No more Tears

Revelation 7:13-17

Do you recall the tribulation of being a young child, the pain you inflicted on yourself, the damage you did to your body when the Jimmy, Richard, or Gary’s of your neighborhood said, I double-dog dare you to do it, Oh the pain that was caused by the double-dog dare.  It was one thing to say you are yellow if you don’t do whatever, come on, you are not chicken, are you?  But the “I double-dog dare” was bigger than even someone saying my dad can beat your dad, the “double-dog dare” was the ultimate challenge.   The ultimate challenge caused great pain in my little world, and many times it ended with one of the three musketeers or me running home to get mother to stop the blood, clean the wound and put monkey blood (iodine) to stop the spread of gangrene.  It was always great trauma in a boy’s world to run home to mother, no matter how severe the damage to ones body.  Mother would first fix the problem, and ninety percent of the time it went like this; she would pour the “monkey blood” on the wound, and in unison my little friends and I would say, “blow on it”, as if that fixed everything.  As I reflect back on those times of great distress and suffering it was not the “monkey blood” that brought such healing, it was mother’s arms, I was safe in her arms, and she would wipe away every tear from my eyes.

John is giving an account of what has not happened and we call that prophecy, it is a prediction of a future event that reveals the will of God.  John sees people clothed in white, “Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?”  I said to him, “Sir, you know.”  And he said to me, “These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation.  They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.”  What is this great tribulation?

My dear pastor Harlan Caton who is now with the Lord, wrote “The Second Coming of Jesus Christ,” Harlan had a passion for the Word of God and spent hours studying and searching to understand what God was saying to us from the Scriptures.  Harlan believed that the church would not go through the great tribulation, that we would be rejoicing with Jesus Christ in glory, while the earth will be experiencing a time of chaos which will be without equal.  “There is coming a dark day such as the world has never seen.  A day of darkness… a black day.  A day when there will not be one Christian on earth.  A day when there will not be one person who is in right- standing with God.  A day, when it begins, when there will not be one Bible-believing person, not one Bible preacher in all the world.”

Harlan states on page 141, that the Bible describes this time by many names:

1.     “The day of the Lord” (Isaiah 2:12, 13:6-13; Jeremiah 30:23-24)

2.     “The time of Jacob’s distress” (Jeremiah 30:5-7

3.     “The “great tribulation” (Revelation 7:14)

4.     “Daniel’s Seventieth Week” (Daniel 9:20-27)

5.     “The great day of their wrath” (Revelation 6:17)

6.     “The day of His burning anger” (Isaiah 13:13)

7.     “The time of distress” (Daniel 12:1)

8.     “The hour of testing” (Revelation 3:10)

9.     “That day” (Jeremiah 30:7)

10.  “The indignation” (Isaiah 26:20)

11.  “A day of wrath…a day of trouble and distress, a day of destruction and desolation…” (Zephaniah 1:15).

My goal is not to say when the great tribulation takes place or who will go through it, but to look at our great God and Father and His wonderful Son, Jesus Christ.  Jesus said the following in Matthew 24:21-22, “For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be.  And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved.  But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short.”  Those who go through this time on earth will be the elect, and I believe that refers to the 144,000, from the twelve tribes of Israel and those they win to the Lord, during this time.  But the point is, they are standing before the throne of God saying; “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”  Verse 17 ends this chapter, “For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their Shepherd, and He will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.   No need for “monkey blood,” or mother, they will be made pure by the “blood of the Lamb” who was slain on a cross for them, and our God and Father will wipe away every tear from their eyes.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

To large to count

Revelation 7:9

We moved from Odem a very small town about thirty miles outside of Corpus Christi and when I use the word town, that is using the word town, very loosely, we did have a Post Office, a mercantile, feed store, bank, churches and a lumber company, and we moved from all of that to Houston, Texas.  In Odem there was no east or west, no north or south, you were either in Odem or going out of Odem, it was that small.  So we show up in a city of millions, and to a small town boy it was just huge, the scope of the city was frightening.  We found a house, the nicest one we had lived in, and we joined a church with two times more members than the town of Odem, now that was a little intimidating.  But inside of that church was an adult class and that class was almost bigger than the church we attended in Sinton, a larger town down the road from Odem. 

The couple that taught the class, are now our dearest friends, John Davis and his wife Brenda, and they made what was so intimidating in size feel just right, and in that very large class were couples from across the spectrum of social and economic sector, all studied the Scripture together.  Coming from a small town we were somewhat selective of who came to our house, even from the little farm community of Sinton, Texas, but not John and Brenda, they would invite that large group to their home in town or the one at the lake, and everyone who came into that class or home was special to them.  How does this story tie into Revelation chapter seven?  That class was open to any and all who would come, and once you were a member of the class, you enjoyed the fellowship of John and Brenda; you also were invited into their home.

