Rule Bending

 

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 just 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 in Corpus Christi, 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

Do you like Spooky?

 

2 Peter 2:4-10

Do you like spooky?   I’m not into spooky, and I believe it goes back to sitting in the living room of our framed, three-bedroom house on Friday night, right before bedtime, when my brother and I would listen to the “Shadow.”   It always began with "Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? “The Shadow knows!” and all I remember is my imagination when wild.  I could see in my minds eye this darkened shape watching me, and it knew if I was good or bad, and it  caught the bad guys and punished them. On September 26, 1937, The Shadow radio drama officially premiered with the story "The Death house Rescue,” in which the character had "the power to cloud men's minds so they cannot see him."  One of the lines used each an every show was; "Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow knows!" These words were accompanied by an ominous laugh and a musical theme, Camille Saint-Saens’ Le Rouet d'Omphale ("Omphale's Spinning Wheel", composed in 1872). At the end of each episode, The Shadow reminded listeners, "The weed of crime bears bitter fruit. Crime does not pay.... The Shadow knows!" (Wikipedia)

And people wonder why I’m not normal, my dear older brother who shared a room with me loved to make shadows with his hands or ask me if I heard that noise, and I did, I saw all kinds of evil things.  But what a great question, "Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men?”  At that moment in time as a small child, I believed the Shadow knows, but I’m no longer working out of my imagination, but have come to understand that Creator God who spoke the world and everything that is into being, the God who is unseen knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men.  With that said, and to bring some clarity to 2 Peter 2:4-10, we need to look at Revelation 12:7-9. “Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon.  And the dragon and his angels fought back, but he was defeated and there was no longer any place for them in heaven.  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 earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.” God has not chosen to reveal the time line of these events, but the book of Jude verse 6, does shed more light on the event.  “And the angels who did not stay within their own position of authority, but left their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains under gloomy darkness until the judgment of the great day.”  So we can ascertain from this that some of the angels who had position of authority were not cast down to the earth, but held in total darkness awaiting judgment. 

As we look at 2 Peter 2:4, “For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to chains of gloomy darkness to be kept until the judgment;” and Peter goes on to tell about the flood that God brought on the world and how He turned Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes, but it is verse 9 and 10 that should bring fear into the hearts of men.  Peter is making reference to Lot, “then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trails, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment, and especially those who indulge in the lust of defiling passion and despise authority.”  It is of the utmost importance to share these words from Jesus, hell was not designed for people, people choose to go there, see Matthew 25: 41, “Then he will say to those on his left ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared fro the devil and his angels.”  Why would anyone choose hell, they bought a lie, and this verse spells out who is the author of the lie, “that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world.”

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

False Teachers among You

 

2 Peter 2:1-3

“But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who brought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed.  And in their greed they will exploit you with false words.  Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.”

Have you experienced this?  Would you know a false teaching if you were exposed to one?  I’m of the opinion that many who sit in church pews on Sunday would not and do not know, and that is why the Scripture states, “And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed.”

My prayer is that the Holy Spirit will give me the insight to form words in this document that will awaken those who have bought into destructive heresies.  “The United States Secret Service, one of the nation's oldest federal investigative law enforcement agencies, was founded in 1865 as a branch of the U.S. Treasury Department. It was originally created to combat the counterfeiting of U.S. currency - a serious problem at the time. In fact, following the Civil War, it was estimated that one-third to one-half of the currency in circulation was counterfeit.”  It may astonish you that the Secret Service is trained to detect counterfeit U.S. currency by studying and spending time with that currency, hours on hours with the currency and so they become so familiar with it that a counterfeit is easily discovered. 

When Christians awaken to this truth that John 10:10 is true, and that we are in a war, and that war will take anyone who is not trained in truth captive.  Everyone who claims the name Christian is commanded to study the word of God, and to apply these truths and promises to daily living.  Nowhere does it tell us to take the words of any person as truth, without putting them to the test of what the Bible says on that subject.   In Colossians chapter three the Holy Spirit gives clear instructions on key doctrine about what should be put out of our lives and what should be put into our lives, and how is that done?  “Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.”   The Bible is the source of that knowledge, and as a Christian you are ordered to study and seek the Holy Spirit’s leadership.

The Pharisees and scribes came from Jerusalem to seek an audience with Jesus and ask why he put up with his disciples breaking the tradition of the elders?  These Pharisees and scribes were the elite of the religious people of that time, and this was Jesus reply in Matthew 15:7-9, “You hypocrites!  Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said: “This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrine the commandments of men.”

I am very fearful that we are experiencing what the apostle Paul testified to in 2 Timothy 4:3, “For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listing to the truth and wander off into myths.”  Some two thousand years ago a governor named Pilate ask Jesus if he was king of the Jews, and this was his answer: “You say that I am a king.  For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth.  Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.”  Pilate said to him, “What is truth?”  Jesus did not reply to Pilate but he did tell some Jews who believed in him these words; “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”  It matters where we look for truth!

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Only One Reported

 

2 Peter 1:17-21

For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice borne to him by the Majestic Glory, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,” we ourselves heard this voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain.” (2 Peter 1:17-18)

What is being referred to is called the transfiguration, and it took place on what is referred to as a high mountain, about six days after Jesus foretells of His death and resurrection.  When the apostle Peter recounts this happening, as an eyewitness, he was not alone, others who witnessed it were James and John.  It is of interest that of the three men only Peter refers in his writing of this life changing moment, but Matthew’s gospel, Mark’s gospel, and Luke’s gospel all give a detailed account of what took place.  Mark’s gospel gives us this account of what took place on that mountain; “And he was transfigured before them, and his clothes became radiant, intensely white, as no one on earth could bleach them.  And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus.”  (Mark 1:3-4)

That was a defining moment in the life of those three men and up to that time they had based what they believed about Jesus on what the prophets had written and signs and miracles.  So verse 19-21 are from a new perspective, no longer someone else’s account, no they are from an eyewitness.  “And we have something more sure, the prophetic word, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, knowing this first of all that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation.  For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”

Early in verse 14, Peter has told us that he understands that very soon his body will be heading for the dirt and he understands that false prophets and teachers will come into the church and begin teaching all kinds of heresies.  So as an eyewitness he is telling you and me that the prophetic word will be to us like a lamp shining in a dark place.  I’m not sure, but it seems that at no time in my sixty plus years has this old world been less illuminated.  Good is called evil and evil is called good, but God has spoken about these days through the prophets, and through His Son, the Christ.  I believe this is our defining moment, to read, to believe, and to act on the many promises of God’s word.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Witnesses

 

2 Peter 1:16

“For we do not follow cleverly devised myths when we make known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.”

What is the value of eyewitnesses when trying someone for a crime or giving testimony on something of historical value, like the Holocaust or being a witness to the resurrected Christ?  It seems as if two criteria’s must be met:

1.The witness must be credible.

a. Veracity. If it turns out that a witness is not overly concerned about truthfulness, this casts doubts upon his further credibility.

       b. Testimony under coercion. The frankness of testimony may be limited if a witness is subjected to direct or indirect pressure that makes him deem it advisable to configure his testimony accordingly.

2. Testimony must be plausible.

1. Internal consistency. Testimony must be free of contradictions and in accordance with the rules of logic.

Correctness of historical context. Testimony must fit into the historical context established conclusively by higher forms of evidence (documents, material evidence).  Note: these were taken from; The Value of Testimony and Confessions Concerning the Holocaust

Our first witness might be Dr. Luke, and if you open the Bible to Luke 1:1-3 & 24:48 you may read that his narrative of the things that have been accomplished and were recorded so that Theophilus, who it is believed was a Gentile Christian, would have a true record.  Luke is explaining Jewish words and customs.  Luke’s main theme is Christ, and that he was one of the eyewitnesses from the beginning of Jesus earthly ministry.

Our next witness is the Apostle John who also said, "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched...we proclaim to you what we have seen and heard" (1 John 1:1,3).  After Jesus resurrection, Jesus appeared 12 times to different group sizes ranging from just one person to 500 people.

1) Mary Magdalene (Mark 16.9-11; John 20.11-18),

2) The other women at the tomb (Matthew 28.8-10).                                                                                      3) The two travelers on the road (Mark 16.12,13; Luke 24.13-34).                                                                 4) Ten disciples behind closed doors (Mark 16.14; Luke 24.35-43; John 20.19-25).                                     5) All the disciples, with Thomas, excluding Judas Iscariot (John 20.26-31; 1 Cor. 15.5).                            6) Seven disciples while fishing (John 21.1-14).                                                                                             7) Eleven disciples on the mountain (Matthew 28.16-20).                                                                              8) A crowd of 500 “most of whom are still alive” at the time of Paul’s writing (1 Cor. 15.6).                                                                                                                                    9) “Then to all the apostles” (1 Cor. 15.7) which includes the Twelve plus all the other apostles.
10) Jesus appeared to the disciples in Jerusalem (Luke 24.44-49).
11) Those who watched Jesus ascend to heaven (Mark 16.19,20; Luke 24.50-53; Acts 1.3-8).
12) Least of all Paul (outsider, skeptic) with others present and as though he was not living in the proper time (1 Cor. 15.8-9; Gal. 1.13-16; Acts 9.1-8, 

Those are the eyewitnesses, and the Creator has allowed everyone who has lived on planet earth to serve on that Jury, your verdict will not change history, but it will decide your eternal destiny.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Proper Etiquette

 

2Peter 1:12-15

“Therefore I intend always to remind you of these qualities, though you know them and are established in the truth that you have.  I think it right, as long as I am in this body, to stir you up by way of reminder, since I know that the putting off of my body will be soon, as our Lord Jesus Christ made clear to me.  And I will make every effort so that after my departure you may be able at any time to recall these things.”

My first thought while reading this was that Peter’s admonishment reminded me of my mother.  Mom was always reminding her three children about proper etiquette; and it began at a very young age, do not wear a hat inside the house, be polite to all adults, and always address them respectfully with yes Ma’m  and yes Sir.  Pray before your meals and always wait for the adults to be served first.  Never ask for candy when at the store because we do not have money for that.  That is a very short list and often even as adults she would admonish us in areas of proper etiquette.  Mom would often say, “Your going to miss me when I’m not there to remind you how to act, and Mom we do miss your many good lessons, but we have also stored many of them in our minds and our hearts. Yes sir and yes ma’m.  

That is precisely what Peter is saying to the church, about who we are in Christ, and he first reminds us that we already have everything we need to live the Christian life.  When Christ enters into us we became partakers of the divine nature.  All who are in Christ have a big choice, to do as Jesus did and run to the Father for all our needs or to look to self, self is always an easy choice, and it is always the wrong choice. 

So Peter acting much like my mother, who wants only the very best for us, begins to remind us of these qualities, and before we can reply he makes it clear that he understands that we know them and are established in the truth.  But Peter knows that we may tune into the wrong channel, the one that Jesus reminds us about in John 10:10, you know the one where the enemy of our soul has come to steal, kill and destroy you and your family, that channel, the one that sounds like your voice, the one that tells you “Your getting the short end of this relationship, or that you deserve better, much better.”  We can refer to that as Channel 2, and Channel One is the Holy Spirit, and that channel never attacks your character, never tells you you’re a loser, never tells you that you deserve better.  No that channel speaks to these issues: add to your faith virtue, (being morally good, being who you are in Christ, righteous.)  And adding all kinds of knowledge to those virtues, especially in the area of the attributes of God and how to act on His promises, and to make sure that self-control and steadfastness are areas of life that you keep spending time in training yourselves to be Christ like.  Channel 1, will always reminds us to show brotherly affection with love.  What channel are you listening to?

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Finishing Strong

 

2 Peter 1:5-11

Many Christians do not finish strong and often the Christian life is compared to running in a race, so why is there not a plan that will guarantee success?  Peter is close to the end of his race as he penned this letter, and he wants you and I to understand that the Christian life can be lived to the max by all who are in Christ, His divine powers give us the ability to do all things that pertain to life and godliness.  But how do we simulate these divine powers in our daily life?  Many have begun the race with the best of intentions only to find that they have gotten into the wrong lane, and that they were not prepared for the grade as it becomes steeper and steeper with the many challenges, and many just drop out.  They are often referred to as the non-churched, but many more are sitting in the pews or stands just watching most Sundays, but they have no desire to train, in fact they drop out and only dream of what could have been.

That’s where we find the American Church in 2011, but Peter’s letter gives a detailed training course on how to run in the race where we finish strong.  If you have been on the side lines, or just a pew sitter totally out of shape, Peter’s training course given to him by God who knows all about your bad experiences, about your disappointments, and the wound and open lesion you carry in your heart and soul, will give you the ability to not only run in the Christian race but to have the mighty host of heaven standing, cheering you on to the finish line.  And it is laid out for us in 2 Peter 1:5-11!

First part of the training is to make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and before going forward, you must grit your teeth and say in your heart, I’m going to follow this plan and trust the one who designed the training course.  So the game plan is to stop listening to the voice that tells me I deserve, or that I’m just a loser, and begin to look to the needs of others and ask God to keep me morally clean, to put Scripture in my mind that will protect me from being sidelined in this great race.  Peter shared that along with adding to our faith virtue we must also bring knowledge into the race, and note: that being honorable and decent will not keep you in this race.

So how does one add this knowledge that not only keeps you in the race but also prepares                                           for the long distances between the water stops?  The Proverbs give the key to the training we need in the knowledge department; “making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding, yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.”  (Proverbs 2:2-5)  Peter goes on to state that after you received knowledge you need to work on adding self-control and without self-control the Christian will be no different than the athlete that tries to compete according to rules of their choosing.  It’s called cheating and without self-control the Christian will let their flesh and not the spirit control the out come.  Learning self-control can be the hardest part of training, because it requires controlling the tongue and the mind, and setting a course built on the knowledge of God.

The Christian finds that his training requires that he keep adding to his training and so they must add steadfastness to the self-control, and that steadfastness is what Paul was sharing with Timothy in 1 Timothy 4:15, “Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress.” 

At this point some have broken training and it’s so important to add the last two items to running the Christian race, they are a must in your training, they are godliness and brotherly affection with love.  Paul explained to Titus how the grace of God gives the racer this training: “training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-control, upright, and godly lives in the present age.” (Titus 2:12)  Remember this training is to supplement your faith and it will keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.  In fact Peter states, “Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to make your calling and election sure, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall.”  (2 Peter 1:10) In fact it will be said by our Lord, well done my good and faithful servant, you ran a clean race.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

All Things

 

2 Peter 1:3-4

“His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.”

If you are a Christian, and to me that connotes that you have entered into a personal relationship with God by putting your faith in the action of what Jesus did for you on the cross.  If that is where you find yourself, then, you should be encouraged and excited to look into the Scriptures, to gain spiritual knowledge that will promote understanding about who you have become in Christ.   Often, we are like a person on a full fare cruise ship and our fare covers all meals, even the mid-night chocolate buffet.   And yet with all that paid for, the person brings sardines and crackers and never leaves their room, not understanding that they had the run of the ship, they could sit at the captains table, it was fully paid for.  That example, is where many Christians find themselves, and often it comes from ignorance of the Scriptures, and yet for many of us it is just unbelief.

So if you have a belief problem as many of us do, and often the problem lies in a misunderstanding of Scripture.  We look at our thoughts and actions and have said in our hearts, no way can that pertain to me, he is referring to __________ and you know whose name goes into that blank.  So often I need to search and examine what is being said, who said it and to whom is it being addressed.  So let us return to the greeting in 2 Peter 1: and we understand he is speaking to all who have entered into Christ, so “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness.”  I get giddy when I by faith believe my Lord and my God has placed in my care all things that pertain to life and goodness, but it comes from knowledge of God, of His promises and His faithfulness to keep everyone He has made.  What often brings shame to my mind is how I can believe his promise of eternal life, but not believe that the other promises He made applied to me.

That is the battleground, until we act as if Jesus tells the truth, and walk in those truths, we will never experience this life God has promised.  So were you called?  You better have been and who was called, (John 3:16) states whosoever will believe in Jesus, they are the called.  Many a foolish man or group have come up with whom has been called, and whom has been chosen, but that is not our call, be wise an do as Jesus said, take the gospel to all people, and let it begin in your home with the ones in your circle of influence.  If you still have doubt on your calling look at 1 Corinthians 1:26-30, and 1 Timothy 1:9.  I hope you will study the rest of these verses, my prayer is that you will agree with the Holy Spirit that your God “has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.”

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

An Exceptional Greeting

 

2 Peter 1:2

“May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.”

I’ve never been greeted in this manner, with the exception of Peter, and his greeting to the churches of Asia Minor, but in this part of the greeting we should pay very close attention.  I know of no one who would not desire to have grace and peace multiplied in their lives, do you?  Now Peter is not referring to elegance, and smoothness of form or movement, no, he is addressing an act of God, where a person’s life is changed and they are free from the penalty of sin.  It is the infinite love, mercy, favor, and goodness of God shown to mankind that is the grace Peter is referencing.  Peter also addresses peace, and the peace is beyond the freedom from war or conflict, he is not referring to a peace that has no suffering or heartbreak, no it is so much greater than the human mind can understand.  It is peace in the midst of chaos, in the midst of suffering and heartbreak.

First and foremost we would like the infinite love, mercy, favor, and goodness of God, we want to be free from the penalty of sin, and peace, sure we want peace.  But the short answer is we do not want conflict, we do not desire to suffer, and many of us have not experienced what Peter is referring to as suffering for the gospel of Christ.   Most Christians in the American church have no understanding of 1 Peter 4:1, “Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God.”  Not only has the majority of the American church not signed up for suffering to promote the gospel, they have little or no knowledge of what Peter is referencing in his greeting.  “May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.”

The knowledge being referred to is spiritual knowledge, we find these words spoken by the prophet Jeremiah 9:23-24, “Thus says the Lord: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth.  For in these things I delight, declares the Lord.”

Once we apply this kind of spiritual knowledge to our life, we are able to bask in both the peace and grace we find in Christ.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Action Faith

 

2 Peter 1:1-2

“Simeon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ. Make grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.”

Often when we give thought to the apostle Peter, we think of the man who was so impulsive, but God’s Spirit has changed all of that and now he has been disciplined by years of trials and suffering, Peter has learned to listen and obey the voice of the Holy Spirit.  In his second letter to the churches, he refers to his own death in 2 Peter 1:14, and the central theme of the letter is a warning against false teachers and scoffers.  What blew me away is his words in the introduction: “To those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ.”

Now let’s be clear on some facts; Peter was very special because God chose him to be part of His Sons earthly ministry.   He was picked to hangout with our Lord, to show us what could happen to flesh when changed by the Holy Spirit, and that was after the total disgrace of his denial of Christ.  It was God’s grace that shown so strong in Peter’s life, and Peter’s power came because he chose to be God’s fool and reject the foolishness of man.  This new Peter, a new creation in Christ was willing to suffer trials and rejection with joy, knowing that his life on earth was just a mist, but that he had exchanged that life for an eternal life with Jesus Christ.

With that said, Peter is addressing “those who have obtained a faith of equal standing” and the question must be asked, do you and I believe he is referring to us?  The answer is unequivocally yes.  So where does faith come from and the answer is found in Luke 17:5, it comes from God.  If you have any doubt of this turn to Hebrews 12:2, “Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”  We are given faith in the same way and the same kind as Peter, but that faith must be put into action to be of value to man or God, James 2:17.  Yes, Peter had living faith, it was full of action, and that faith was centered on these truths; God is faithful, God and His word can be trusted.  But James tells us that faith that is not active is dead, its what is referred to often as head faith and not heart faith, it talks big, but it never shows up, it has no impact on the kingdom of God.  So how can you and I share this faith, by being resilient, by acting as if Jesus tells the truth, by sharing it with others in action and word.

Yes, we must do as the apostle, when they ask Jesus to “Increase our faith” in Luke 17:5.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

At the Proper Time He may Exalt You

 

1 Peter 5:6-8

“Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.  Be sober-minded; be watchful.  Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour.”

Now that is a great deal to ponder before my second cup of coffee.  In looking back to verse five, I am told to humble myself before my elders, but verse six is telling me to take that into my relationship with God.  Spending my life in the world of sales, we often asked this question: “What is in it for me?”  You may not be in sales, but God knows that question is inherent to man, so God gave us the answer before we even asked, “that at the proper time he may exalt you.”  When exalted by God, it may be in the realm of the physical, as an athlete, or He may stimulate you mentally or spiritually, or He may raise you up in rank or position.  Many who have been on the sidelines or so to say in the stands watching from afar, may give you praise, but the person who has humbled their self before God will have an attitude of thanksgiving and in their heart they will say, “he cares for me.” 

Could it be that many believe the lie that God helps those who help themselves?  They may know that is not in the Bible, but it sounds so good; but God does not share your opinion, in fact he calls that independent living, trying to get your needs met outside of the will of God.  People that are living life independently from God will never humble themselves, never will they cast their anxieties on Him, and they will be open to being devoured by the enemy of their soul.  This type of flesh lives life in this manner, when life gets tough, the tough get going, and they do, and it causes pain for many.

As I set in the July 4, 2011 service being observed on July 3, the words of JK Minton, a retired officer in the Navy, preached on this topic; “Can God bless America,” and he explained that God can, but will he?  He went on to share that our Nation is broke and broken and the trouble does not lie in Washington D.C., the problem is that the Christian people have taken the role of being practicing atheists.  Now that got my full attention, JK did not call us atheistic, but said we live our lives in the same way as an atheist, we go where and when we want to, we do what we want to, we ignore what Jesus has commanded, yes, we often act no different than the atheist who says there is no God and lives his life free from any restraint, he lives an independent life, doing what he wants when he wants with no thought of God.

Dr. Minton’s message was taken from 2 Chronicles 7:14, and it begins, “If my people, who are called by my name” and Jesus said, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”   It seems as if God’s Holy Spirit has wiggled JK Minton’s lips to speak a hard truth to those of us who claim to be followers of Christ, many are closer to being practicing atheists than followers of Christ.  Note: do you believe “Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour?”  If you agree, then what are you doing to guard your heart and mind so that you will not be devoured?  Jesus said, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”  

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

My blog; http://fromourbackporch.blogspot.com/

A Culture without Humility

 

1 Peter 5:5

Humility, the quality of being modest or respectful, and whom is Peter exhorting to perform in this manner, and to whom are they to show this respect?  Anyone who was of a younger age than the elder that God had placed over them.   How our culture has changed, we no longer teach humility at home, at school, at church, or to our children.  What has this non-biblical view of the world brought about, some of the most arrogant, rude, unkind, boastful youth, who are bored, who want their own way, and many seem irritated and even resentful to all authority.  

If you are vaguely familiar with 1 Corinthians 13, the love chapter, you understand these are the opposite of love, the example of a culture who had a better plan outside of the authority of Scripture.  We have come a long way in 69 years, we have bought into many lies on training our children, and the report card has revealed that as a culture we did not pass.  So we as a society have taken note, we looked back at history and we examined things from God’s view on rearing children and have agreed; we sinned.  No, that is just wrong!  As a culture, we have believed some man with a P.H.D. behind his name, a man created by God in the same manner as us, who said I have a better plan than the Creator, and my plan will not be harsh, it will give your children freedom to become whatever they choose.  And it has worked well, they have chosen laziness, not humility, they have chosen disrespect for authority not respect, they have chosen arrogance, rudeness, unkindness and being boastful, and resent all authority.  Note: It’s not a new problem, we have had it for over forty years.

Just a note to Christian parents; {you are not in the role of friend, you are in the role of authority.}  A child will often drop a friend if they do not meet their expectations, and that is why your role as parent is not to be a buddy, it’s parent, trainer, encourager, and disciplinarian, but showing much wisdom and love.

Can we as a Christian people change the culture?  Sure we can, is it not clear that the non-Christian culture has changed the way you and I look at the world, yes our world-view has been changed; we have invited that culture into our homes, into our churches, and many still believe that we must use the tools and methods of the world to draw the youth into our churches. 

It has taken me sometime to understand these truths, and in them we find the answer to how we allow a culture to come to this very low point.  First truth; “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.”   So the first thing that is required is confession; Dear Father, we did not believe you, we tried doing it our way, we were wrong, will you forgive our actions and teach us Your ways again on raising our children to be godly adults, with their life centered in love and respect for all authority.  The second truth is; “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy.  I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”  Jesus said that, and it almost seems like they should not be in the same sentence.  That is until the Holy Spirit shows us this truth, we are not in a battle, it’s a full blown war, a war that has no rest to remove the wounded, the enemy, the devil, old Satan himself, and all that comes under his authority has one goal, to steal and kill and destroy, and so he has put into the hearts of men and women a spirit of rebellion, a better way to live life, not under the authority of the Scriptures, not under the control of the Holy Spirit.  Yes, it’s a battle that many who claim the name of Christian have no understanding of, and many are killed and destroyed. Many have seen their children stolen away into this present darkness, and they turn their anger, their disappointment, on the child or those who were used by the evil one.  It is time, the hour is late, we must confess, we are in a battle for our families, and our culture will follow the success or failure of the Christian family.  The bottom line is, do you believe that Jesus tells the truth?  If so, awake you sleepers!

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

I Watched

 

I watched my wife and her mother go through this scene with their dad and husband, but did not grasp the personal hurt till reading these Lyrics.  Most of us have friends and family that have walked through these deep waters, and for all the ones who are like me, maybe, just maybe, this will help you be more supportive to those loved ones.

Bob

Country singer Mark Brinkman. Mark penned a haunting but beautiful song a few years ago about the ravages of Alzheimer's. This is how he describes a sad scene that plays out all too many times in the world today.

I'll leave you with the lyrics:
She softly walked into his room, sat down and said "hello"
He said, "You look familiar, are you someone I should know?
I’ve got this funny feeling we’ve met somewhere before.
There was a fleeting memory as you came in through the door."
She smiled and said, "My darling, you’re looking mighty fine.
In fact we’ve known each other since 1949."
They had a lifetime of memories but there’s nothing left to show.
When the mind and a body choose a different time to go.
She’s a stranger in his mind. The memories are gone,
but his heart’s still keeping time.
The cruelest fate for the loved ones left behind.
How can life be so unkind? She’s a stranger in his mind.
She tells him stories of the man he used to be.
All about their children and his loving family.
Every day they spend together is both a blessing and a curse
But she’s faithful to her wedding vows, for better or for worse.
Kneeling by his bedside the tears pour down like rain
She prays that tomorrow he’ll remember her name.

Never to be repeated Pastor's Conference

 

1 Peter 5:1-4

Chapter five begins with a pastor’s conference and it is one that will never be repeated because Peter is addressing fellow elders who were witnesses of the life of Christ, they may have been on the sidelines and not in the game, they are not the twelve apostles, but they were there and were witnesses of the suffering of Christ.  Peter uses the same terms to describe the church as Jesus did, a flock, we are often compared to sheep and if you understand the habits of sheep, they tend to stray from the shepherd, and they are easy prey when they leave the flock, overall sheep are not that smart, and that’s what we are being compared to. 

Peter is the keynote speaker, he is the one they came to listen to and this is what he tells his fellow elders: “Shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock.  And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.”  Most of us have very high expectations for our pastors, we want them to perform perfectly at all times and in all places, just like us, hell no, (sorry Mom) not like us, we are flawed, we are sheep, remember we need a shepherd who will always come no matter where we wonder and not only find us, but also baby-sit us till our next outing with the world and sin. 

There are a number of Christians who have been taken captive by the enemy of their soul by putting their faith in a pastor, and when he missed the mark, the mark they had set for him, and the enemy said; see he’s not worthy of your trust, and guess what he’s not, never was and should not be your gauge, but many who claim the name of Christian are sidelined by placing their faith in a man, who just happens to have the title of pastor.  And the Scriptures are clear that God is holding the pastor to higher account, and God will deal with him, but God has also told you if your the one that was taken captive, to keep your eyes on Jesus and to assemble together often with other believers.  The bottom line is that you are responsible and if you are a part of the kingdom of Christ, then find a body of believing sheep that are abiding in Christ, doing kingdom stuff now, and engaging the darkness with the light that only Christ in you can show to those you come in contact with.

Now back to those men who have been called to shepherd, I have been in churches where you acted like a husband who thinks he is the boss and not the head, never works that well does it?  I’ve been in churches where the pastor was eager for gain, it may be he wanted to be seen as the #1 guy in his denomination, and receive the acclaim of other pastors, or he may have wanted all he could get doing the hard work of being a shepherd.  But let me ask you pastors a question, why would you exchange anything for the promise of an unfading crown of glory?

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

God loves You

 

1 Peter 4:12-19

My life, for the most part, has been lived in an around the local church, and I’ve heard more sermons on how to be saved from the wrath of God, especially as a small child and through my teen years, in small Baptist churches.  For many those messages took, but for me it was not the wrath of God message, but the observation of three men who were living out the Christian life in the workplace.  These men, plus a pastor and a refinery worker showed me a truth, that truth was just unbelievable; that God loves me.

In my 42 years of being freed from God’s wrath, it is shameful how little I understand about living out the Christ life.   A life that totally changed my eternal destiny, and that life should have some affect on someone, anyone, could it be that I’ve not let the Helper, (Holy Spirit) help me to live our Christ’s life?  Today, as I reflected on 1 Peter 4:12-19, it amazed me that the Christian life is full of what Peter refers to as fiery trials.  These trials are not so God will see how you will react, no, God has full understanding of your life, these trails come so that you can see if you are living by faith, or walking in the flesh.  Peter calls them a test, and it has been my observation that it is covering last year’s material, and if I handle that material as I did algebra, then the conclusion is failure, because I never saw application for algebra in my daily life.  That’s also true for so many of us who make everyday decisions without asking the Helper for help.

As I pondered over these verses, it became clear that I do not like tests, and tests that I have not prepared for, often bring fear and the feeling of inadequacy.  But those are not the responses that God looks for, look at verses 13-16, “But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.  If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.  But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler.  Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name.”  Some of us were going real good till the Holy Spirit added meddler, and most of us have no understanding of God’s view of evildoers.  But from the Scriptures we understand that to love things (stuff), or people (your children), more than God, that puts our names on the evildoers list, and from God’s view, it makes us an idol worshiper.

I wonder if more sermons were preached on verse 17, would you and I set our minds on being doers of the word and not just hearers?  “For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?”   I have no understanding, and it is beyond my reasoning ability to grasp that it was God’s will for His only Son to die for people like me, but that does not change the truth, it was, and it is clear in verse 19 that many of us who are in Christ will also suffer according to God’s will.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Have you ever shot Craps?

 

1 Peter 7-11

Have you ever shot craps?  I have not and it has a lot to do with my daddy and his advice to me as a young man, it went something like this; “Bobby never gamble unless you can afford to lose,” and to this date I’ve taken that advice.  I have heard that when shooting craps you want to roll a 7 or 11, and so I looked it up on Google to get the truth the whole truth and ok, I’m not sure if it is factual or not, but this is what was written: “Pass bets win when the come out roll is 7 or 11, while pass bets lose when the come out roll is 2, 3, or 12.”  I also was wondering was it always called craps?  Once more, I went to the source of all truth Google, and Google said; Craps developed from a simplification of the Old English game hazard, and was brought to America by a Frenchman and the southern blacks in New Orleans made a street game and called it craps.   Now that clears it up for me, what about you?  I am glad my dad gave me that advice. 

What does that have to do with 1 Peter 7-11, not one thing, other than the verses of 7-11 made me think of that game, and that in craps you have more losers than winners, but when you and I are a steward of God’s grace, everyone we come in contact with is a winner and that includes us.

We should pay close attention to these verses in 1 Peter 4:7-11, it states: “The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers.  Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.  Show hospitality to one another without grumbling.  As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength God supplies – in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ.  To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever.  Amen.”

Craps is a great example of life outside of Christ, it always comes short, but grace has been offered to all who will enter into a relationship with Christ, yet many who have entered into Christ never become stewards of God’s grace.  The apostle Peter encourages us to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul, and the apostle Paul tells us that the Christ life will require us to go into training much like the athlete who prepares for a marathon.  And Paul instructs Timothy to be a doer of the Word and not just a hearer; many hear the message of being stewards of grace each Sunday, but so few put it into practice.  You want to know that your foundation is built on the Lord Jesus and His Word.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Expensive lesson from our Past

 

1 Peter 4: 3-5

The best part of the past is that maybe we have learned some very expensive lessons we need not repeat.  And the great thing about the future is if we have learned from those bought lessons of the past, we may find the future brighter.  However, is it not the present that should be our focus?   The past is memory, some good and some not so good, and the future is just that, it’s out there, but it is impossible to live in that state.  That is the message of verse three, but verse four tells us that many who have been part of our past, want us to stay there, in fact the apostle Peter goes so far as to say this, “With respect to this (referring to the past when you engaged in the following; living in sensuality, passions, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, and lawless idolatry.) they are surprised when you do not join them in the same flood of debauchery, and they malign you; but they will give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.”

I was 27 years old when Christ invaded my life; now let me qualify that statement, I by faith asked Jesus into my life, but on that invitation He changed many of my old patterns, many of my old desires.  I no longer needed to drink beer or mix drinks that I never liked, and had the freedom to order a Dr. Pepper or coke when I went to a bar with the people I worked with.  I experience being maligned; my not drinking made them curious at first, then they began to criticize and at some point they preferred that I not go out with them.  I wish it was because of my strong testimony of how Christ had changed my heart, but that is just not true; at this point in time I was an underground Christian, my light was so weak it would not have worked for a night light in the bathroom, much less a light to guide someone to Christ.

This past summer at a get together with many who attended high school with me, one of the ladies said your problem is that you have always been so good.  Wow, I was lost for words, no one is good but God, and these thoughts entered my mind, “Bob, that’s just wrong! You were a rascal from a young age; you stole flowers from the neighbor’s yard at about three, and then peaches and plums.  You learned to lie to your parents at a very early age so that you could go places they would not allow.  You took many of those practices into your marriage, and also into the workplace.  When I’m still before God, it is not goodness, it’s evil that I see, not justice but mercy that I cry out for.  My hearts desire is to let people see that Christ in me is my hope, and as the sign my friend Jack Archer had on his mantel and I now have on mine reads: “Smile you rascal, God knows all about you, yet He loves you anyway.”  I’m basking in that truth and my salvation from Him!

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice