The More

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The More

By  Jan Rice

The more you give,

The more you get -

The more you laugh,

The less you fret -

The more you do unselfishly,

The more you live abundantly –

The more of everything you share,

The more you’ll always have to spare –

The more you love,

The more you’ll find that life is good and friends are kind –

For only what we give away, enriches us from day to day.

His Will or Your Will?

John 14:12-17

Has Jesus given us authority to demand that He jump when we ask something of Him?  Is Jesus saying not my will but yours in regards to our asking for stuff, healing, broken relationships, and the list goes on?  How absurd, or is it?  Many have built a theology on John 14:13-14, “Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.”  Many who are taught in this manner begin to ask for all kinds of things, some have called them the “Name it and Claim it” group, but before you or I who have looked a little deeper into God’s handbook on life get too pious; a question should come into our mind, what are we asking?   And is our asking by faith in His promises, or are we what Jesus refers often to as double-minded person.  And when we ask are we asking in faith and do we believe the words Jesus has spoken in verse 12, “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.”  (John 14:12 ESV)

I’ve come to this understanding that Jesus finds fault with both the “Name it and Claim it” group, but He also has very harsh words for the double-minded, and those who do not believe God will answer their prayers, because they are not sure of His will.  It’s clear that Jesus has gone to the Father, and He is now seated at the right hand of the Father, as our High Priest.  Hebrews 4:15-16 should encourage all who made intercession before the throne; “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

What should we consider before we pray?  We should be seeking God’s will and nothing less or more; Jesus looking to a cruel death on the cross prayed, "My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done." (Matthew 26:42b)  God will not listen to the prayers of an adulterous people, and the adultery being referred to, friendship with the world, which is enmity with God.  James 4:4-5 is very clear that when God sees us in that light, our prayers will not be heard.  Look at James 4:3, “You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.”  As stated above we must believe what Jesus has said, not what we feel, not based on our performance, but on the authority of His written word, and James makes this very clear in these verses; “But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.”

(James 1:6-8 ESV)  A side note to husbands, the apostle Peter gave this wise word to us in 1Peter 3:7, that our prayers are hindered if we do not honor our wives and live with them in an understanding way.

Can I be sure of the will of God?  Ask the Helper, is that not why Jesus left Him to pray and has Jesus not told us that the Holy Spirit will not speak of Himself but the very words and thoughts of Jesus.  Listen to these words of Jesus: “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.” (John 14:15-17 ESV)

For you and I to do greater things than Jesus we must first humble ourselves and do as Jesus did, "My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done."

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Many have said it's Exclusive

John 14: 8-11

I bet you know someone who is looking for a way to God other than through Jesus Christ; in fact you may be that someone.  More than one person has told me that John 14:6, is too exclusive, what about the person in some jungle that has never seen a Bible?  And my answer is; John 3:16, the same God who so loved the world that He gave his only Son to take our place, pay our debt by shedding His blood on a cross so all could have eternal life who put faith in Him.  That God is big, real big, and I trust He will reach them with His love story of Jesus. 

I also observed that many who make such claims, have a better plan than God’s.  Their plan is built around living life as they please, and God calls that rebellion, it is living independently of God’s authority, in fact it is living under your own authority, making your own way to eternal life.  But from who or where did you get such authority, and how much control do you have over this life, not much, you can not add one day to your life, the book of James makes that very clear. “Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”—yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.”  (James 4:13-16 ESV)

Now if the above is not clear let me make sure that you understand; I believe Jesus is “Truth” not a truth but “The Truth,” and if that is true, then “Truth” has spoken in John 14:6-7, Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.” 

Now if you’re a Christian, a person who by faith has put their hope for this life and the life to come in what Jesus did some 2000 years ago on a cross, by buying you back out of the grasp of sin, by shedding His blood for your sins, and you are still in trouble, so was the apostle Philip. Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” (John 14:8) This was Jesus reply to His disciple, and to you and me: “Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves. (John 14:9-11 ESV)

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

A life based on trust can be a disaster

John 14:1-7                                                    

A life based on trust can be a disaster unless it has knowledge of the source of what is truth.  Shall we go back to a garden in Eden, we find a truly perfect man and woman, and they looked forward to walking and talking with God, they knew only love, they were pure and without sin, and then along came a serpent.  Now this serpent is called crafty in Genesis 3:1, in fact we are told the following; “Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the LORD God had made.  He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?”  This perfect woman who knew no sin engaged in conversation with this crafty little fellow, she did not understand, and had no knowledge of this cute crafty serpent’s intent, all she understood was that it could converse with her.  If before hanging out with the crafty one, she would have enquired of God, the outcome would have been very different, but that is not what she did.  But God has spoken clearly to all of us about the crafty one; “And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. (Revelation 12:9 ESV)

           

Eve put her trust in what she heard and saw that the fruit was good to eat, and in that she had no understanding of good and evil, but the crafty one told her she could be like God, yes, to be a God, now that closed the sale.  That is called independent living and is what many people who are very good people, not lawbreakers, morally good, pay their taxes and yet they bought into the same lie as Eve.

The first seven verses of John 14, are not the words of an apostle, not the words of a prophet, they are the words of none other than Jesus Christ.  And so let’s cut to the chase; is Jesus worthy of your trust, does Jesus tell the truth?  What you believe hinges on your answer, you cannot have it both ways; Jesus did not leave you that choice. “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way to where I am going.” Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”  (John 14:1-7 ESV)

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

The "Bear Story"

John 13:36-38

How well do you know yourself?  How confident are you in yourself?  Self-confidence is defined as; “a feeling of trust in one's abilities, qualities, and judgment.”  Are feelings reliable, or what is a feeling based on: “the capacity to experience strong emotions, or a particular impression, appearance, effect, or atmosphere sensed from something.” 

Bill Gillham enjoyed telling a story to make a point, one such story was the “bear story.”  It goes something like this; you’re in the woods and the largest bear you ever seen begins to chase you.   Your emotions, Bill calls that your (Feeler) and your mind, he calls that your (Thinker) tells (Will) that bears run faster than people, that bears climb trees, and that bears eat people.  You, at this point, see a cabin and it has one door, and one very small window.  You make it to the cabin and shut the door; it is made of 4” oak timbers and has three ½” thick iron hinges holding the door and brackets on both sides to hold the 4” oak timber that drops into them.  The cabin is also made of 12” x12”x 12’ timbers and could withstand the attack of a small army, you are safe in the cabin.  One small problem, your “feeler” is off the charts, you are safe in the cabin but you do not feel safe, and you’re about to have the big one.  If you had more information you would begin to feel safe.  Bill always gives a (Key Concept) – “Whether you are talking about Christian-faith or cabin-faith, the main issue is not the amount of your faith, but the object of your faith.”

Now back to how that ties into John 13:36-38, which is the account of Jesus foretelling Peter’s denial.     Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, where are you going?” Jesus answered him, “Where I am going you cannot follow me now, but you will follow afterward.” Peter said to him, “Lord, why can I not follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.” Jesus answered, “Will you lay down your life for me? Truly, truly, I say to you, the rooster will not crow till you have denied me three times.” (John 13:36-38 ESV)  Peter is very confident that if all the others leave Jesus he will not.  But we’ve learned that self-confidence is defined as a feeling, and Peter’s feeler is stuck, on a scale of 1-10, and ten being maxed out, Peter is at a 12.  

Matthew also gives an account of this; they are leaving the Mount of Olives and Jesus tells them, “You will all fall away because of me this night. For it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’ But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee.” Peter answered him, “Though they all fall away because of you, I will never fall away.” Jesus said to him, “Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” Peter said to him, “Even if I must die with you, I will not deny you!” And all the disciples said the same. (Matthew 26:31-35 ESV)  The Holy Spirit speaking through the apostle Paul had this to say to you and me, “Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall.” 