That is what God has done in a much larger scope, by receiving the free gift of Jesus Christ, you and I have entered into a relationship with the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit of God, we can have fellowship, and He has promised to come back for each one of us for the party in His house that will have no end.  Revelation 7:9; “After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and people and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” 

As we read on, this multitude that no one can number is just a small number of who is going to be in heaven, the ones in white robes are the Christians, who were killed in the great tribulation that is yet to come, and they were from every nation, from all tribes and people and languages.  I know this may come as a shock to some of my readers, who believe that only their church has the truth, and that if your not part of their group you do not have truth, those folks are in for a big surprise.  It is not determined by membership but by relationship, the invitation is from God to whosoever will come.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Are there storms on your Radar

Revelation 7:1-3

It seems that storms in our life, or in the life of someone you love, make us seekers of God.  Please stay with me for a little longer, often you do not hear about the storm before it comes on your radar, it may be the death of a child, a divorce, HR telling you your services are no longer needed, your 401K evaporating while you look on not knowing what action to take, or some weather related storm or fire that takes a life time of memories from you.  I believe that for many people that is how they see God, all is going smoothly, life is great and then the storm hits, and the person who had not given thought to God for weeks or months, are now seeking the unseen God.  The storm was not seen till it hit, and the God who is unseen is now the focal point, He is the main and most important need of life, in fact, at this point often God is all we have to hold too.

As I began to read chapter 7 of Revelation these thoughts came into my mind, how could any three-dimensional, time related and time controlled person living on this earth, understand the ways of God; who is the Alpha and the Omega, Omnipotent, Omnipresent, Omniscient, and the answer is, unless God lets us see, it is impossible for man to grasp this God who is unseen.  It is like the storms that come into our life, we hear the thunder long before the storm arrives.

It is so clear that God had to send His only Son, who like God is Spirit and unseen in a three-dimensional body, to tell and to show the world that God loved them so much; it brought to my mind a poem written by a young lady named Carol.  The poem is titled, “Carol’s Talk with God,”  “Carol, how much do you love me, Lord?  God, I love you so much Carol that I did not let my emotions and feelings for my son get in the way of everything that had to happen to him for your sake.  I didn’t give in to the terrible hurt and anguish I felt as they rejected and beat my son.  I never lost sight of what was best for you as I watched them mutilate and tear my son’s body apart.  Your life is more important to me than preserving any dignity or thought for myself.”

So as I began to read chapter 7, verses 1-3, “After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth, that no wind might blow on earth or sea or against any tree.  Then I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, with the seal of the living God, and he called with a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm earth and sea, saying, “Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.”  It became clear that unless the God who is unseen reveals truth to man how could we grasp what John is telling us about the great storm that is coming on our earth.  But you can bet the farm on this, all that is written will take place, that all that God has spoken of in His word will take place, and a wise person will study and pray and ask the Lord to prepare their mind and heart to be ready at the coming of our Lord, Jesus Christ.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

The Fifth Seal

Revelation 6:9-11

Why does death or dying seem like such a sad event?  It surely has a lot to do with the fact that in this life they are gone from us, and that we miss them in many ways.  Those must be the key reasons.  The Scripture teaches us that all will die at some point, a physical death, but the soul will not die, the spirit, the real you will be very much alive, and this is the real issue.  If that loved one is in Christ, the Scripture teaches us that they will be absent from the body, but present with the Lord. 

Revelation 6:9-11 is about the fifth seal being opened and what John saw; “When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne.”  We can only imagine what this looked like, the many thousands who have been killed because they spoke of the “Truth” and bore witness to the blood of Jesus that was given to redeem the world back to God.  John goes on telling us what he heard and saw, “They cried out with a loud voice, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?”  It seems to me that it is of the utmost importance to remind the reader of what the apostle Peter said in 2 Peter 3:9, “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness.  He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”  It is because of God’s great love for us that we see the Father delaying the request of those who had been slain, and so let us take up the story of what John is being an eye witness to; “Then they were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been.”(Rev. 6:11)

Are you one of the ones they are waiting for, am I one of the ones?  Only God can answer that question, but the truth is that many followers of Jesus Christ will still be called to give up this life because they will bear witness to the Scripture and to the love of Jesus Christ, and the redeeming blood that he shed for the sins of each of us.  It was not that long ago that a young girl, a teenager in Colorado was slain for her faith in Jesus Christ, and in many countries around the world, people are being slain for their faith and added to that number, and God will not forget those he has dressed in white robes, but, “He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

“The Scroll and the Lamb.”

Revelation 5:1-14

When you read the title to the fifth chapter of the Revelation you might think you were reading something written by C.S. Lewis; it is titled Revelation 5:1-14

When you read the title to the fifth chapter of the Revelation you might think you were reading something written by C.S. Lewis; it is titled “The Scroll and the Lamb.”  You may be asking what scroll and lamb is this Scripture referring to.  The first verse begins in this manner, “Then I saw in the right hand of him who was seated on the throne a scroll written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals.  And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?”  And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it, and I began to weep loudly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it.  And one of the elders said to me, “Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals. And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth.  And he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne.”

It is very clear that the Lamb is Jesus Christ, and God the Father is giving Jesus the scroll, it is also clear that He is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals.  I wonder if the angels find scorn or just sadness for what I call worship?  This is what happens in heaven when Jesus took the scroll, “And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.”

John looked around and all of heaven exploded with praise, all were saying, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!”  They get it, Jesus did not come for white America only, He came as the Lamb who was slain before the foundation of the earth, to save all, everyone and that includes you and even a worm like me. 

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

  You may be asking what scroll and lamb is this Scripture referring to.  The first verse begins in this manner, “Then I saw in the right hand of him who was seated on the throne a scroll written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals.  And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?”  And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it, and I began to weep loudly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it.  And one of the elders said to me, “Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals. And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth.  And he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne.”

It is very clear that the Lamb is Jesus Christ, and God the Father is giving Jesus the scroll, it is also clear that He is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals.  I wonder if the angels find scorn or just sadness for what I call worship?  This is what happens in heaven when Jesus took the scroll, “And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.”

John looked around and all of heaven exploded with praise, all were saying, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!”  They get it, Jesus did not come for white America only, He came as the Lamb who was slain before the foundation of the earth, to save all, everyone and that includes you and even a worm like me. 

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Totally unprepared for this kind of worship

Revelation 4

Have you ever witnessed something too wonderful, too beautiful, to find the words to express the fullness of what you had seen?  Have you taken pictures while on vacation to come home and show them to friends and proclaim, that does not do justice to what we saw?  I believe that is what John is experiencing as he tells us what he has heard and seen in this fourth chapter of the Revelation.

“After this I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven!  And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet, said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.” At once I was in the Spirit, and behold, a throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne.”  John gives us an eyewitness of what he saw, not only the throne and the one seated on the throne, but also what was going on around the throne of our Lord.

John said the one sitting on the throne had the appearance of jasper and carnelian, and when I looked up jasper, the definition is chalcedony, a microcrystalline type of quartz occurring in several different forms, including onyx, agate, and jasper.  The meaning of the word carnelian is, a semiprecious stone consisting of an orange or orange-red variety of chalcedony. And as I’m reading this, it reminded me of the photo of the iceberg I took in Alaska; it had colors that I had not seen and the picture did not come close to what my eyes had observed, I believe that’s what is taking place in chapter four.

But that is not what grabs me in chapter four, what troubles me is what is happening in and around the throne of our Lord.  Around His throne are twenty-four thrones, and seated on the thrones are twenty-four elders, and they are clothed in white garments, with golden crowns on their heads.  John goes on to give this account, “And around the throne, on each side of the throne, are four living creatures, full of eyes in front and behind.”  John goes on to describe in great detail the four living creatures, but this jumped off the page at me, “and day and night they never cease to say, “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!”  Do you recall chapter 1:8, “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” 

Why does it trouble me to read this part of chapter four, because they are worshiping our Lord, day and night and they never cease to give praise to Jesus, and yet we the redeemed, the ones who were restored to favor with God by the shed blood of His only Son, do less, much less than these four living creatures.  John tells us the elders cast their crowns before the throne, saying, “Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.” 

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

God does not Punish Christians

Revelation 3:19-20

“I love you too much to let you get by with that,” those were the famous words my mother often spoke to me, and what followed was, “when your dad gets home he’s going to give you something to remember.”   Mother would speak to me in a way that showed disapproval of whatever I had done, and that is called being reproved, but dad was the enforcer and his goal was to change my behavior, and his method of ensuring that I obey the rules was a leather belt, and we will refer to that as discipline.

When John wrote to the church in Laodicea the words from Jesus, “Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent.  Behold, I stand at the door and knock.  If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come into him and eat with him, and he with me.”  My parent’s goal was never to punish me, though often when freedoms were taken from me, and the belt was used it sure felt like punishment, but it was designed to change my behavior and to bring about repentance.   God never punishes, punishment has to do with getting even, and God did that to His only Son Jesus Christ; Jesus was our substitute.  But God does reprove and discipline His children and the desired outcome is a change in our behavior; God demands obedience.

Often verse twenty is used as a tool to evangelize but that verse is referring to people who have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.  When Jesus is talking about reproof and discipline he is referring to the church, and when He states; Behold, I stand at the door and knock.  If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come into him and eat with him, and he with me.”  He is also referring to His church.  We can only surmise that we who are in His church are completely or partially unable to hear or we are unwilling to respond.  Jesus the Lord who left glory so that we might have life is asking us to open the door to our heart and enjoy his fellowship.  Why will we not do that?

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Preamble to the Manhattan Declaration

Good morning Christians, is all well with your soul?  A group of Christian men and women who have one thing in common, Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior have signed their names to a document called the Manhattan Declaration.  I hope on this day of giving thanks that you will take the few minutes required to read this Preamble, it is a history of where we came from as Christian.

Bob Rice

Preamble 

Christians are heirs of a 2,000-year tradition of proclaiming God’s word, seeking justice in our 

societies, resisting tyranny, and reaching out with compassion to the poor, oppressed and 

suffering.   

While fully acknowledging the imperfections and shortcomings of Christian institutions and 

communities in all ages, we claim the heritage of those Christians who defended innocent life by 

rescuing discarded babies from trash heaps in Roman cities and publicly denouncing the 

Empire’s sanctioning of infanticide.  We remember with reverence those believers who sacrificed 

their lives by remaining in Roman cities to tend the sick and dying during the plagues, and who 

died bravely in the coliseums rather than deny their Lord.  

After the barbarian tribes overran Europe, Christian monasteries preserved not only the Bible but 

also the literature and art of Western culture.  It was Christians who combated the evil of slavery: 

Papal edicts in the 16th and 17th centuries decried the practice of slavery and first 

excommunicated anyone involved in the slave trade; evangelical Christians in England, led by 

John Wesley and William Wilberforce, put an end to the slave trade in that country.  Christians 

under Wilberforce’s leadership also formed hundreds of societies for helping the poor, the 

imprisoned, and child laborers chained to machines. 

In Europe, Christians challenged the divine claims of kings and successfully fought to establish 

the rule of law and balance of governmental powers, which made modern democracy possible.  

And in America, Christian women stood at the vanguard of the suffrage movement.  The great 

civil rights crusades of the 1950s and 60s were led by Christians claiming the Scriptures and 

asserting the glory of the image of God in every human being regardless of race, religion, age or 

class.  

This same devotion to human dignity has led Christians in the last decade to work to end the 

dehumanizing scourge of human trafficking and sexual slavery, bring compassionate care to 

AIDS sufferers in Africa, and assist in a myriad of other human rights causes – from providing 

clean water in developing nations to providing homes for tens of thousands of children orphaned 

by war, disease and gender discrimination. 

Like those who have gone before us in the faith, Christians today are called to proclaim the 

Gospel of costly grace, to protect the intrinsic dignity of the human person and to stand for the 

common good.  In being true to its own calling, the call to discipleship, the church through service 

to others can make a profound contribution to the public good.  

One way and only One, and yet the ways are two

Revelation 3:15-18

I grew up in a family of five and we were not poor by third world standards but we never had food that was wasted, and on Sundays it was fried chicken, one chicken for five people, with mashed potatoes, gravy and green beans.  It came from the frying pan to the table, and if you were not fast you missed out on the last piece of chicken.  To this day, I eat very fast and I want my food hot, not warm, and I do not like it lukewarm and I contribute that action to my childhood and that chicken. 

But the hot and cold and even the lukewarm in Revelation 3:15 is not addressing food, no it is referring to our hearts, to the church in Laodicea and many have said it mirrors today’s church.  Verses 15,16, “I know your works; you are neither cold nor hot.  Would that you were either cold or hot!  So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot or cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.”  Jesus has no part in the church that is lukewarm, His feeling about that church is similar to how I feel about cold soup, He tells us, “I will spit you out of my mouth.”

The church Jesus is referring to may be on budget, may have many great programs, and the finest of buildings with the most up to date sound system, the best music and a preacher who has the ability to keep the smallest child’s attention; in fact it is so good that it has little need to ask God for anything and Jesus calls it lukewarm. That church is void of power; Jesus says, “I will spit you out of my mouth.”  It has a habit of copying what God is up to in some other church and not seeking the Spirit of God and His desire for that local body of believers, it is void of prayer and it is proud.

Jesus goes on to tell a church like this these words; “For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.”  God has blessed the United States and we do not want His blessing to stop, but many in the Church believe there is no place for God in our government.  Vast majorities of people are now experiencing the effect of government, in our schools, and daily life without the hand of God.   This is the thinking of many in and out of the Church; we want to do what we believe works for us and we do not need anyone, not God, no not anyone to tell us what is right or wrong, we want a life free from absolutes.  And that spirit of the world has filled the Church today, and the Lord Jesus Christ has stated, “I will spit you out of my mouth.”

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

It may happen today

Revelation 3:10-11

Two thousand years ago when Jesus walked on planet earth in His earthsuit, getting a letter from one place to another took awhile, but Jesus told us that we would do greater things than He did; I am not sure if He meant instance messaging, using email or I-Pods?

I can only imagine the excitement when this letter arrived, listen to what John heard and wrote to all the churches, and especially the church in Philadelphia.  “Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth.  I am coming soon.  Hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown.”

I can only imagine getting this letter today on my email and it is addressed to the church I attend, and God who knows me, I mean He know my thoughts, is telling me and my church that we have been faithful in abiding and keeping His word.  But God does not stop, in fact He lets us in on a mystery, an hour of trial is coming on the whole world, and He has kept His church from going through it, that is good news.  But that is not the greatest news, in fact at this point I’m sending emails to everyone I know, telling them about my email from Jesus and that He is coming soon.

The sad news is that letter has arrived, and many of us in the church are not all that excited, we act as if it is not true, we live like it is not true, but Jesus knew that we would do that and he told us so in Matthew 24, it is a very interesting read for each of us, just call it a good review.  In Matthew 24:37-39, Jesus said, “As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.  For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away.  That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.”  I hope you read the chapter, and verse 42, that state, “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.

Jesus is coming back in the same manner as He left, if you are like the people of Noah’s time you will not be ready, and what will be a glorious day for me, will be the day you will curse your mother for having you, that day is set, it may be today, tomorrow, next year, many have been waiting and watching since Jesus left in the clouds, I have no understanding of the time or date, but this I know, Jesus said, I am coming soon.

From the Back Porch,

Bob

"But God"

Revelation 3:8

The letter to the church in Philadelphia, the angel of that church had John write; “I know your works.  Behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut.  I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.”  Power is not a subject we converse about much in the church today, have you stopped and I do mean stopped your very busy life and just reflected on the power of Jesus Christ in your life, not in your neighbors, not in your pastors; if not, today is a good day to reflect on the power of Christ in your life.

How much power do you contribute to God, does your God have divine power over nature, is your God all knowing and is He ever present, is He infinite, can He take what is not and speak it into being, how big is your God?  If the above does not refer to your God, then He is not the God of the Bible.  The author of 1Chronicles does a great tribute to God; “Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours.  Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head above all.  Both riches and honor come from you, and you rule over all.  In your hand are power and might, and in your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all.”   Last week we visited Crossroads in Houston and Pastor York used this phrase in his sermon, “But God”, and later that week Craig Hearn sent me this, “but God” has surely listened and heard my voice in prayer (Psalm 66:19); “but God” will redeem my life from the grave (Psalm 49:15); “but God” raised him from the dead (Acts 2:24); For every house is built by someone, “but God” is the builder of everything. (Hebrews 3:4)  Have you stopped yet to reflect on the “but God” happenings in your life? 

I have ask you to stop and reflect on the power of Jesus Christ in your life, and I also must do that; this is a very hard time for many of us, many of my dearest friends who have labored and saved are seeing a life of savings disappear and many are fearful, and angry.  Once more I’ve found solitude in 2 Chronicles 20:12, “O our God, will you not execute judgment on them? For we are powerless, against this great horde that is coming against us.  We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.”  The apostle John, reminds us of what Jesus said in John 15:5, “I am the vine; you are the branches.  If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”  To have the power of Jesus Christ in my life, I must abide in the vine (Christ).  Jesus said these words, “Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.”  Lord, often I do not know what to do, but my eyes are on you.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Is it alive or dead?

Revelation 3:1-6 

You do not want to receive this letter from the angel of the church in Sardis; this letter should bring shame and fear into your heart and mind.  This is what the angel said; “I know your works.  You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead.  Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God.  Remember, then, what you received and heard.  Keep it, and repent.  If you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you.”

How often do you hear someone say, that’s my church, or I am a member of Pastor Big Shot’s church, and the angel of that church will say, wake up, it’s either the church of the living God, or it is a poser, it may have the reputation of being alive, but God who sees the heart says, it is dead.  It may be on TV nation wide, it may be the darling of the world and Pastor Big Shot may be called on to speak at all the important worldly functions, but if Jesus Christ is not proclaimed, if sin is not exposed, and people are not coming to an understanding that Jesus Christ is the only way to the Father, that church is dead.

How sad it is when you see a church with the reputation of being alive, it has the latest and greatest program, it is busy, has a large staff of very busy professional people, and people love to attend services because the pastor never makes them feel uncomfortable, he tells the greatest stories and you can buy the best coffee and books as you leave the service. I am not speaking against coffee and good books that will help you and I develop, and become more mature, but the message must be based on the authority of Scripture. It should matter how God sees the place you and I call Church, not how you feel, the question to be answered is; are the works complete in the sight of God, is it alive or dead, the angel says; “for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God.  Remember, then, what you received and heard.  Keep it, and repent.  If you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you.”

Even in the church in Sardis the angel tells us, “Yet you have still a few names in Sardis, people who have not soiled their garments, and they will walk with me in white, for they are worthy.”  Jesus goes on to tell those few, “I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels.  He who has an ear let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

A Jezebel awaits you and your Church

Revelation 2:18-29

To the Church in Thyatira, “I know you’re works, your love and faith and service and patient endurance, and that your latter works exceed the first.”  Now this is a great church, they got it all together, they are kingdom minded, and their latter works in services and faith exceed what was done in the past.  “But I have this against you, that you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and seducing my servants to practice sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols.”  The name Jezebel has a bad connotation in that we think of the wife of Ahab the wicked queen, the murderess who incited her husband to evil, that is not the Jezebel the angel of the church in Thyatira is referring too, but a person of the same heart and actions.

This great church is closing its eyes to sins of this woman, who has set her self up as a prophetess and is teaching things that lead people into sin, sins that imprison and destroy not only the persons who are taken captive, but also bring shame on the name of Jesus Christ.  Our enemy Satan the evil one, the devil, has a Jezebel set aside for every church that holds to the teaching of Jesus Christ, and especially one that has a kingdom focus, and she may not be a she, it could be a Priest or Preacher, a deacon or a teacher.

The church of the living God should not tolerate evil in the body of Christ, and when we do it will bring the same judgment on that church as the church in Thyatira.  “But to the rest of you in Thyatira who do not hold this teaching, who have not learned what some call the deep things of Satan, to you I say, I do not lay on you any other burden.  Only hold fast what you have until I come.”  To those who hold fast the teaching of Jesus Christ will come a great reward at His soon coming, this is how the angel closed the letter; “He who has an ear let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

You got MAIL

Revelation 2:13-17

At our house it is rare to get a personal letter in the mail and the letter to the church at Pergamum is not the kind of letter most of us get from anyone today.  But, what if this letter came in your mail, and it was addressed to you and your church; it is from the angel that Jesus Christ has placed over your church.  And in the first few lines it states; “I know where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is.”  Now that is not good, in fact you may be considering an address change, but the angel goes on to tell you that he knows you have held fast to your faith even when the faithful witness Antipas was killed among you.

That is not the end of the letter, it goes on to say; “But I have a few things against you: you have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, so that they might eat food sacrificed to idols and practice sexual immorality.”  Who is Balaam and what does he teach?  To find the answer we must go to the book of Numbers, chapter 22 and we find the story of Israel coming out of Egypt and traveling to the plains of Moab and they camped along the Jordan across from Jericho.  The God of Israel had moved against the Amorites and destroyed them, so Balak the king of Moab and all the Moabite people were filled with fear because of the Israelites. 

What do you do when someone bigger and stronger comes to your door, you call 911 for help and that is what Balak did; he sent messengers to summon Balaam “the mercenary Prophet” and this is what is recorded; “A people has come out of Egypt; they cover the face of the land and have settled next to me. Now come and put a curse on these people, because they are too powerful for me.  Perhaps then I will be able to defeat them and drive them out of the country.  For I know that those you bless are blessed, and those you curse are cursed.”   Sounds like a plan, but when the messengers arrived Balaam told them to spend the night and he would bring back the answer the Lord gives to him; and this was the message from God; “Do not go with them.  You must not put a curse on those people, because they are blessed.”  So Balaam went back with this message, “Go back to your own country, for the Lord has refused to let me go with you.”  Now that is what God calls obedience, do what you are told, when you are told, with the right heart attitude.  And if the story ended we would have a totally different opinion of the prophet Balaam, but the story does not end, and king Balak is like any other man who believes his wealth can buy what he wants, so he sends more distinguished men with bigger titles who offers more money.  Balaam is still on message with this reply; “Even if Balak gave me his place filled with silver and gold, I could not do anything great or small to go beyond the command of the Lord my God.”  And if he had only stopped at that point and said God has spoken on this matter he would not be viewed as “the Mercenary Prophet” but as a man who obeyed the God he served. 

Now the rest of the story, he tells them to spend the night and he will inquire of God if he can go with them, and that night God came to Balaam and said, “Since these men have come to summon, go with them, but do only what I tell you.”  Well it looks good for the king of Moab and it looks like Balaam will have a much bigger 401K when this deal is over.

If you do not remember the account of Balaam’s donkey, you can read about it in Numbers 22:21-35, but it is clear that God was very anger at Balaam and was going to kill him, but for a faithful donkey that could see what Balaam could not see.  Why was God angry, did He not give Balaam the Ok to go with these men?  The answer is obedience, God told Balaam what to do and like many of us, it was not the answer that led him to what he presumed was in his best interest.  Obedience is obeying God when He speaks, and doing it with the right heart attitude.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Or their Angels in your Church?

Revelation 2:8-11

“And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: “The words of the first and the last, who died and came to life.  “ ‘I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich) and the slander of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.  Do not fear what you are about to suffer.  Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation.  Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.  He, who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.  The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death.”

As I was reading about the second church mentioned in Revelation these thoughts came into my mind; each church had an angel assigned to it.  The words recorded are from Jesus Christ, and he is assuring us that he was dead, but that he is now very much alive.  He is telling the Smyrna church that He understands the tribulation and poverty that they are suffering, and yet they are rich; now that just does not seem to work together any more than darkness and light, so what is the message that Jesus wants them and us to understand?

The apostle Paul helped me understand this great truth; “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (2Corinthians 5:17)  Since we have this relationship with God as our Father, not based on our actions, but because Jesus reconciled the world by His blood to the Father, we who enter into a relationship with Christ are now sons/daughters of the Creator God, and that is being rich.  Many of us understand the aging process but often we do not understand that in Christ our earth suit is heading to the dirt, but our spirit is being renewed each day; that is what Paul said in 2 Corinthians 4:16-18.  “Therefore we do not lose heart.  Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.  For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that for out weighs them all.  So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen.  For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”

The enemy of both God and man is the devil, the devil is a created being just as you and I, but before his fall he was an archangel, his sin was pride, he wanted to have his throne above God’s, he wanted to be worshipped, and God tells us that Satan is a liar and a murderer, and the father of both.  Jesus is telling the Smyrna church that “the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested,” never forget the devil had to go to the Father to get access to them and to you, and never forget that God has put a limit to the devil’s temptations, and never forget that the devil knows his time is short, and he is filled with fury, but he has to go through the hand of God to get to you.

The apostle Paul told us the following, “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.  Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.”  That was good council then and it is good council today, because God has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

You got MAIL

Revelation 2:1-7

How times have changed, when I was young a mailman delivered mail to the front door, we knew him, but today my mail is delivered to a box at the end of our road and it requires a key and it is extraordinary to find anything of substance in that box.  What if today I got a letter in my box that was written to me from Jesus, and in that letter it said Bob, your doing Ok in some areas of life, but I have this against you, and Jesus goes on to tell me I’ve abandoned my love for Him.  He tells me to go back and recall how I longed to talk with Him, and that I was faithful to seek Him and find pleasure in His instruction, but that I have let the pressures of this world make me follow rules, but the love for people and God have grown cold in my heart.  That letter would be similar to the letter Jesus wrote to the church in Ephesus.

Many believe that the seven churches Jesus is writing to are examples of churches throughout the time of the church on this earth.  Have you been part of a backslidden church, one that is persistent in service, strong in discipline, but does not show love to the community, does not seem to love Jesus enough to obey His teaching; it is more like empty words and little or no action outside of the local body.  Jesus has this to say to that church, “But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first.  Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.” 

It is my belief that many lampstands have been removed, because the church was too full of it’s history, or traditions, those long-established customs or beliefs that have been handed down from generation to generation, and over time they have became more important than doing the will of God. 

Many questions fill my mind as I read this; do I care about the things Jesus cares about, do I look forward to spending time in His word, am I a member of a church that cares about the things Jesus cares about, does it act out of love or just rules and traditions?  Is my church a kingdom minded church, does it hate the things that God hates, and last but of utmost importance, does it love people, all people, no matter color, race or religion?  I must report that I am blessed to be part of Oakwood in New Braunfels and it passes the test, it is a kingdom minded church; it loves the things God loves.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Love beyond my understanding

Revelation 1:17-19

“When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead.  But he laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living one.  I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.  Write therefore the things that you have seen, those that are and those that are to take place after this.  As for the mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand, and the seven golden lamp stands, the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lamp stands are the seven churches.”

Dear Jesus, thank you for the letter, it is such a comfort to know that when I’m fearful that you will come and place your righteous right hand on me, and the peace that comes into my heart when I stop and dwell on your person; You are alive forevermore.  When I stop and reflect on Your person these thoughts flood my mind; that death was an act of obedience to Your Father, and a love for me that still is beyond my understanding.

Let me also thank you for showing John what is and what is to come, I often wonder what tomorrow is bringing into my life, and Lord you know me, You know my thoughts before I do, and You understand my small faith in You, my Mighty God.  It is only when I give up trying to fix all that is broken and turn back to the One who knows all about me and still has an everlasting love for me; it is in those moments that I find the rest and peace my soul longs for.

Lord, when I read about the seven stars in Your hand, my small little mind cannot get there, it was wonderful to see Your explanation that they are the seven angels of the seven churches and the lamp stands are the seven churches.  What a blessing to know that the one who holds me in his hands also has the keys to both death and hell. 

Lord open my mind and my eyes to hear and see all that you want me to see in the Revelations, of things to come and things that are.

Love,

Bob

From the Back Porch,

Jesus will always meet us at the place He send us

Revelation 1:9-16

I am not sure that’s what is taking place with John, but He is on the island of Patmos, it is six-miles wide and ten-miles long, it’s terrain is rocky and barren, and a place where the Roman emperor Domitian (A.D. 81-96) banished criminals; and Christianity was a criminal offense.

It was on a Sunday that Jesus spoke from behind John in a loud voice these words; “Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.” We know that the Lord’s Day is one of the traditional Christian names for Sunday, the first day of the Judaeo-Christian seven-day week, observed by most Christians as the memorial of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.   John knew the voice, but he was in Patmos, not his beloved Ephesus and so he turns to see the one who is speaking, and this is what he saw: “seven golden lamp stands, and in the midst of lamp stands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest.  The hairs of his head were white like wool, as white as show.  His eyes were like a flame of fire, his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters.  In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength.” 

It is of the utmost importance to say that I am not a scholar, not even close, but it is of significance that the word seven is used throughout this book.  Seven is the number of perfection and is used throughout the Scriptures; and do you recall the account of Peter, James and John when Jesus was transfigured before them; we have this account in Matthew 17:2, “His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light.” 

I can only imagine what it would be like to be face to face with the one who died in my place, knowing He is Creator God; John fell at his feet as though dead, and yet after Jesus touched him he stood and gave the account above.  My wife asked me to read this quote from “The Beloved Disciple” by Beth Moore, and it speaks volumes; “Next we take a turn with the apostle John that he couldn’t have expected.  We can be quite sure he never sketched Patmos on his personal itinerary.  I wonder what the old man felt as he was shipped like a criminal from his loved ones in Ephesus to a remote, unfriendly island in the Aegean Sea.  He had no idea what awaited him.  God’s ways are so peculiar at times.  The greatest privilege of John’s life waited for him in the gravest circumstances.  Have you ever noticed how Christ suddenly seems to reveal Himself to us in the places that seem most remote?  Our brief overview of the study of Revelation will remind us afresh that Jesus will never send us anywhere He will not meet us.”

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

A letter to the local Church

Revelation 1: 4-8

I grew up in a church that did not speak very often of the third person of the Trinity; the Holy Spirit of God, and it also seemed to shy away from the book of Revelation.  Revelation seems to be a series of visions, some of them in part or in whole are veiled, at best we can only guess, and I am very poor at guessing; other parts are very clear in there teachings.  I say this only to remind the reader that these are just my thoughts but are based on what I believe the Spirit of God has shown to me.

The apostle John is sending a greeting to the seven churches in Asia, and the greeting is “from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the rulers of kings on earth.”  If you are one of those seven churches and you know the apostle John, you know he is a man who walks and talks with God, this letter is John passing on a Hi, or in Texas we would say a Howdy from the triune God.  If you are a member of one of those churches I bet your ears or open, waiting and wondering what else did God say to us, and then the elder of the church would read aloud the words of the letter and those who listen would be blessed, blessed that God, the one who is and who was and who is to come had spoken to them.

The letter reminds them and us, of who they/we were before Christ came into their/our life; “To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.”  In these first eight verses it also tells us that the Jesus who disappeared into the clouds while many were watching is coming back in like manner, but it is so important not to miss these important words in verse seven; “and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him.”   Who will see Him when He comes, the ones who pierced him, that would be people who are long dead, and every tribe on the earth, and every one? 

The eighth verse states; I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”  I’m not sure why we did not talk about the Holy Spirit of God or study the Revelation, when I was a young boy, but this I am sure of; the “I Am the Alpha and the Omega” the one “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty” the Christ is coming back in the same manner that He left this earth, and it’s closer than it was at the writing of this book.

From The Back Porch,

Bob Rice

How much time is left

Revelation 1:1-3

“The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place.  He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw.  Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near.”

Today I began reading Revelation, which was written by the apostle John off the western coast of Asia Minor, where John was banished because of his testimony of Jesus Christ, on the island of Patmos.  The time for the writing is placed about 96 A.D.   This book of the Bible is often neglected and yet many volumes have been written on this book.  I do not claim to have any new insights into Revelation, but Jesus made this statement in Matthew 24:35, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.”  I believe that to be true, and therefore I believe it is not a book I should distance myself from.

In our culture if someone makes the statement, “The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place” we are thinking tomorrow or the next day, but God is not controlled by time, and soon to Him, is very different, from our  “give it to me right now” culture.  It is also important to understand John was being shown a future event, one that he had not known or lived in.

What jumped off the page at me today was, I am to read the Revelation aloud, and though I do not understand the reason for this, it is very important to obey or summit to what the word of God is telling us to do.  As I read aloud the words of this prophecy, I will also be blessed that I am hearing it, but as always in Scripture comes the kicker, I have to do or obey what is written. 

The last part of this sentence is of great interest, all of us would like to know the when of any happening.  I hate to be late, so the time and place is of the utmost importance.  One thing is for sure; the time is closer today than it was when the apostle penned these words!

Form the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

When Did You Get So Religious

Revelation 20:1-3


Jan and I had the privilege last weekend of spending time with a great group of people whom I went to school with, and one of the guys who reads my “From the Back Porch” letters asked; when did you get so religious? I gave Ronnie the short version; I told him I was 27 years old when I came to have a personal relationship with the Lord. I was in a hotel room in Victoria, Texas, it was about 10:30 PM and I was tired of being a poser. I wanted everyone to believe I was Ok with God, that I even loved Him, but I had no desire for the things of God at the age of 27, or for anything, nor anyone, unless it got me what I wanted, and folks I was not alone, churches are full of posers.

The night I had an encounter with Jesus Christ, I had been at the bar looking for I’m not sure what and when I came back to my room, I could not sleep and fear came over me. I was tired of my life and I was sure that God was also fed up with my empty life. I got out the hotel Bible and began to read, “That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.” (Romans 10:9-10) That very night I was forgiven, that very night I was in right standing with God, and it had not one thing to do with religion, in fact that night I overcame religion (being a Baptist) and entered into a relationship, that night I came to know the Jesus I had only been informed about. That very night I entered into Christ, and He entered into me, an act of faith on my part, changed my identity, it also made me an enemy of Satan.

I had no knowledge that night in the hotel room that my actions would change my life, that I would have a desire to love what God loves, and would begin to understand that the devil was the source of evil and believed that he came only to kill, steal, and destroy everyone of us. That night I had no understanding of the devil’s schemes, but much later someone told me that I needed to put on the armor of God, and that seemed very strange to me. I was shown in Ephesians 6:11-12, “Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the authorities, against powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” Over many years I have come to understand that the battle is never with my wife, or brother, or neighbor, but it is a spiritual battle, and the armor is not seen, and often I hear a voice in my head that sounds like me, and it tells me how foolish I am, to put on armor that I cannot see. But it is a spiritual battle, and God reminds me that the angels and demons can see His armor, and that only His armor, will make me ready for this cosmic battle.

How does this tie into Revelation 20:1-3, “Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain. And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he might not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were ended. After that he must be released for a little while.” The Scripture states that before Satan is put into the pit, and a battle between Jesus and his army and the beast and the kings of this earth will take place and this is what John saw; “And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies gathered to make war against him who was sitting on the horse and against his army. And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who in its presence had done the signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur.” It is at this time that Jesus will establish His kingdom on earth for a thousand years, and although Satan will not be in the picture to deceive mankind, but mankind will still have a desire to sin, that desire has been passed on from Adam. The Scripture tells us that Jesus will rule with a rod of iron and even though mankind knows He is God, they will still disobey. After the thousand years are over and Satan is released, and then comes the mother of all battles, we will talk about that in another letter.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice