God has told us how to know His Son, Jesus, through His Word. Will we follow?

= How would you describe what it means to know Jesus? What do you base this on?
- How might you seek to know Jesus more today?

PRACTICE THIS

Commit today to read God’s Word faithfully so that you may know Him better. APR
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I did not write this, it comes from a devotional that is offered as a free email daily by Love Worth Finding.

https://www.lwf.org/daily-devotionals/do-you-know-jesus-or-just-know-about-him

“And I intreat thee also, true yokefellow, help those women which laboured with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and with other my fellowlabourers, whose names are in the book of life.” - Philippians 4:3

Although the word “yokefellow” is out of use today, the meaning is easily understood. Most of us know a yoke is a device that connects two animals together to increase the power for the work that needs to be done.

Jesus said, “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light” (Matthew 11:29-30). From a spiritual perspective, we labor together with the Lord Jesus. Among ourselves, we labor in the gospel. It is worth noting that God sees the marriage bond as “joined together” (same term) with a yoke (Matthew 19:6).

Interestingly, as Paul speaks highly of the women who labored with him, he uses two very different concepts to recognize their contribution. First, he describes them as sunathleo, or those who are “engaged in the contest” with him, like “a man also [strives] for masteries” (II Timothy 2:5). Then, Paul uses sunergos to describe those who have accomplished meaningful work alongside him. Titus is described as Paul’s “partner and fellowhelper” (II Corinthians 8:23). These women had evidently earned Paul’s respect for their commitment to the kingdom work.

Although the picture drawn by these synonyms rests on the work aspect, surely there is the assumption that those who are yoked together anticipate a common goal. Jesus, with “the joy that was set before him endured the [work of the] cross” (Hebrews 12:2). And we labor in the kingdom since our “names are in the book of life.” HMM III
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I did not write this, it comes from a devotional that is offered as a free email daily by the Institute of Creation.

https://www.icr.org/article/16027/

After 26 years in ireland ive finally been called a "protestant cunt" , twice actually, around Sligo/ Dromahair area. Not once in all those years did anyone ever stoop so low, why would this be in any way reasonable in 2026 ?

A post where people can post topics they wish for others to pray about, and where people can come and find topics and users to pray for.

"And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi, Let me now go to the field, and glean ears of corn after him in whose sight I shall find grace. And she said unto her, Go, my daughter." - Ruth 2:2

PONDER THIS

Ruth and Naomi were penniless, and by this time Naomi, who had turned to bitterness, couldn’t go into the fields. She was too old for that. So, Ruth said, “Well, I’m going into the fields. Maybe I can find some grace here.”

But I want you to see the hand of God in all of this. Number one, when did they get back to the land? Just in time for the barley harvest. This was not by accident. Then she went into the fields to glean, and whose field did she go into? There were no signs there that said this field belongs to this family or that family, no fences of demarcation. She simply went into a field, and it was the field of Boaz, her near kinsman. You can see the hidden hand of God.

Then when she’s there in the field of Boaz, who happens to come to the field at just that moment? Boaz himself. Boaz sees Ruth out there, and he says, “Who is that?” Ruth had gone through so much. She was broken and bankrupt, she was bruised and beaten, she was cursed and crushed. Did God do all of that out of cruelety? No, as you see the bigger picture, you see that God had a sovereign plan in it all.

- When was a time God used difficult circumstances in your life for greater good?
- How does this change your perspective on difficult situations as you look toward the future?

PRACTICE THIS

Journal about a time God used hard circumstances in your life for good. APR
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I did not write this, it comes from a devotional that is offered as a free email daily by Love Worth Finding.

https://www.lwf.org/daily-devotionals/god-is-guiding-you-right-now

If Christians believe God is all-knowing, all-powerful, and controls everything, wouldn't Calvin's double predestination be the most logical and universal theology. Free will seems to make it seem as though God is not in full control. It would only make sense that God created some to be the elect and others for perdition.

The thorn in this is of course Adam and Eve's free will that caused us all to have original sin, but even then, didn't God know they'd do that? Adam and Eve aside, if we just look at our own existence and our "free" will, how can we rectify this will an all knowing all powerful being? This can really be extrapolated out to any Protestant, Catholic, or Eastern Orthodox.

Yes there is the complicated middle-way speak about God knows all the different ways someone could act but he doesn't force them, but I mean come on, He is the one who created the game, He knows the outcome.