(1 Corinthians 10:12 ESV)  It is not self-confidence we need; what is needed is God confidence, and that will require knowledge of His faithfulness.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Definition of Commandment

John 13:31-35

Saint Francis is often quoted, “Preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary use words.”  Four people from our church returned from a mission trip to India, and what I took away from their talk is the quote above.  Not once was the quote or St. Francis mentioned, but as each of them communicated the meaning; this is what they said, our purpose was not to make converts of the sick and dying, but to serve them by acts of love; the washing and feeding of the sick and dying, the rubbing of oil on the bodies of these who are called the untouchables.  Each one that spoke said that these acts of love transcended language, that though the society had branded them as untouchable, Jesus was without words speaking into their hearts and soul that they are of great value, and because of their personal value, Jesus had sent people from all over the world to touch them. 

Mike Smith was part of that team, and he is an inquisitive type, and wanted to know why others had come to this place of unbelievable poverty, sickness, and dying and who knows what kind of diseases.  To his amazement many answered that they did not know, they just knew they needed to come, many had stepped away from professional careers, and some were young college students, and had been there for a few days, months, and some for years.  Mike was asked why he came, he said it was not on his bucket list, but Jesus told me to go, and I obeyed. 

Jesus said in John 13:34-35,   “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”  Jesus said, “A new Commandment” and Mike Smith got it!  But what about you and me, do we understand the definition of commandment: “a rule to be observed as strictly as one of the Ten Commandments.” 

Could it be that we as a people are given to bending the rules?  A friend who is in what we call ministry, told me that if a light is red and no one is coming and he sits there for a moment, he looks both ways and goes through the light.  I told him the red light was not a suggestion on what to do, it was the law, and that makes him a lawbreaker.  I believe many Christians live life in that way, they do not obey as Mike did, and the results are that those around them do not see them as disciples of Jesus Christ, because we do not love one another.

Let me leave you with what Jesus said, “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?” (Matthew 5:43-46 ESV)  One last quote from St. Francis, “Start by doing what's necessary; then do what's possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible.”  The impossible is letting Jesus do it through you!

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

The deception Channel

John 13:21-30

Has there been a time in your life that you knew, yes, you knew it was the wrong thing to do, but you believed by doing it you might make things better for yourself?  For me it began as a small child whose parents taught right and wrong, and yet I often reasoned that if I got by with it, whatever it was, and it brought me pleasure, and no one got hurt.  Looking back on that mindset it was controlled by the devil, it was all about self, and it was reflected in my poor performance in school and much later in my married life.  What the enemy of our souls does not reveal is that Jesus tells the truth, and the Bible is clear about what we do comes back to us.  We are told in Galatians, “Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.”  (Galatians 6:6-8 ESV) 

When that voice that sounds just like me says; your entitled, you deserve better, and no one will ever know, that’s the deception channel, or channel 1.  But the truth, channel 2 is also speaking, and it is never about that self deserves anything, but to show love to those you come in contact with.  Galatians 6, also tells us about channel 2, “And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.” (Galatians 6:9-10 ESV)  Channel 2 is often not heard because it is not what our flesh wants, and so the enemy of our soul has come up with a plan to block it, and it is called noise.  But Jesus and our Helper (Holy Spirit) are broadcasting and the message goes something like the message in Matthew 7, “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.”

(Matthew 7:12 ESV),

John 13:21-30, is the account of Jesus telling the disciples that one of them is going to betray him, and in that John was close to Jesus at the table Peter motioned to him to ask Jesus of whom he was speaking.  So when John asks, “It is he whom I will give this morsel of bread when I have dipped it.”  So when he had dipped the morsel, he gave it to Judas the son of Simon Iscariot.  Then after he had taken the morsel, Satan entered into him.  Jesus said to him, “What you are going to do, do quickly.” (John 13: 26-27)  It seems clear that Jesus pointed out to John who the traitor was, but that was not God’s plan, and the Bible does not give us a clear picture of why Judas sold Jesus to the Jews.

