This is the time of ruth

I was woken up by the Lord at 5:55 am Sunday morning on 6/23/24 with a prophetic word for our church. Earlier in the night, I had a dream involving three different scenarios where I was greatly limited on time. In the first scenario I was in college and the computers weren’t working, so I couldn’t get online to read the syllabus for my class. It was late in the evening when I found out I had an exam the next morning, and I had no idea what it was going to cover or how I should study for it. All I knew was that I was very short on time. I suddenly found myself in a prayer meeting at our church, and we were running behind schedule. We were trying to be orderly and efficient in the way we were approaching the prayer topics, but we simply did not have the time to cover them all. There were only three of us praying when someone called me on the phone. They told me that since we were so behind on time, we would not have enough time to share the gospel with all the people who were now arriving to the church. We knew we were not going to be able to reach every one of them in time simply by the sheer number of them. I heard someone say something about love being the answer. I woke up from the dream and recorded it, and I fell back asleep. When I woke up at 5:55, I began recording what I was hearing in my spirit.

These are the words I heard:  

“This is the time of Ruth. Now is the time. Now is the time. It is a time of consecration. It is a time not to waiver, for what God is getting ready to do, either you must get out of the way, or you will be caught up in it for good or for bad. Once it starts there will be no getting out of it. Either step aside and get out of the way now, or what happens will happen. So, consecrate yourself. Now is the time. You might be asking; how can He use me? He made you for such a time as this. You are being summoned by the King. Your desire is not enough though. Preparation. A moment. Life or death. Very clear. No Fear. Follow the birds. Follow the eagle.”

I also received a separate word for someone in my church, and I felt the Lord instruct me to get up and go to church early to pray about it. I spent most of that morning in prayer over the word for my brother while I scripted it out for him to read. I was covering the communion message that morning, and I felt like the Lord wanted me to mention part of the word He had given me for the church. I mentioned that the Lord had woken me up and said, “Now is the time” and that it was a time for “consecration.” I informed them that the Lord was putting us on notice. We had to decide right now if we were going to stay and be a part of what God is getting ready to do or leave before He moves, but once He moves, there is no going back. I shared the word I had for my brother from the pulpit as I believed the Lord wanted someone else to hear it as well. I sat back down, and the pastor preached his message.

The pastor asked me to share the word about “consecration” with the congregation again towards the end of the service because some of them had not been there earlier to hear it. I was not completely sure that was the Lord’s will, but I decided to let the excitement of the moment make my decision for me. It is an encouraging word, and I wanted to make sure I was saying everything the Lord had for me to say. I went to go listen to the entire recording on my phone to make sure I spoke it correctly. There was much more to the word than only “Now is the time” and “consecration.” Those are great words, but the Lord’s word went much deeper.

Because I did not take the time to pray over the word first, I rushed the interpretation. The Lord can speak very clearly when He suddenly wants me to say something, but He can also ask me to spend time with Him first to search out the deeper meaning in the word He is sharing with me. I shared with them what I thought the Lord was saying to me earlier that morning, but I could tell when I stood up the second time that He was not speaking clearly through me. I found out later that the fullness of that word for the church was meant to be shared in a couple of weeks when I was scheduled to preach. He wanted me to share the few words I had before the communion service, but the rest of the word was meant for a later time. I had spoken out of my own enthusiasm and not from the will of the Father. A lesson learned for sure, and I was grateful no real damage had occurred because of it. I asked the Lord and the congregation to forgive me, and I was able to share the entire word with them at the “time” God had set aside for it. This word was specifically for our church when He spoke it to me, but I believe He now wants me to release it to the broader Body of Christ. I believe it might encourage some who are struggling to decide whether they should stay in the church they are a part of now or move on because they have suffered some sort of “death” in their relationships where the Lord has placed them.

The book of Ruth is not a long one, but there are many hidden lessons and truths that might be “gleaned” from it if we take the time to pray and read over it. When I woke up that morning the first thing out of my mouth was “This is the time of Ruth.” I believe the Lord wanted to reveal some things to me about our current time as it relates to the life of Ruth, so I sat down with the Lord as He laid them out for me.

A man of Bethlehem, Elimelech, moved his wife, Naomi, and two sons to the land of Moab because Israel was in the middle of a famine. He died, and his sons married two Moabite women. His sons died and left Naomi alone with her daughters-in-laws, Orpah and Ruth. Naomi was now an old widow and she decided to return home to Israel as she had heard there was food there now. She told Orpah and Ruth to return to their families as she did not have any other sons for them to marry, and she did not have anything of value to give them. Orpah agreed and sadly returned to her father’s house, but Ruth clung to Naomi showing unconditional love for her and said she would rather return with her to Israel and die there than return to her Moabite family.

In Ruth 1:16-17, Ruth tells Naomi, “Do not plead with me to leave you or to turn back from following you; for where you go, I will go, and where you sleep, I will sleep. Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God. Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD do so to me, and worse, if anything but death separates me from you.” Naomi realized Ruth was determined, so she said no more to her.

When they returned to Bethlehem, Ruth asked Naomi if she would allow her to “glean” in the fields that she might gather some food for them. “Gleaning” is the act of picking up fallen grain from the ground that is left behind from the reapers. When she came across the fields of Boaz, a relative of Elimelech and a man of great wealth, Boaz took notice of her and showed her favor by telling her to stay in his fields where she would be safe. When Ruth asked him why he was being so kind to her, he told her he had witnessed her loyalty to Naomi even after her husband’s death and even though she was a stranger to the land. Boaz made sure she was fed, and she was able to take food back to Naomi.

Ruth told Naomi all about what had happened and how Boaz had told her to stay close to him and his field. Naomi was happy to hear of it and told her to stay with his maids and not to wander off his property, so she would not fall prey to others who might want to do her harm. Ruth obeyed, stayed near Boaz, and lived with Naomi until the end of the harvest.

Naomi wanted Ruth to have security in a husband, so she came up with a plan for Ruth to go to Boaz at night and lay at his feet. Ruth obeyed once again and prepared herself as per Naomi’s instructions by washing herself, anointing herself with oil, and putting on her best clothes. When Boaz saw Ruth laying at his feet, he inquired of her name, and when she told him who she was, he blessed her for not going after younger men. Depending on what translation of the bible you are reading, he told her that she was a virtuous or excellent woman. He came up with a plan to make Ruth his wife by purchasing Naomi’s lands and everything on it. In this way, Naomi and Ruth would be taken care of for the rest of their lives.

Boaz and Ruth were married, and she gave birth to a son, Obed. Obed was the grandfather of King David and a direct descendant of Jesus. Ruth was not an Israelite by birth, but through marriage, she became part of the lineage of Christ. She was a gentile who was grafted into the family of God because Boaz redeemed her as his own. This is a summary of the story of Ruth, but it will serve the purpose for helping to interpret the word that God spoke to me for the Church today. You can read through it for yourself and ask God to show you more truths should He choose to reveal them to you.

The words I received from the Lord:

“This is the time of Ruth. Now is the time. It is a time of consecration. It is a time not to waiver, for what God is getting ready to do, either you must get out of the way, or you will be caught up in it for good or for bad. Once it starts there will be no getting out of it. Either step aside and get out of the way now, or what happens will happen. So, consecrate yourself. Now is the time. You might be asking; how can He use me? He made you for such a time as this. You are being summoned by the King. Your desire is not enough though. Preparation. A moment. Life or death. Very clear. No Fear. Follow the birds. Follow the eagle.”

The first thing the Lord spoke to me was, “This is the time of Ruth. Now is the time.” I believe we are in a moment of time where all members in the Body of Christ must decide to either be fully consecrated to Him and to His body where He has specifically placed them, or they must make a decision right now to move back to their Moabite families. What does that mean exactly? Let us begin by comparing today’s Church to the story of Ruth as it pertains to the prophetic word the Lord shared with me. I believe Naomi represents the broader Church or Body of Christ today, but she might also be a specific church where you are a member. I would suggest that you ask God to show you who she might be to you specifically. Orpah and Ruth are two different types of family members in today’s Church. They will be explained in more detail later. Boaz represents Christ as the bridegroom who offers us His redemptive power and saving grace. There is more to this revelation, but I want to try to focus on the prophetic word He gave me without adding more to it.

Naomi, Orpah, and Ruth all suffered death in their relationships. There are many in the Church today who have suffered death as well. Death might be in the form of broken relationships because of offense or sin like divorce or unforgiveness. It might be from an actual death or illness that unanswered prayers seemingly failed to resolve. Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gracious gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” If we are knowingly and actively participating in sin or lawlessness, we will suffer some form of death in our relationship with Christ or each other. One way or another, there might have been a reason to contemplate leaving your local church, the broader Body of Christ, or even your faith.

After Covid, the Church decreased in population rather dramatically. Where did all those people go? Why did they leave? Perhaps it was God’s way of finding out who had unconditional love for Him, and who didn’t. Ruth unconditionally loved Naomi as evidenced by her declaration of loyal devotion to her. The Lord said to me, “A moment. Life or death. Very clear. No Fear.” Ruth was deciding at the moment and without any fear. She didn’t show any concern over what might be awaiting them; be it life or death. She was not going to leave Naomi. “It is a time not to waiver, for what God is getting ready to do, either you must get out of the way, or you will be caught up in it for good or for bad.” It was all or nothing for Ruth, and God is saying that it must be the same for us.

I asked the Lord about my own love for Him. Was there a way for me to know if my love for Him was truly unconditional? He answered me by asking me a question. “If I told you today you would never be allowed into heaven. If I told you that eternal life was never going to be yours no matter what you believed or no matter what you did, would you change the way you lived your life? Would it change how much you loved Me, or how you chose to show me that love?” It was hard to even fathom that future, but I understood the point. I would never be able to stop loving Him or obeying Him even if I knew I would never be able to be with Him or ever be loved by Him because the reason I love Him is simply because of who He is, not because of what I receive from Him. If I could only know and experience Him while here on this earth, I would spend every second loving Him to the fullest of my abilities until the day I die. When I came to that realization, He said, “Your love for Me is unconditional because you would love me even without receiving anything in return. You simply love me for Who I am.” That is the love Ruth had for Naomi. She was going to love her and stay with her in death or in life. She loved her simply because of who Naomi was. Naomi was her family. Ruth saw her identity in Naomi, so she set herself utterly apart and unto her. The Lord told me, “It is a time of consecration.” God is asking of us the same thing, to be consecrated unto Him with unconditional love.

Just like Ruth, we must decide today if we are going to go or stay. Orpah went back to her people. We have seen many “believers” return to their roots as well lately. A term we commonly see referring to this movement is “Deconstructionism,” but I believe that most of those “deconstructionist” are merely prodigal sons and daughters like I once was. Like me, their prodigal hearts are exposed by the lawlessness in their lives. Most of my life was spent walking in their shoes, so I understand how difficult it is for them to face this truth, but if they are going to return to the Body of Christ, they will have to not only see this truth but also confess it with their mouths, just as I did. I say this all out of an empathetic heart of love for them, but I want to be very clear. I do not believe these “deconstructionists” are like Orpah. They are prodigal sons and daughters, but not all children of God who have left a church or congregation are prodigals. I posted a message on this back in April titled “Deconstructing the Deconstructionist” that you can read should you have the desire. If these prodigals are not like Orpah, who in the Body of Christ today can we compare to her?

Remember, it was Naomi’s idea for Orpah and Ruth to return to their families. Out of her mercy, Naomi was allowing them to leave her because she knew the road that lay ahead of her was going to be difficult and possibly painful. It could even lead to their death. If God puts it on a believer’s heart to leave a church because He knows that coming events in that church might be too much for their conditional love or weak faith right now, what place is it of ours to question Him? If He wants to allow an Ananias or Sapphira to leave a congregation to avoid a certain death, why would anyone oppose His mercy? The recent exposure of sin in some leaders within the Body of Christ, is God’s way of mercifully removing them from a place where death might be awaiting them when God’s fire moves through the Church. I pray He begins to expose sin in the rest of the body before He moves through us as He did in the Book of Acts. God might have allowed “death” to occur between members of His body to free them to move to a place away from the coming fire. Maybe it is like throwing someone who is not wearing a fireproof suit off a ship that is engulfed in flames to keep them from certain death in hopes of returning to pick them up once the fire is put out. God says in Isaiah 55:9, “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts than your thoughts.” We cannot claim to always know why God allows things to happen in our lives, but we can always choose to trust Him and love Him unconditionally.

Not every believer has unconditional love for Jesus. Many are following Him because of what He has promised them. He will keep His promises, but He is wanting more from His sons and daughters than conditional love or conditional obedience. Throughout history, God has always been known for keeping a remnant to Himself during times of purging or judgement. I believe He is looking for that remnant right now. The scripture says that God does not want even one lost, and He will warn us through His prophets before He moves. I believe this is a warning to those who are weaker in their love or faith like Orpah, and it is a promise to those who are stronger in their love or faith like Ruth. The promise is the fullness of Christ to those who are consecrated to Him while it is a merciful warning for those who are unwilling to make the journey with Him being fully committed to Him. I believe He has a place for those who are like Orpah where they will not be harmed when He moves in His power and authority if they listen and move there now. His fire will bring purification or judgement, and we can “Either step aside and get out of the way now, or what happens will happen.” I believe He has already been moving them into these locations of safety because of His mercy. After the wave of God’s purging fire moves through His body, He will call them back. Then it will be as it was in Acts and thousands will come into the Church in a day, but they will come in repentance having seen the power and authority of God moving through His body.

Naomi was releasing both of her daughters-in-laws from their obligations to her without placing disgrace or shame on either one of them. However, the one who decided to stay and remain loyal and virtuous even during difficult seasons was rewarded with life more abundantly. As the Lord told me, “Once it starts there will be no getting out of it.” When Ruth decided to go with Naomi, she knew it was a one-way ticket, and she would have no way of getting off the ride until it came to an end. She would not be able to change her mind once she decided to commit to the journey. God is wanting us to make that same sort of commitment to Him right now because when He moves us, there will be no going back.

The Lord told me, “You might be asking; how can He use me?” Ruth knew she had nothing to offer but her love and obedience. She was a stranger in a strange land just as we all are. According to the scripture, we are aliens in a foreign land. Because of Ruth’s loyalty, love, and virtue, she was grafted into the lineage of Christ when Boaz redeemed her. If we love Jesus unconditionally, believe in Him, and obey Him, we will also be grafted into His family. He is wanting us to say as Ruth said, “where you go, I will go.” Jesus says in Luke 14, “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his own father, mother, wife, children, brothers, sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple…none of you can be My disciple who does not give up all his own possessions.” Orpah wanted to stay with Naomi and even wept over the idea of leaving her, but her desire was not enough for her to stay loyal to her. Ruth acted on her unconditional love and served Naomi with obedience leading to her redemption by Boaz. The Lord told me, “Your desire is not enough though. Preparation. A moment. Life or death. Very clear.”

The Lord told me, “Follow the birds. Follow the eagle.” We have a distinct advantage over Ruth as true followers and believers in Christ, in the fact that we have the Holy Spirit living within us. Jesus said in John 14:15-17, “If you love Me, you will keep my commandments. I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, so that He may be with you forever; the Helper is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him; but you know Him because He remains with you and will be in you.” In Revelations, the Holy Spirit is represented in the form of an eagle. When Jesus was baptized, the Holy Spirit alighted upon Him in the form of a dove. I believe the Lord is telling us that we need to follow the Spirit if we want to be victorious and grow closer to Him in what He is getting ready to do in the earth. Ruth had Boaz and her virtue. We have Jesus and the Holy Spirit who makes us virtuous. As the Lord told me, “Now is the time. Be consecrated unto Him.”

I believe there is also a promise in the story of Ruth for all of us who choose to go forward in Him. Boaz allowed Ruth to glean from the harvest at first, but he eventually gave her a significant amount of grain to carry home in her shawl. I believe this is a promise to those of us who stay for the harvest that we will be rewarded with many lost souls. We will see the harvest come into the Church just as Ruth brought the grain to Naomi. Boaz gave the grain to Ruth before he married her, and Christ will allow us to carry in the harvest before He returns to marry His bride as well.

The story of Ruth and the story of Esther have something in common in that they both prepared themselves before going to their beloved. The Lord told me, “You are being summoned by the King. Your desire is not enough though. Preparation. A moment. Life or death.” Ruth prepared herself before going to lay down at the feet of Boaz by bathing herself, anointing herself, and placing on her best clothes. In the same way, we must prepare ourselves before laying at the feet of our bridegroom and King, Jesus. Both Ruth and Esther were going to be facing life or death. If they were received, it would be life, and if rejected, it would be death. We also are presenting ourselves before our King. If He receives us, it is eternal life, and if he rejects us, it is eternal death.

John 3:36 says, “The one who believes in the Son has eternal life; but the one who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.” Jesus also says in Matthew 7:21-23 says, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; LEAVE ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.’” There is a preparation we must go through if we want to be received by our beloved. We must be cleansed by the Word, anointed with the Holy Spirit, and clothed in His righteousness before we can be joined in marriage with Christ. We must lay down at the feet of Jesus in full submission as Ruth did with Boaz. It was in this act of submission that she won his heart. Jesus wants us to want to love Him and to submit to Him as well. He knows we could choose to go after the “young men” as Boaz told Ruth or the desires of our flesh, but He is wanting us to choose Him instead. When we desire Him above all others, He will make Himself known to us in His loving and redemptive power. We will participate with the harvesters soon enough.

As I was reading over the story of Ruth, I thought back to the story of Hosea. Hosea was a prophet in the Old Testament, who God told to marry a prostitute. He wanted Israel to see this as an example of how they prostituted themselves with false gods. Hosea buys her back after she left him for another man. God wanted Israel to see His love for them and His forgiving nature and willingness to redeem them despite their fornicating heart. He will always keep His promise to Abraham even if it is only through a remnant. Ruth is a story of how God redeems those who are not born directly into His family; those of us who are more commonly known as Gentiles. He sent His Son to purchase our redemption or salvation even though we were not part of the original tribes of Israel. He wants all His creation to be restored, but only those who are willing to endure and follow Him until the end will be saved. We must have that same determination and unconditional love for Jesus that Ruth had for Naomi.

Jesus told the Samaritan woman at the well in John 4 that He had “living water” for her to drink. He wanted to give her life just as Boaz offered life to Ruth and Namoi. All she had to do was receive Him and spread the news of the gospel of Jesus. He said in John 4:23-24, “a time is coming, and even now has arrived, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” It says in 1 Corinthians 6:17, “But the one who joins himself to the Lord is one spirit with Him.” Like a husband and wife, when we are joined to the Lord Jesus we become one spirit with Him. “You are being summoned by the King. Now is the time.” This is the moment. Choose today who you will serve. Consecrate yourself to the Lord to the death that you might live with Him in spirit eternally.

You can read more about this and other truths by obtaining a copy of “Prodigal to Prince” by Beau Walsh at BarnesandNoble.com or Amazon.com.