The baptist-evangelicals put a heavy emphasis on Jesus paid it all, and a vehement non-works theology, but in reality they require alter calls, accepting Jesus as their Lord and Savior, they know the date when this happened, all of this is very much a "doing" things salvation, whether its a once saved or not. Furthermore, when they backslide, they get re-baptized, re-alter call, so whether they like it or not, there is a lot of effort being put forth by the human. This is contrary to the Calvinistic theology that humans can't do anything to gain salvation or lose it. It is interesting that baptists-evangelicals seem to try and tie the two ideas together, the idea that they can't earn salvation, but they must actively accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior, and some even look down upon those that don't do this. Then when they baptize a 7 year old and the child sins, they are not worried because Jesus paid it all. (This is not meant to bash Baptists, but simply showing the major dichotomy of the two).

How do non-Calvinism Protestants defend the idea of free will, but also defend the idea of a God who knows and controls everything?

And for the Reformed, how can you defend a loving God who creates some people to be damned? I could certainly see if one reads scripture as God loves all (but what scripture meant was all the ELECT).

I am a Protestant but come from a family of Roman Catholics. I love my aunt but sometimes I love to mess with her and get her to say some catholic talking point, where i then proceed to troll. Recently, she said something and i started going off on how the Eastern Orthodox church is the true church and how Rome was excommunicated and how Rome had the filioque and wanted to add to the creed and how the council was rejected by the eastern orthodox church (basically the schism).

It was hilarious using her own arguments against her like “the church fathers all agreed on this for 1000 years and now rome wanted to change it with the filoque?” Or “the church DID start from Peter, the eastern orthodox church”. Just wanted to share with everyone

I am interested in the Moravian Church. From what I read it seems to be the Church that actually pre-dated the reformation by 70 years, and where Wesley got a lot of his theology for Methodistism. It seems fairly loose doctrinally, however. I am drawn to the tradition of the worship and lifestyle, but I was curious if anyone could speak to beliefs on scripture, salvation, female pastors, LQBTQ.

I was also looking at an Orthodox Presbyterian Church, and while I struggle with Calvin's double-predestination and an all-loving God, which without trying to wriggle one's way out of it contradicts an all-loving God, because He created some to be the elect and some for perdition. However, if we believe in an all-knowing, all-powerful God, wouldn't that mean He knows who is saved and who isn't and He is the one who decided this, and He dictates everything that happens in the universe.

Thus, sometimes the only Christian concept that makes sense is double-predestination. However, fire and brimstone sermons like Johnathan Edwards don't make sense because why are you trying to scare people into a decision they have no choice in anyway?

To digress, are there any Moravians or Moravian-adjacents on this sub that could give some insight, and possibly any Orthodox or more doctrinally and worshiping presbyterians that are more traditional that could weigh-in. Thank you for your help.

“For we are strangers before thee, and sojourners, as were all our fathers: our days on the earth are as a shadow, and there is none abiding.” - I Chronicles 29:15

All of God’s people, whether ancient Israelites or modern Christians, need to recognize that we are mere “strangers and pilgrims on the earth” (Hebrews 11:13). This world is not our home, as the old gospel song puts it, and we must not let our roots get down too deep in this materialistic world.

The words of our text are in David’s last recorded prayer before his death. He was a great king and very wealthy in material things, but he still recognized that his real home was not in the earthly Jerusalem but in heaven.

So should we. The apostle Paul wrote, “For our conversation [the Greek word here literally means ‘citizenship’] is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Philippians 3:20). We are merely serving in this world as “ambassadors for Christ,” and our business here, representing the court of heaven, is to urge men, “in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God” (II Corinthians 5:20).

Why should we spend time and money beautifying a home on Earth when Christ has gone to prepare a mansion for us in heaven (John 14:2)? Remember Abraham, who by faith “sojourned . . . in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles” (Hebrews 11:9). “But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city” (Hebrews 11:16).

Also remember Paul, who had “no certain dwellingplace” (I Corinthians 4:11), not to mention the Lord Jesus Himself, who had “not where to lay his head” (Matthew 8:20). We do well, therefore, to “pass the time of [our] sojourning here in fear” (I Peter 1:17)—that is, reverential fear of God (never fear of man)—as good citizens of our heavenly country. HMM
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I did not write this, it comes from a devotional that is offered as a free email daily by the Institute of Creation.

https://www.icr.org/article/16026/

I am a Christian, and i personally don’t believe of what church do when it comes to speaking in tongues. Those words that they are saying, such as “Sharahiya Babarahanda” and so on. Am i the only one? I just respect what they do and say about that because that is their belief. I also asked one of my leader inside the church, and that man studied Bible. Like really studied it, he also enrolled himself on a Bible course. He also don’t believe in that and just respect what they believe, because in the end, it’s what belief in Jesus and obeying His words that matters.

But what do you think about that?

When I was little (around 4-5) there was this channel called JoyTV (Christian channel similar to CBN & TBN & even sometimes re-aired their content although some was original Canadian stuff & it had a host (who i sadly don't remember if they were man or woman) had claimed that the book of Isaiah foreshadowed the canon of scripture by being 66 chapters foreshadowed the 66 books of scripture. Genuinely I have been unable to find info on it & after searching for over 5 years now but alas I don't know if the program invented the claim or if it originates elsewhere & they were just repeating it. Thanks in advance & God Bless

I was baptized Orthodox as a kid. Went to church sometimes, not regularly, but I did go.

As a teenager, I stopped believing. I even took off my cross necklace (which is a big deal for Orthodox). But honestly? Deep down I always felt like God exists. I just couldn't connect with the whole system.

I never really read the Bible. I don't know much about church history either. I was just raised to believe that I should believe, you know? Like it was expected of me.

Recently I went to an Orthodox service again. And honestly? It disappointed me a lot. The prayers and bowing to icons of everyone except Jesus — Mary, saints, all of them — it just felt off. And calling these people "saints" with so much honor? I don't get it.

Also, I feel like a lot of people go to church not because they genuinely love God, but because they want to "pay off" their sins. Like it's some kind of transaction. I still remember one woman working at the church — she was so rude and aggressive. I was thinking, "Aren't you ashamed? You're in a church, for God's sake." It just felt so fake.

Then I started looking into Orthodoxy and Catholicism more deeply. And there are things I really can't accept:

· the hierarchy — too much power given to a few people
· papal infallibility in Catholicism — one guy speaking without error? That's a lot of authority for a human
· tradition being treated as equally authoritative as Scripture — shouldn't the Bible be the final word?

At this point, I know I can't go back to Orthodoxy. Catholicism? I'm not sure — I haven't fully closed that door, but I have a lot of questions about it too.

I've been reading about Lutheranism, and honestly? It caught my attention.

· Sola Scriptura — Scripture alone as the final authority
· Sola Fide — saved by faith alone, not works
· liturgical but still Protestant
· no pope, no crazy hierarchy, but still has structure

That said, I'm not locked in on Lutheranism. I'm open to other Protestant traditions too — Reformed, Anglican, Baptist, non-denom, Methodist, whatever. I'm just trying to find where I belong.

I'm still doubting everything — sometimes I even wonder if I'm agnostic or atheist. But I'm searching.

For those who left Orthodoxy or Catholicism for any Protestant tradition:

· What denomination did you choose and why?
· What made you pick that over Lutheranism or other options?
· What was the hardest thing to adjust to?
· Any regrets?
· Any book recommendations for someone just starting to explore?

Also curious — did any of you go through a phase of doubting God altogether before finding your way?

Thanks for reading. I'm just trying to figure things out.

"And Naomi had a kinsman of her husband’s, a mighty man of wealth, of the family of Elimelech; and his name was Boaz." - Ruth 2:1

PONDER THIS

Consider how Boaz was a picture of Christ. Number one: he was from Bethlehem, as was the Lord Jesus. Number two: he was a near kinsman to Ruth, as Jesus is a near kinsman to us. He acted as a near kinsman to redeem us. That’s why Jesus stepped out of the ivory palaces and came into this world of woe and was born of a virgin’s womb. He took flesh and blood to be made like His brethren. Further, to redeem, you had to be wealthy enough. You had to have no obligations against you, you could not be bankrupt yourself. Boaz was a wealthy man, and all the riches of Heaven reside in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Not only did you have to be a near kinsman, and not only did you have to be wealthy enough to redeem, but you had to be willing to redeem. And the Lord Jesus, thank God, was willing to redeem, just as Boaz was willing to redeem. Boaz came to the fields where Ruth was, just as Jesus came to where I am. Boaz redeemed Ruth, but he also pointed to Jesus who is the Redeemer for the whole world.

- How does it help you grow in worship of Jesus to see examples like Boaz that pointed to His coming?
- How are we called to move toward others as Boaz moved toward Ruth and Jesus moved toward us?

PRACTICE THIS

Go to someone today who you know needs to hear the Good News of redemption. APR
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I did not write this, it comes from a devotional that is offered as a free email daily by Love Worth Finding.

https://www.lwf.org/daily-devotionals/

“Yea, and if I be offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy, and rejoice with you all.” - Philippians 2:17

Paul saw himself as “poured out” as an offering (Greek spendo) on the “sacrifice and service” of these precious friends. This special word is used only one other time, when Paul was “ready to be offered” at his death (II Timothy 4:6).

Paul’s ministry among the Philippians resulted in the godly lifestyle of the church. They became sacrifices (Greek thusia) much like the Lord Jesus “hath given himself for us” (Ephesians 5:2). We also are told to “present [our] bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is [our] reasonable service” (Romans 12:1).

The service that is commended of the Philippians is a public service undertaken at one’s own expense (Greek leitourgia). Several men in the church at Antioch were noted for their ministry (Acts 13:2 uses the same word), and some in Macedonia and Achaia were also acknowledged for giving contributions to the saints at Jerusalem (Romans 15:26-27).

Paul’s joy and rejoicing at the godly activity of the faithful saints at Philippi are the key to understanding the tone of the entire book. He had “poured out” himself, even being “shamefully entreated” during his ministry there (I Thessalonians 2:2). Yet while writing this poignant letter back to the church, he gives joyful greetings to them at the certain knowledge that his ministry among them resulted in their sacrifice and service.

Would God that all of us could see our offerings for the sake of others with the same passionate expectation. Often our Lord calls on us to give of ourselves in selfless ways so that others may learn from our example. Sometimes, we must even pour out our own souls for the sake of the gospel (I Thessalonians 2:8). HMM III
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I did not write this, it comes from a devotional that is offered as a free email daily by the Institute of Creation.

https://www.icr.org/article/16025/

For those who don't know, Dr Michael Heiser was a biblical scholar who specialized in the Old Testament and the Ancient Near Eastern worldview, which he believed is essential for understanding the context of the Bible.

He considered himself a conservative evangelical, but wasn't beholdened to any particular tradition and jusy wanted the text to speak for itself rather than using one's tradition, confessions or biases to read their own views into the text.

He seems to have a mixed reception. Most accept that he is scholarly and that his views have backing in academic circles, but some of his ideas would seem strange and foreign to the average lay Christian who only hears what's taught in Sunday School.

I think, from a Protestant perspective at least, the areas where he ruffles feathers the most are his views on the Divine Council and salvation.

He argues that there are actuslly multiple "lowercase G" gods and they are real. However, this does not contradict monotheism, since unlike YHWH, they are not eternal nor equal to him. They were created by him. What he calls gods are what most of us would think of as "angels" which he says isn't a very good term. These gods were appointed to oversee humanity and creation, but some fell through rebellion by leading people into idolatry, and became the figures we think of as Baal, for example.

As for salvation, he still affirms a person is saved by faith alone and not by merit. Where he differs from the traditional Protestant view is that he understands faith as loyalty to God rather than mere intellectual affirmation of doctrine. Loyalty implies an active obedience to God and his commands rather than a passive acceptance of truth. He also doesn't have a forensic view of justifixation (or at least downplays it.) I don't think he rejects penal substitutionary atonement, but he nuances it and sees the different atonement theories as a mosaic rather than competing viewpoints.

What are your thoughts on Heiser?

I’ve noticed that many younger Christians genuinely want to read Scripture more regularly, but struggle to turn that intention into a consistent daily habit. With so many distractions competing for our attention, opening the Bible can sometimes feel like a bigger step than it should.

That made me think about how Scripture could become a more natural part of someone’s everyday routine. So I created Aglow, a Bible-reading and faith-journaling app for iOS and Android.

Each day, the app presents a Bible verse, a short reflection and a place to write your own thoughts. It also includes widgets, reading streaks, different themes and fonts. On iOS, there is an optional Scripture Gate feature that pauses selected distracting apps until you read the daily verse.

Aglow is intended for Christians broadly rather than for one particular denomination. I’d especially appreciate honest feedback from Protestants about the Scripture translations, reflections and overall approach.

I’m very open to suggestions about what you think is missing from the app, what you like and what you believe could be improved. Honest criticism is genuinely welcome—it would help me decide what to work on next.

I’ve included a short video below so you can see what the app looks like and how it works.

If anyone would like the premium version, I’m giving it away for free to members of this community. Just comment which platform you use—iOS or Android—and I’ll send you lifetime access. If you would also like lifetime codes for friends or family members, simply mention that as well.

There is no requirement to leave a review, upvote the post or provide positive feedback.

iOS: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/aglow-daily-bible-verse/id6792268276
Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.vorever.aglow.app

I’d love to hear whether you think something like this could genuinely help people develop a more consistent relationship with Scripture.

https://reddit.com/link/1w7x5gb/video/x08rmgy3honh1/player

"And they lifted up their voice, and wept again: and Orpah kissed her mother in law; but Ruth clave unto her."- Ruth 1:14

PONDER THIS

When Ruth made the decision to stay with Naomi, not only was her life changed, but my life was changed. Did you know that Ruth, this pagan girl, became an ancestor of the Lord Jesus Christ? She married into the royal line and, according to the flesh, she became a part of the house of David. Before this decision, she had so much against her. She had a cursed life. The Bible teaches that there was a curse upon her. Deuteronomy 23:3 says, “An Ammonite or Moabite shall not enter the assembly of the Lord; even to the tenth generation none of his descendants shall enter the assembly of the Lord forever.” The Law said, “Keep her out! She’s not worthy.” She had a cursed life. But what the law could not do, grace did for this woman. And what the law could not do for me, grace has done. The Bible tells us in Ephesians 2:12, “That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:” But thank God, the grace of God has brought us in.

- How does it encourage you to remember that you were previously without hope before God, but the work of Christ has changed everything for you?
- How does this encourage you about others who also need to know Jesus?

PRACTICE THIS

Tell someone today about the hope you have because of Jesus. APR
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I did not write this, it comes from a devotional that is offered as a free email daily by Love Worth Finding.

https://www.lwf.org/daily-devotionals/you-re-never-too-far-for-grace

"The Romans Road to salvation is a way of explaining the good news of salvation using verses from the book of Romans. The Romans Road is a simple yet powerful method of explaining why we need salvation, how God provided salvation, how we can receive salvation, and what are the results of salvation."

"Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:12

“The LORD did not set His love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people.” - Deuteronomy 7:7

Modern people—even Christians—tend to measure success in terms of bigness. God’s measure, on the other hand, is based on quality, not quantity. There were undoubtedly millions of people on the earth, for example, when the Flood came in the days of Noah, but only a “few, that is, eight souls were saved” as the waters lifted up the Ark (I Peter 3:20).

A few centuries after the Flood, populations had again increased, and great nations developed in Egypt, Mesopotamia, and elsewhere. But God called one man, Abraham, to establish a new nation. Many great nations (Arabs, etc.) came from Abraham, but again God chose only one, Israel, to inherit the promise. Israel did grow, but as our text shows, even this chosen nation was nearly always insignificant compared to other nations.

In Israel’s history, many instances are recorded when God used just a few to battle many. God used Gideon’s 300 men to defeat 135,000 Midianites (Judges 7:7; 8:10). Similar deliverances occurred in the days of David, Asa, Jehoshaphat, Hezekiah, and others.

In the New Testament, the Lord Jesus told His disciples that “where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them” (Matthew 18:20). He also said to them, “Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom” (Luke 12:32).

God’s criterion is motivation rather than multiplication. “Strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it” (Matthew 7:14). But those few will be faithful servants and will someday hear Him say, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant . . . enter thou into the joy of thy Lord” (Matthew 25:21). HMM
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I did not write this, it comes from a devotional that is offered as a free email daily by the Institute of Creation.

https://www.icr.org/article/16024/

"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 Beth-lehem-judah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sons." "And the name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife Naomi, and the name of his two sons Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites of Beth-lehem-judah. And they came into the country of Moab, and continued there." "And Elimelech Naomi’s husband died; and she was left, and her two sons." "And they took them wives of the women of Moab; the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth: and they dwelled there about ten years." "And Mahlon and Chilion died also both of them; and the woman was left of her two sons and her husband." - Ruth 1:1-5

PONDER THIS

Why did Elimelech leave Bethlehem? He was afraid he couldn’t survive. He left the house of bread with the wrong motive, the wrong method, and the wrong master. And what does he do over there? He dies. And what happens to his little boys that he was so concerned about? They die.

There’s an old story about a rich merchant of Baghdad who had a servant. And the servant came to him and said, “Master, I want you to give me one of your best horses. I must flee.” And the merchant said to his servant, “Why do you need to flee?” The servant replied, “I was in the marketplace today, and a sinister figure jostled me, and I turned, and I looked in his face, and I was staring in the face of Death. Master, give me a horse, I must flee to Samara.” The master, loving his servant, said, “Take my best horse and flee if you will.” And then the rich merchant went to the marketplace, and there he saw Death. And he said, “Death, why did you startle my servant when you saw him?” And Death said, “I didn’t mean to startle your servant; it was your servant that startled me. I didn’t expect to see him here. I have an appointment with him tonight in Samara.” Elimelech sought life on his own terms, but all he found was death. We must be careful not to do the same. APR

- What are some ways we might seek our own solutions to the problems we face in life?
- What would it look like to give those over to God instead?

PRACTICE THIS

Write out the problems you are facing today; seek to give those to God in prayer. APR
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I did not write this, it comes from a devotional that is offered as a free email daily by Love Worth Finding.

https://www.lwf.org/daily-devotionals/give-your-problems-to-god