For sure his life was tuned to channel 1, and it is reported in Scripture that Judas often stole money, we can each speculate on the why, but it is clear Judas saw the signs and miracles but never bowed his knee to the will of God.  Do you recall when Jesus had washed His disciples feet, He said, “Not all of you are clean.”  Jesus was referring to Judas.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Tune to the Righ Channel

John 13:18-20

Let me be very clear, Jesus Christ is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords; He is the Great I Am, the only Son of God, but he took on skin and became like us with this exception; His Father was God not Adam.   That is a fact I often overlook, Jesus had emotions, He got hungry, and He enjoyed a good story, or joke, and when working in His earthly dad’s carpentry shop and wood fell on His foot, He experienced pain.  The writer of Hebrews has this to say about Jesus in chapter 4:15, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.”   

How often do you take this truth into your mind as you are reading an account like Jesus washing his disciples feet?  In todays Scripture Jesus is letting these twelve, handpicked men in on something Jesus knew before the foundation of the world, that one of the twelve would sell him out for thirty pieces of silver.  In verses 18-21, we have this account; “I am not speaking of all of you; I know whom I have chosen. But the Scripture will be fulfilled, ‘He who ate my bread has lifted his heel against me.’ I am telling you this now, before it takes place, that when it does take place you may believe that I am he. Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever receives the one I send receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.” “After saying these things, Jesus was troubled in his spirit, and testified, “Truly, truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me.”  (John 13:18-21 ESV)

You cannot read that without feeling the pain, and you can bet the farm that Satan did not miss this opportunity, to say in a voice that sounded just like Jesus’ voice, your God and you do not have to put up with this, you do not need to go to a cross for a Judas, or anyone, just follow me and I will make them worship you.  The unseen spirit world was all present at that moment, it was a battle for the mind and the emotions of the Christ, it was a cosmic battle of the powers of darkness, but Jesus ran to the Father and said not My will but Yours, and it was so.

What should you and I take away from this?  The enemy of our soul speaks in a voice that sounds much like our own, and it is the deception channel, it comes after great success and also after we have failed; its message is a simple message; you deserve better, or you are stupid and should do away with yourself, my friend Bill called it channel 1.   Bill reminded me of this key concept – The power of sin is going to function in the same manner as the Holy Spirit, but with the opposite intent.

Be sure you are tuned to the right channel!

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Alias I've overcome

John 13: 12-17

When I was in the seventh grade one of the guys I ran with was Billy Lucas and he had names for all of us, one of our buddies was “Rocket head” because his head was shaped like a football, and Billy had two names for me “Flaps” because of my large ears, and a second name that had more to do with my personality, “little prince” first, because I was little and second, because I had to be first.  When you’re one of the smallest kids in seventh grade and you have a bur haircut that enhances the size of your ears and have a 68-pound body, it does not help to have Billy yelling down the hall of the Junior high school “flaps where are you going?”  It can cause an identity problem.  I would do almost anything to not be called flaps, and so “little Prince” was almost welcomed by me, even if it was meant to be a put down.  You may be sure that Bobby, alias, Flaps, and Little Prince was not comfortable, I was a very insecure and had no understanding of my place in life.

What a contrast to the man I am becoming in Christ, “Little Prince” had to be in front, needed to be seen as a leader, but Jesus is teaching me that to be a servant in His kingdom places me in a role of importance, that spiritual forces of good and evil are watching to see if I will allow Christ to be my life.  And this is what happened after Jesus washed His disciples feet: “When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them, “Do you understand what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.”  (John 13:12-17 ESV)

Jesus resumed His place, and that place was leader, teacher, and Lord, but unlike “little prince” Jesus stepped out of that role, and washed the feet of these men who would also go and do like wise. Do you need help in this area of your life?  Surely you want the blessing of God, and Jesus knew we wanted to be “Little Princes” and not servants, so He gave us a Helper, and to receive His help it requires asking and letting Him do it all for you, and then doing what the Helper tells you to do.  Jesus tells us all about our Helper in (John 14:15-17 ESV), “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.”  My prayer is that you grasp the need for a Helper, and welcome His help.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

What role did you play?

John 13: 1-11

When reading a great book, often through that wonderful gift of imagination I will place myself as one of the characters in the story.  When I do this the book comes alive and I do not want to put it down until I’m finished.  Ask the one who gave you this great gift to allow your imagination to place you as one of the twelve disciples when Jesus washed their feet.  Let me warn you that many emotions will fill you as you imagine Jesus washing your feet, because you clearly understand He is God in the flesh and He is serving you. 

One of the hardest things is to be honest about your part in the story you must evaluate   the now, not as who you want to be.  So ask the one who placed the gift of imagination into your being to show you whom you most identify with of the twelve men gathered in that upper room.  Is your role like a John who was called by Peter, the one Jesus loved, and if so how are your emotions, what’s going through your mind as Jesus washes your feet?  Maybe you identify more with a Philip or Andrew who had watched water turn to wine, the blind given sight, the dead raised, and now the Holy One, the Messiah is washing your feet, what is going through your mind?  Maybe you’re more like Thomas, and you are willing to die with Jesus, but your life is full of reservation, and now Jesus is washing your feet, what’s going on in your emotions?  My hope is that you are not identifying with the one who broke bread with the Lord, was present at all the signs and wonders, saw Lazarus come forth from the grave, and yet at that supper the devil had already placed into Judas Iscariot’s heart to betray Jesus.  If you identify with Judas, what is happening to your emotions, and if you do, my prayer is that you understand, God loves you, and has made a way of escape; all that is required is confession and asking the Father to change your hearts desires.

Did anyone identify with Simon Peter?   We do know Peter was not the first one Jesus came to, and we do not know if the others kept their thoughts to themselves.  But some of us should identify with Peter, and this is your story also; beginning in verse five, “Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, do you wash my feet?” Jesus answered him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand.” Peter said to him, “You shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.” Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” Jesus said to him, “The one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but is completely clean. And you are clean, but not every one of you.” For he knew who was to betray him; that was why he said, “Not all of you are clean.”

(John 13:5-11 ESV)  Peter is an open book, he is impulsive, he is brash, but he is also very wise, and when confronted with the choice of receiving all that Jesus has for him, he bowed his knee to Jesus.  We see Peter’s emotions they are not hidden, he is willing to be made willing, and at this moment as Jesus washes his feet, his only desire is to be identified with his Lord.  What role did you play in this story?

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

America’s Moral decline is not a new thing

Micah 7:1-7

America’s Moral decline is not a new thing and from this writer’s viewpoint it did not begin in the 60’s, no we have been in a moral decline much longer than we can grasp.  It reminds me of my first missionary trip as a new believer in Christ, and our mission was to the interior of Mexico with pastor Joe and my first mentor Jack Archer.  In that I did not speak Spanish and most of them did not speak English, I was more in the role of observer, but as an observer it was clear that these people who lived in cardboard shacks, knew and loved the Lord Jesus Christ in ways that I had no understanding of at that point in my new faith. 

But that was only a very small part of the lesson that the Lord had prepared for me on that visit, in fact the most important part of the lesson came later in a café/bar in Matamoras Mexico.  When we arrived at the café/bar it was about 4 pm and the sun was full and bright and upon entering the café/bar it was as if one had walked into a cave with no light source.  I recall following the waiter to a table and you could only see images of tables and chairs with people sitting in them, and yet in only a few moments our eyes had adjusted to the darkness and we saw a very large room with people sitting all around us.  Pastor Joe then used that illustration to make a lasting impression on me, he ask this question, when you came out of the bright light into the darkness of the café, did you have any knowledge that the room we entered was full of people?  My answer was a simple no, and this was his reply; that darkness is an example of sin, when we as a people first enter into it we come out of the light and the darkness is over whelming, but the longer we stay in the darkness it becomes less and less dark, it may even become enjoyable.

I believe the United States of America has experienced the darkness and it has become acceptable, in fact the enemy has set up diversity training so that as a nation we have accepted whatever the world is promoting, and the experience for many of us in the Christian faith is to feel as Micah has stated in chapter 7: 1-3, “How sad for me!  For I am like one who—when the summer fruit has been gathered after the gleaning of the grape harvest—finds no grape cluster to eat, no early fig, which I crave.   Godly people have vanished from the land; there is no one upright among the people.  All of them wait in ambush to shed blood; they hunt each other with a net.  Both hands are good at accomplishing evil: the official and the judge demand a bribe; when the powerful man communicates his evil desire, they plot it together.”

And though much of what Micah was experiencing was factual, because the majority of leaders, priest, and prophets in Israel were corrupt, godly people had not vanished from the earth, there were others who shared his spiritual convictions; such men as his contemporary Isaiah.  But his feeling of being alone was not incorrect, in that all around him the people of God, who had forsaken the standards of God, had set up standards that made them feel good about sin. 

Micah comes to this understanding, that he should not put trust in a man, not his close neighbor, or even a member of his own house; that only one person is worthy of faith and that is God.  Listen to verse seven, “But I will look to the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation.  My God will hear me.”  We should never forget the account of the prophet Elijah pleading with God against Israel, picking up the account in Romans 11:3-5,  “Lord, they have killed your prophets, they have demolished your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life.” But what is God's reply to him? “I have kept for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace.”

           

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

This conflict of truth and self

John 12:42-43

Often, truth seems from a worldly view to be terribly unpleasant to us who are being confronted with it, and such is the case with these authorities in the time of Jesus.  The question each of us must ask if we desire to be intellectually honest is, what am I doing in my business and with my associates, is it the same thing these authorities did at the time of Jesus?   These authorities did not have a belief problem, they had a self problem, and self or flesh always runs head-on into truth, and at that point your thinker (the mind) and your feeler (the emotions) send a message to (will) and “will” makes a choice.  The choice for these authorities was, do I tell the Pharisees to take a hike, or do I keep quiet about this new belief I have in Jesus as the Messiah?  They, (the mind) and (the emotions) sent the message to (Will) and “will” decided it was best to stay in the synagogue because self loves the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God.

This conflict of truth and self on a collision course, has been spelled out in the book of Galatians, “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.” (Galatians 5:16-17 ESV)   This may be a new teaching for you, and for sure these authorities had not heard such teaching, so did Jesus give them a pass? 

We need not speculate because Jesus did a follow-up with these words:      “And Jesus cried out and said, “Whoever believes in me, believes not in me but in him who sent me. And whoever sees me sees him who sent me. I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness. If anyone hears my words and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day. For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment—what to say and what to speak. And I know that his commandment is eternal life. What I say, therefore, I say as the Father has told me.” (John 12:44-50 ESV)

A common phrase we hear today is, “Who’s your Daddy?”   ‘a slang expression that one uses and it takes the form of a rhetorical question.  It is commonly used as a boastful claim of dominance over the intended listener.’ (From Wikipedia)  Jesus ask this question in John 12:44-50, and the answer is God!   And the battle zone is a daily war with the flesh or self against the Spirit, but listen to what Jesus has promised in John 14, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.”  (John 14:15-17 ESV)

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

A Large Crowd

John 12: 28-37

I have never done well with large crowds, I remember many years ago in Dallas, Texas, talking with a large number of electrical line crews at Texas Utility and I was addressing the need to follow instructions while installing our 15kV terminations.  It was a great group of people, many I had trained at a local service center, but some of them took exception with a sales type telling them they were in need of forgetting the old way, the old instructions by the old replaced manufacturer and adhering to the new technology, the new measurements.  Jesus was also addressing a crowd that had seen Him do many signs and miracles, and here is His exchange with them about the voice they had heard from heaven and what they should take away as instructions.  Jesus said the following about the voice; “This voice has come for your sake, not mine.  Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out.  And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.”  (John 12:30-32 ESB)   Jesus said this so that they would have some understanding of how He was to die, but you understand crowds often come with they’re own agenda, and this was true with this gathering.  This was the response from the people, “We have heard from the Law that the Christ remains forever.  How can you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up?”  Who is this Son of Man?” (John 12: 34 ESB) 

Now it is the nature of people who are being given new information on how to do a new thing, to want to cling to the old.  That was what was happening to me in Dallas, and in my case some in the crowd did not see me as an authority on how to install a 15kV termination.  So after some give and take from that group gathered to solve the problem, of wrong measurements, and failures, Tommy Weatherspoon their Vice President, stepped up and thanked the guys for their thoughts and ideals and then said; now I need you to stop and listen to Bob, he is the expert on how to do this new technology that we as a company have gone to.  That was all it took, someone with authority, and they listened, and they were successful in their installation after that meeting.

