Philippians1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

The purpose of spiritual process is to be loosed away from the grave clothes of this life. You may recall that after Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, Lazarus came forth still wrapped in burial cloth. Jesus commanded his disciples to loose him and set him free. We have received Christ into our lives. Through faith we have come out of the penalty of death. However, we need to be loosed away from the old coverings and begin walking in the new life of Christ. The old coverings represent things that hinder the work of Christ in you. The way we use to live, the way we use to think and talk. It could even be previous spiritual teaching, the way you were taught to relate to God in the past.

Here is where the progressive nature of salvation is like an awakening. Most of the power to liberate your soul begins when you are loosed from the traditions of men and carnal minded interpretations of doctrine and prophesy. That is when spiritual knowledge and the process of mind renewal will have its greatest effect. If God's word has pierced your heart then He also wants to pierce your mind to cause metamorphosis and experience the transformation of the body.

Romans 12:2 … but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind,

BOOK OF RUTH

No where is the picture of change and transformation more clearly seen then in one of the great books of the Bible, the book of Ruth. The story of Ruth is not just history but Present Truth. That means God is speaking to us about our own lives through the message contained in this ancient writing. Ruth's story is our story...What is revealed in her journey out of Moab to the land of Israel is a picture of our own soul being brought out of darkness into the light of God. This scriptural story is known most for teaching Christ as our kinsman redeemer, but the wonderful aspects of Ruth's relationship to Naomi and Boaz point to our own spiritual walk and the changes taking place. The time the story occurred also has relevance. The Bible records that it happened at a time when every man did that which was right in His own sight. This speaks very much to the spirit of the age.

Judges 21:25 In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.

Ruth is a type of the church. Ruth and the other women in this story also characterize a type of the soul. The soul is what each of us are. Adam was made a living soul. A word that is interchangeable with soul is mind. The soul is the mental ability to think, the mental ability to choose and the mental ability to feel. Our soul is what is in the process of renewal and transformation. This takes place through a sacred relationship born of the Spirit of God.

1 Peter 1:9 Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.

Moab represents our first birth. It is corrupted as was Moab. There is no promise of inheritance for us in Moab. If Ruth had stayed in Moab, she would not have experienced her opportunity for redemption. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. When someone comes with the Gospel message of the Kingdom of God and you hear of God's visitation and the blessings His power manifests, it often begins the sequence of events leading to salvation awakening and ultimately transformation.

Ruth 1:6 … for she had heard in the country of Moab how that the LORD had visited his people in giving them bread.

When Naomi heard that there was bread and food again in the land of promise she desired to return home. Naomi suggested to her daughters in law that they remain in Moab. Orpah chose to do that. She represents a type of soul in bondage to this world. She had no vision as Ruth for making a journey that would cause such inconvenience to her life. She went back.

Ruth 1:15 And she said, Behold, thy sister in law is gone back unto her people, and unto her gods: return thou after thy sister in law.

Ruth had a different desire. She wanted to cleave to Naomi. This is the kind of soul the Lord is drawing out to himself. To be of willing heart and mind, even to suffer whatever circumstances may occur but definitely not going back to the old life.

Ruth 1:16 And Ruth said, Entreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God:

Ruth loved her mother-in-law and did not want to leave her. Because of her relationship with Naomi, Ruth chose to journey to an unknown place. That is exactly what salvation is like. We are given that moment to escape our first life and to experience a new beginning, a new birth. We do not see where we are going, but we walk by faith. We are being called to obtain a great inheritance through a walk by faith in the Spirit. This story details some of the hidden nuances to the work of the Spirit and our knowing of the Lord.

I can think of another woman who showed these same characteristics much earlier in history. That is Rebekah. Her sacred account is found in Genesis 24. She too was willing to leave her home and upbringing to journey and meet a man she had never seen before. His name was Isaac. Isaac is a type of Christ. Rebekah is a type of soul and church that is being brought to Him. She was willing and also inherited the birthright of Christ's seed.

Psalm 110:3 Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power,

Naomi is also a type. First, Naomi symbolizes the nation of Israel. Her name means pleasant. She represents a type of soul who will allow the natural and hard circumstances of life to embitter her heart. Yet she is revived and refreshed through Ruth's child. This point hides under the cover of this beautiful story how all Israel will be saved in the day of the manifestation of the sons of God.

So, as we enter chapter two of this little book, Ruth has left Moab and come into the land of promise with her mother in law Naomi. Through relationship with our Mother (church) in law, the soul is carried out of darkness and corruption and brought into a land of promise. The Land of Promise could be defined as knowing the Lord Jesus, having the first fruit of the Holy Spirit, the new creation man, spiritual gifts heavenly experience. This land is also promised to us as a possession and not just a promise. It will be the fruit of the full age when no more limitations exist and every realm of heavenly power is manifested.

Colossians 1:13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:

After Ruth came into the land of promise (Bethlehem, Judah) she sought to work in the field. She happened to find a parcel of land that was owned by Boaz whose name means mighty man of wealth. He is a type of the Lord himself. His field represents a ministry and church that is ruled and ordained by Jesus Christ. While Ruth was at work in the field, Boaz appeared and after greeting all his servants he went over to Ruth and spoke with her. This is what happens as we attend church and hear the word of God preached. The Lord begins to become real and meaningful. He may even begin to speak with us more directly by revelation. Boaz was drawn to Ruth because of the many beautiful characteristics of her personality. Her name gives us some insight into her nature. It means a beautiful friend. Ruth was trustworthy, devoted, she labored, she was obedient and when the time came she was willing to go to the threshing floor.

Ruth 2:11 And Boaz answered and said unto her, It hath fully been shewed me, all that thou hast done unto thy mother in law since the death of thine husband: and how thou hast left thy father and thy mother, and the land of thy nativity, and art come unto a people which thou knewest not heretofore. 12 The LORD recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the LORD God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust.

It was at this point, Boaz invited her to his supper table.

Ruth 2:14 And Boaz said unto her, At mealtime come thou hither, and eat of the bread, and dip thy morsel in the vinegar. And she sat beside the reapers: and he reached her parched corn, and she did eat, and was sufficed, and left.

As she sat face to face with him he reached over to her a piece of parched corn. This is a type of the word of God being tried by fire. He was feeding her directly the word of God. As we study, pray and grow in the spirit, revelation knowledge becomes manifest in us. The anointing that is given to us teaches us all things. But afterwards she returns to the daily routine of beating out her measure of food.

Ruth 2:23 So she kept fast by the maidens of Boaz to glean unto the end of barley harvest and of wheat harvest; and dwelt with her mother in law.

Ruth continued to enjoy the access to the field Boaz owned. She was able to glean enough food for herself and Naomi. She has now met Boaz and become personally related to him. I believe these events have outlined for us the beginning process of salvation of the soul. The Holy Spirit having reached us wherever we were living has taken us and brought us into the land of promise where we are now growing living and eating of its fruit. As a young man my own life swerved off the course of good and healthy living and embraced a culture of drugs, lust and many other sins of the flesh, so easy to accomplish when we walk in unbelief. I did suffer many consequences from that life. I experienced drug induced, nervous breakdowns that nearly took my mind completely from reality. All this only intensified my need for the Lord Jesus Christ in my life. Yet the Holy Spirit reached me with the message of the land of promise and I heard about God and His plan for my life. I heard that whosoever believes in Jesus Christ shall have eternal life. I began to walk in relationship with God and He brought me out of the house of bondage. Now together with all whom are our brethren at this time, crossing over from the natural soulish world of darkness into the heavenly, life /giving realm of spiritual life in Christ. Naomi tells Ruth that her relationship with Boaz must now come to a new more intimate place of experience. Near the end of the firstfruits harvest (a type of Pentecost). The time may come when you are no longer being fed from the firstfruits of your spiritual experience. St. Peter told new disciples of the Lord to desire the sincere milk of the word. That is the part that goes down easy and generally refreshes you. But if you want to eat strong meat you will need to be able to digest it. A connected thought to this is the subject of clean and unclean animals. A clean animal had divided hoofs and chewed the cud.

Leviticus 11:3 Whatsoever parteth the hoof, and is cloven-footed, and cheweth the cud, among the beasts, that shall ye eat.

The Holy Spirit is showing that when our walk has rightly divided the word of truth, and we have separated what is clean from what is unclean, then we have a true walk in Christ. To chew the cud meant that the animal regurgitated its food to digest it. I know it is not a pleasant picture to think of regurgitation; however, it speaks to those who continue to swallow the word and then bring it up to digest further until it is consumed properly.

Right at this point our spiritual process is going to take on a new intensity. We must come to an intimate knowing of Christ in us. The marriage of the lamb is spoken of as a union of Spirit and soul. In order for our relationship with the Lord to grow we must also be willing to go where He is to continue the journey of change.

THE THRESHING FLOOR

Ruth 3:1 Then Naomi her mother in law said unto her, My daughter, shall I not seek rest for thee, that it may be well with thee?

Keep in mind that the word rest is associated with the beginning of creation. It is associated with the Sabbath day or seventh day. God rested on the seventh day. It is also linked therefore with the feast of the seventh month. The Feast of Tabernacles. This was the third feast Israel celebrated in the seventh month of every year. Naomi told Ruth she would have to go to the threshing floor. This is where the process of God is taking us today as well. Remember I told you that the purpose of the process is to take off the coverings of the old man and put on Christ spirit, soul and body.

Ruth 2:2 And now is not Boaz of our kindred, with whose maidens thou wast? Behold, he winnoweth barley to night in the threshing floor. The threshing floor occupies an important but subtle symbol throughout Israel's history. First the threshing floor was usually a place where they crushed the harvested grain and wheat in order to strip its covering and obtain the kernel that is grown within. The outer shell has served as a protection to the growing kernel inside. But when it comes to the threshing floor it is crushed and thrown up to the wind to allow the chaff to blow away and the substance to fall. It is significant that John the Baptist stated the ministry of Jesus would amount to the same process.

Mathew 3:12 Whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.

Numbers 18:30 … When ye have heaved the best thereof from it, then it shall be counted unto the Levites as the increase of the threshing floor, and as the increase of the winepress.

God counted this heave offering of the threshing floor with high regard. It symbolizes the substance of reality that is given to us from God after the process has broken the shell or outer covering. Much of what God's people believe is so filtered or altered by traditions that they need to come to the threshing floor to see what portion of it is the real truth and identity. One of the reasons why very few teachers even see this process is because many have not yet seen the purpose of the manifestation of the sons of God. For most, their only desire is to get through this life as well as possible and then die and go to heaven (they hope). Others simply lay claim to a diminished form of the inheritance by limiting it to meaning something contrived by the deepest imaginations of carnal minded theologians in the world.

THE THRESHING FLOOR EXPERIENCE

After David became king of Israel he desired to restore the Ark of the covenant to Israel and the Holy city of Jerusalem. At an earlier time in their history, the Ark was captured by the Philistines. In the day of Eli the High Priest. The Ark of the Covenant, was the one piece of furniture that resided in the third compartment of the tabernacle of Moses, the Holy of Holies. It symbolizes the Lord and all who are being conformed to His image. The ark was made of wood and overlaid with gold within and without. This testifies to His unique nature. Jesus the Son of God, and the Son of Man. The word became flesh. The wood is the human side and the gold represents the divine nature. Inside the ark was the history of God's power when he walked with Israel through the wilderness. But on top was the mercy seat which had the divine cherubim facing each other. It was here in the Holy of Holies on the Day of Atonement the High Priest would come in with the blood of the sacrifice and sprinkle it upon the mercy seat as a sign of God's acceptance and forgiveness of all wrongdoing. There between the cherubim and over the mercy seat the Lord would commune with His priest in the cloud of His Shekinah (invisible presence of God). This ark also prophesied of the kingdom of God to come. The ark is a type of the new man that shall be revealed in the earth.

Romans 8:19 For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.

It comes as no surprise that King David wanted to restore this vision to Israel. Without the ark the holy of holies is not defined. In the same way without the glory of Christ working in you, the meaning of being caught up to the third heaven and other facets of mature spiritual experience will be undefined. Now many years later David has assembled the leaders of Israel and built a cart for the ark and is leading the procession to bring up the ark to the city of Jerusalem.

2 Samuel 6:1 Again, David gathered together all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand. 2 And David arose, and went with all the people that were with him from Baale of Judah, to bring up from thence the ark of God, whose name is called by the name of the LORD of hosts that dwelleth between the cherubims.

3 And they set the ark of God upon a new cart, and brought it out of the house of Abinadab that was in Gibeah: and Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, drave the new cart.In the same way God is restoring a vision to us for perfection to come. The Holy Spirit seeks to build the image of the Ark of the covenant, just another way saying the Lord in glorious fullness within us. Many of us want to have a deeper walk with the Lord and move by the power of the Spirit. We read many books, study hard, fast and pray often and learn how to do it. But the traditions and doctrines of men will not be able to free you enough to receive this high calling. That means desiring the fullness of Christ must go way beyond a good sentiment or even sincere effort. It requires revelation, understanding of the due order of God. When the procession reached Nachon's threshing floor the oxen pulling the cart shook it so that Uzzah put forth his hand and touched the ark. This may have been a completely innocent attempt to prevent the ark from falling but Uzzah was struck dead. You may be asking why? This seems unfair. But realize that Uzzah was not a priest. He was not ceremonially clean, nor spiritually anointed to do what he was doing. King David was very angered and hurt but soon discovered that he had not brought the ark up according to the due order. I'll never forget a message I heard a powerful man of God preach when I was a young follower of the Lord. The title of the message tells the whole story. It was entitled: " The Danger of Mishandling the Holy Things of God". It was the kind of teaching that could raise the hair on your legs up. I never forgot its important meaning. So I have made it a part of my walk to seek, ask, knock, study, pray and serve the Lord so that I may also peer into that which is ready to be revealed and be prepared according to the due order.

1 Chronicles 15:13 For because ye did it not at the first, the LORD our God made a breach upon us, for that we sought him not after the due order. The purpose of spiritual growth is not to memorize every principle taught in every book you can study or tape you hear about. It should come from hearing the voice of the Lord speaking in you and also leading you according to His word on a new and more intimate level than before. Some of the experiences we go through to get there is like the threshing floor. It tests what we have learned and tests whether we have the heart to seek after the Lord as David did to fine the answer and go on from there. It is significant that at another time of history Israel was being punished for something King David had done. The prophet of God came to David and told him to go to the threshing floor of Ornan. There when King David saw the angel of the Lord the destruction to the city was ended. King David purchased the threshing floor of Ornan. David realized the importance to possess this experience with God. It was here at this place that the temple was eventually built. It was also at this place many years before that Abraham had offered up Isaac to God. He that had received the promises of God offered up his only son.

Naomi instructs Ruth Ruth 3: 3 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.

Wash thyself. There is only one thing that can keep you clean in heart and soul. That is the word of God. There were two pieces of furniture in the outer court. The altar testifies to the cross. The second piece was called the laver. It was made of the mirrors of the daughters of Jerusalem and filled with water. It symbolizes the only other piece of furniture that God has made for our world. That is the Bible. The 66 books written over time by forty different authors revealing the one true and perfect plan of God to lift us from our current state of sin and death to heavenly and eternal life. Anoint thee. The Holy Spirit is the anointing of power. Mix an apothecary. Take upon yourself the fragrance of His good pleasure and appear before him. Put thy raiment. The raiment is the new nature we have received in Christ. It also points to the new body we shall also receive. This last point may be the hardest. Get thee down. To sum it up simply, the way up is the way down. He resists the proud and gives grace to the humble. If we seek to discover new meaning and understanding, then we must come with a pure and humble mind. We can only receive from His hand. We must come to Him.

Ruth 3: 4 And it shall be, when he lieth down, that thou shalt mark the place where he shall lie, and thou shalt go in, and uncover his feet, and lay thee down; and he will tell thee what thou shalt do. 5 And she said unto her, All that thou sayest unto me I will do.The one thing that characterizes Ruth and those who will inherit the prize of the high calling, it is the willing obedience she continues to show to Naomi and all her instructions to her. God is calling us to a third experience. Not to be raptured and caught away to some place called heaven. But rather to be caught up to the third dimension of His experience in us. St. Paul declared that He was caught up to the third heaven and did not know whether He was in the body or out of the body. He was in a state called paradise. He also taught that we would all be caught up.

2 Corinthians 12:3 And I knew such a man, in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth 4 How that he was caught up into paradise,

The third experience or being caught up has been missing from the walk of God's people. Entrapped in timeless traditions, superstitions, legends and folklore. But this day of the Lord is declaring the season of this feast of Tabernacles. The feast of union with him, and the feast of perfection. The feast of putting on immortality. God is restoring to us a vision of the manifestation of the sons of God and calls on His people to allow some breaking of their lives and what they possess in order to lay hold of the inner spiritual and hidden meaning of God's word.

Ruth 3: 7 … and she came softly, and uncovered his feet, and laid her down.

That is what the third experience is about. Ruth uncovered His feet. The feet represent the part of God that is walking upon the earth. Ruth is discovering the purpose for her life. She uncovers the plan God has for the earth. A heavenly people. She came in softly, again characterizing the pleasant nature of her personality. How beautiful are the feet. It is significant that the first miracle of the book of Acts is to make a lame man walk. He had been born without the ability to walk and was laid at the temple to beg alms all his life. The apostles looked at him and healed Him. He came leaping into the temple. They were on Solomon's porch. Solomon also links to the third experience being the third king of Israel and David's son. God is loosing a foot company. Maybe you are beginning to be loosed from the outer covering to behold the plan of God.

Ruth 3:8 And it came to pass at midnight, that the man was afraid, and turned himself: and, behold, a woman lay at his feet.Midnight represents transition and change. Midnight is neither the day before or the new day ahead it is transition. During the feast of the seventh month on the tenth Day of Atonement, the high priest went from the holy place to the holy of holies. Spiritually this points to our own change from Pentecost to tabernacles. From natural soulish creatures to walking in the newness of life.

2 Corinthians 6:2 … behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.

At this point she had startled Boaz. He did not expect anyone to be there. It would have been inappropriate if anyone had found them together late at night at the threshing floor. In this way Ruth was willing to sacrifice even her reputation if Boaz should reject her.

Ruth 3:9 And he said, Who art thou? And she answered, I am Ruth thine handmaid: spread therefore thy skirt over thine handmaid; for thou art a near kinsman.

She identified herself because she KNEW who she was, who He was and that they should be together. The same awakening occurs when realization comes that being one with God is only the best way to live, together. The two shall be one.

Ruth 3:11 And now, my daughter, fear not; I will do to thee all that thou requirest: for all the city of my people doth know that thou art a virtuous woman.

The word translated for virtuous, actually is the same word used to translate the name of Boaz. It hides beneath the surface what Boaz sees in Ruth now; full of the qualities and nature of God. She is equal in stature, a mighty one of wealth. Ruth the Moabitess was now equal with a prince in Israel.

Ruth 3:15 Also he said, Bring the vail that thou hast upon thee, and hold it. And when she held it, he measured six measures of barley, and laid it on her: and she went into the city.

Once she takes the veil from her mind the fullness of His word and all its riches are poured out to her. In this same way when the coverings of traditions and doctrines of men is removed from your mind then the wealth of God's riches by His word will pour forth upon you. Now she takes the veil from her head to receive six measures full of barley.
She will add these six to the one she has labored for and make seven measures pointing to the fullness of the spirit. When she returns home Naomi can hardly believe what she looks like ravishing and radiant as if she had never known her before.

Ruth 3:16 And when she came to her mother in law, she said, Who art thou, my daughter? And she told her all that the man had done to her.

I know that as we receive these new and deeper experiences of God's word we shall be telling multitudes about who He is and what He is all about.

Ruth 4:13 So Boaz took Ruth, and she was his wife: and when he went in unto her, the LORD gave her conception, and she bare a son. The little son brought so much life to Naomi that she was restores and nurtures Him with her own breasts.

Ruth 4:16 And Naomi took the child, and laid it in her bosom, and became nurse unto it.

Romans 8:19 For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.

Nothing will pierce your mind more joyfully then to understand that having received the Holy Spirit, you are a son of God. The knowledge and nature of this relationship is what the process of the Holy Spirit is for. The title of this booklet is " Seven Things God wants you to Know. " Seven is a number that denotes process unto perfection. All seven principles have something to say about the nature and character of God Himself. God wants you to KNOW HIM. Not just about Him. That is the process. God doesn't seek you as a slave or servant. This is not about religious obligation. It is about KNOWING our identity as a new creation. This is about family. We are the sons of God.

METAMORPHOSIS

2 Peter 3:8 But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.

The powerful witness this timeline lends to the hour we are now living in is remarkable. We are at the end of the sixth day from Adam and entering the seventh day. This connects us with the feast of tabernacles the ministry of perfection and the day of rest. Jesus often performed great miracles of healing and deliverance on the Sabbath day. The third day links us with the feast of Tabernacles, the catching up to the third heaven, His resurrection from the dead and putting on life and immortality.

Matthew 17:1 And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart,

Through a close personal relationship with Jesus these three disciples were called to go up a high mountain. Mountains in this example refer to getting beyond the surface, getting away from the crowd and climbing to higher ground. When they reached a certain point He showed them something about himself that they could see no other way.

Mathew 17:2 And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light.

They had fallen asleep being exhausted by the climb, (process) when they awoke they saw His glory. If we are going to see the Lord appear we are going to have to climb a mountain of change. It is significant that the word transfiguration is translated from the Greek language metamorphoo. It is used in two other places. In Romans 12 and 2 it reads be ye transformed (metamorphoo). The process to this is mind renewal. Not all the disciples were called to this experience but three that enjoyed a closer and more intimate relationship with Jesus. Peter, James and John symbolize the three experiences of Christ, Passover, Pentecost and Tabernacles. In this seventh day from Adam and third day from Jesus we are on a journey with Him to a high mountain apart. As we leave the ordinary and commonplace behind we will see something about the Lord that will be so bright, dazzling and powerful that it will change your natural body and make it like his body of Glory.

Philippians 3:21 Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body,

God intends to change our bodies. Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God. But when we receive the total source of life from the Holy Spirit, by His power God will transform (metamorphoo) our bodies from flesh and blood to flesh and bone.

1 Corinthians 15:53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.2 Corinthians 3:18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

*For more information on this topic simply E-Mail Peter Demetris at:pastorpeterd@comcast.net

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