If only this gathering around Jesus that day had understood who was addressing them, but it is clear most did not and they left being unbelievers.  But before Jesus left them this is what He said; “The light is among you for a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you. The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going.  While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.” (John 12: 35-36 ESB) 
In my life time of 70 years, never has mankind needed to listen to and act on these instructions.  In John 8:12, Jesus is talking with some Pharisees who have brought a woman caught in the act of adultery, and that crowd wanted Jesus to pick up a stone and yet He bent down and wrote on the ground, and then said, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” (John 8:7 ESV)  And they all left, no one was left to accuse her, and Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go and from now on sin no more.” (John 8:11 ESV)  But Jesus addressed some of the crowd standing afar, “I am the light of the world.  Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12)   Faith is acting like Jesus tells the truth.
From the Back Porch,
Bob Rice

How good is your imagination?

John 12: 27-28

How good is your imagination?  As a child mine was amazing, after listening to a radio series of Inner Sanctum Mystery, which featured stories of terror and suspense. The show and it was a show in my mind, because I had the ability to form images and ideas, and see faces.  The series always began with a door with squeaky hinges that slowly opened. An organ began to play.  “Good evening, friends of the Inner Sanctum. This is Raymond, your host. I'm glad you came tonight, because we have a very special guest of horror with us. I'd like you meet the late Johnny Gravestone.  The most celebrated member of the Inner Sanctum Ghost Society. He's the best haunter of  all. Johnny's the tall figure in the white sheet wearing the blue ribbon. He's haunted everything from a palace to a telephone booth. And uh, if you're very nice to him, he'll be glad to consider giving your house the once over. Who knows? He might even haunt you? Ha-ha-ha-ha!”  Now it’s bedtime and do you think my imagination shut down, no way, an often my older brother who shared the room and bed would ask me questions, like did you see that or did you hear that sound under the bed.  And one wonders what was my mother thinking?
But now I’ve spent many years watching moves and television and guess what the imagination is no longer amazing, in fact it is almost gone, gone like high school algebra, as they say, if you do not use it, you will lose it.  So what I’m going to ask of myself, and you will not be easy, I want you to imagine that you are Jesus Christ.  To do this may be impossible, but then ask the Helper to set your imagination on these facts, as Christ you are the image of the invisible God, and you Created all things in heaven and on earth, things visible and invisible, and they were all created through you and for you.  You are worshiped by all the angels and have all authority and before you created anything you knew and you saw a cross, and on that cross you saw yourself, taking on the sin of the world.  The plan of your Father who loves the world that you spoke into being was that you would leave heaven where you are worshiped and become a baby placed into a young girl named Mary who was a virgin.  You would always be God but never would you depend on self, but would go to Your Father for all things.
All of that is just information because now you are a man, yes you are also God, but you are in total submission to Your Father, and it is getting near to the time of the cross, the cross You saw before the beginning of time.   Your mind fully understands what’s coming, the humility, the mocking, the pain, and the death, but most of all you understand that for the first time that it will create separation between You and your Father because you will take on sin and become the conqueror of death.  Now imagine you did this: “Now is my soul troubled.  And what shall I say?  Father, save me from this hour?  But for this purpose I have come to this hour.  Father glorify your name.” 

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Was that the Answer to the Question?

Often Jesus’ replies seem confusing in Scripture, in that He does not answer the question ask of Him, the question was; can these Greeks have an appointment with Jesus?  And this is His answer, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.  Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.” (John 12: 23-24)  What just happened, I have no doubt that Philip and Andrew was thinking, we just needed a yes or no.  And often we also miss the point Jesus is making because it is not the answer we are expecting or wanting to hear.

But that was not the question ask of Jesus and if we do not listen to His full reply, we will be like many husbands who are ask a question by their wife while watching a football game on T.V.  Many a man has wondered, why is she so upset; I heard most of what she said, not a good experience, I know!  In the Scripture that is referenced above, a farmer would have understood that a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, he would not waste time retrieving a grain of wheat, but if that same grain is covered with soil and nourished it will bear more grain. 

Jesus being God and man, often answered the unasked question, a great example is found in John 3:1-3, when a Pharisee named Nicodemus came to Jesus and made this statement: “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him. Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”  Jesus cut to the chase, what Nicodemus needed was spiritual life, not religion, not more study time, he needed life, and Jesus is the only one that can give you that gift.

So Jesus is telling these two followers of His that something must die in order for it to bless and be blessed.  The rest of the story is found in John 12:25-26, “Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.  If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also.  If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.”  Often we miss the message, but it is so clear in Galatians 2:20, “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and delivered Himself up for me.”  Bill and Anabel Gilham, said it so well in “The Life” and I quote, “Birth always determines identity.  All you have to do to go to hell is show up on the planet as a descendent of Adam.”  And, “God has no plan to make something beautiful of your life (in Adam).  The plan is to kill it and start over again.”  “It is from the perspective of who you are “in Christ” that you understand your true identity and realize that Christ is your life.” 

That is the answer to Nicodemus statement, it is the answer to Philip and Andrew’s question, “God accepts you based upon what you have done with Christ.  If you base acceptance upon anything other than Christ, you have higher standards than God.”  (Bill Gilham)

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Who your Heavy?

John 12:20-22

When reading an article do you look for the story line, the object, or subject of the story, I do, and in doing so do we miss many treasures the writer has placed in the story?  Never has this been more true to me than this morning as I was looking for the deeper truths, and read right past verses 20-22, “Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks. So these came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and asked him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” Philip went and told Andrew; Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus.”  (John 12:20-22 ESV)  First, I noticed that these Greeks were going to worship with the Jews and so they were converted to the Jewish faith, but they were still gentiles and looked down on by the Jewish people.  They did not have access to Jesus, so they went to Philip and what does Philip do, he goes to Andrew, not Peter, not John, no he goes to Andrew.  And that should make one wonder, why Andrew?  Maybe because he was the brother to Peter, and the gospel of John 1:35-41, gives the account of Andrew being a follower of John the Baptist.  And John the Baptist looked at Jesus as he walked by them and said, “Behold the Lamb of God!” And the two who were with John follow Jesus, one of them was Andrew, and the next day he found his brother Simon Peter and said to him, “We have found the Messiah.”  Could it be that Philip believed Andrew was a little more connected with Jesus than he was, and we do have Mark’s gospel that gives some support of that theory; “And as he sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John and Andrew asked him privately, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when all these things are about to be accomplished?” (Mark 13:2-4)

All of the facts from above more than likely played into Philip getting Andrew to go with him but what came to my mind is that Philip was a lot like you and me.  Could it be that he was not sure if Jesus would listen to him, but thought if I bring a heavy like Andrew, then my odds go way up.  We have all done this, a need comes into our life, it may be a sickness of a wife or husband, a child, or your own sickness and we run to the pastor.  Now we know that pastor’s have the ear of Jesus more than anyone, I sure hope you do not believe that statement!  Yes, too often I believe that the ground at the cross is not level, that Jesus will listen to my pastor or some other person of position before listing to my request, but what is needed is to believe that God is a Promise keeper, for that is what Scripture tells us over and over, and one such is Romans 4:20-21, in the account of Abraham.  “No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised.”  So as His child what promises have you lost faith in, has He not promised;  “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.”  (John 15:7)  We are told in Hebrews, “Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.” (Hebrews 4:14-15 ESV)

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice