Many Encouragers but few Mentors

 

2 Timothy 2:1-2

“You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.”

I’ve come to this understanding from my life experiences, I’ve had many encouragers that have taught me how to live the Christ life, but I’ve had few men who would pour their lives into mine.  Encouragers are very important, and they come in many forms, a book that someone tells you to read because it helped them, a Bible study where the teacher was able to convey truth that you applied to your life.  One who played the role of encourager is Joyce Ray.  Many years ago, I had to start over in a new division, in the big city of Houston, with a new product line, and with my family four hours away.  I was living in hotels and I began to have anxiety attacks about my family and my health.  I often could not sleep because of chest pains, but I did not share this with anyone but Jan and the Lord.  It was during this time that my phone rang in my hotel room and I heard Joyce’s voice; this is what she said, “Bob, the Lord impressed me to call you and read this verse to you” “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for wholeness and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”  I cannot put into words what that phone call did for me, but it encouraged me to the point that I believed what God said in that verse, and I began to look forward to this new opportunity.

Now a mentor or life coach will surely be an encourager, but they also will slap you in the head (so to speak) when needed, and we all need a person who loves us enough to tell us when we are moving into a spiritual minefield.  If you have the desire to mentor in the spiritual area of a mans life, it will require you to ask the Lord to bring a man into your life that will ask you to train him in God’s wisdom.  If you do so and that man is not a faithful man, in that he is not on time, misses appointments that you have agreed on, or after a few weeks he is never prepared; he is not a faithful man and it is in his best interest to tell him he is not ready at this time to be mentored.

So what does a faithful man look like: He is teachable, or better said, has a teachable spirit, and a great example of this comes from the mouth of a blind man who Jesus had healed; when Jesus ask him, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”  He answered, “And who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?”  Jesus said to him, “You have seen him, and it is he who is speaking to you.”  He said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him.”  He also is a seeker of truth, and such a person is described in Proverbs 18:15, “The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge; the ears of the wise seek it out.”

I have come to understand that mentoring is much like raising a child, the return on your time and investment is seeing an adult who lives out Micah 6: 8, “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”  That person will take hold of the eternal life that the apostle Paul is referring to, not after the death of their earth-suit, but now.  1 Timothy 6:12, “Fight the good fight of the faith.  Take hold of the eternal life to which you are called when you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.”   And the joy comes when they begin to live out Christ’s life, and in doing so you teach others.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Faithful Men

 

2 Timothy 2:1-2

“You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.”

I’ve come to understand that from my life experiences I’ve had many encouragers that taught me how to live the Christ life, but I’ve had few men who would pour their lives into mine.  Encouragers are very important, and they come in many forms, a book that someone tells you to read because it helped them, a Bible study where the teacher was able to convey truth that you applied to your life.  One of my encouragers is Joyce Ray.  Many years ago, I had to start over in a new division, in the big city of Houston, with a new product line, and with my family four hours away.  I was living in hotels and I began to have anxiety attacks about my family and my health.  I often could not sleep because of chest pains, but I did not share this with anyone but Jan and the Lord.  It was during this time that my phone rang in my hotel room and I heard Joyce’s voice; this is what she said, “Bob, the Lord impressed me to call you and read this verse to you” “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for wholeness and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”  I cannot put into words what that phone call did for me, but it encouraged me to the point that I believed what God said in that verse, and I began to look forward to this new opportunity.

Now a mentor or life coach will surely be an encourager, but they also will slap you in the head (so to speak) when needed, and we all need a person who loves us enough to tell us when we are moving into a spiritual minefield.  If you have the desire to mentor in the spiritual area of a mans life, it will require you to ask the Lord to bring a man into your life that will ask you to train him in God’s wisdom.  If you do so and that man is not a faithful man, in that he is not on time, misses appointments that you have agreed on, or after a few weeks he is never prepared; he is not a faithful man and it is in his best interest to tell him he is not ready at this time to be mentored.

So what does a faithful man look like: He is teachable, or better said, has a teachable spirit, and a great example of this comes from the mouth of a blind man who Jesus had healed; when Jesus ask him, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”  He answered, “And who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?”  Jesus said to him, “You have seen him, and it is he who is speaking to you.”  He said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him.”  He also is a seeker of truth, and such a person is described in Proverbs 18:15, “The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge; the ears of the wise seek it out.”

I have come to understand that mentoring is much like raising a child, the return on your time and investment is seeing an adult who lives out Micah 6: 8, “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”  That person will take hold of the eternal life that the apostle Paul is referring to, not after the death of their earth-suit, but now.  1 Timothy 6:12, “Fight the good fight of the faith.  Take hold of the eternal life to which you are called when you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.”   And the joy comes when they begin to live out Christ’s life, and in doing so you teach others.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Yukky, USDA-Choice, or PBA)

 

2 Timothy 1: 13-14

“Follow the pattern of the sound words that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.  By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the good deposit entrusted to you.”   Many a follower of Christ lives their life in victory, because they understand that the Holy Spirit who dwells in them is the only one who has the authority and ability to live the victorious Christian life through them.  They have come to understand that the flesh cannot please God, Romans 8:5-8, and many a Christian reads this and are in full agreement, but their definition of flesh is a person who does drugs, cheats on their mate, stays out all night, and will not go to church on Sunday, and that does qualify as flesh, but it is more than that.  Much of what I’ve learned in this area came from Bill Gillham, and he would describe the example listed above as “yukky” flesh.  Bill would say there is many flesh types but they seem to fit into these topics:

Bill has a category called USDA-Choice flesh: it is flesh that looks good and gains worldly acceptance.  However, it is still flesh.  But Bill often said “the Biggie” is: performance-based acceptance (PBA) and this is the most common influence in the programming of flesh.  “If you perform well, I will accept you.  If you don’t, I won’t.

This deposit that the Holy Spirit is guarding, is your life in Christ.  It required spiritual death and Romans 6:6, “We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be bought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.” Now go with me to Galatians 2:20, “I have been crucified with Christ.  It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.  And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” My teacher would say; “God has no plan to make something beautiful of your life (in Adam).  The plan is to kill it and start over again.”  The great news is that spiritual death brings about new creations in Christ, 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.  The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”  

We need to grasp the fullness of Romans 8:7&8, “For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed it cannot.  Those who are in the flesh (Yukky, USDA-Choice, or PBA) cannot please God.”  Emphasis added.  Till we believe that our life and our true identity is Christ living life to the max in you, we will not walk in this world in the authority and power that is ours; our light will be very dim.  So my prayer for each of us is that by faith we apply these truths and then, watch-out world!

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Faithful with what has been Entrusted

 

2 Timothy 1:12-14

Have you ever dropped the ball?  I awoke at 3:15 this morning in the middle of a rainstorm, one that is needed and in the middle of that moment I remembered a promise I had forgotten to keep.  It was a promise that caused two little pets to go hungry because I forgot, got busy, and did not feed them.  But worst yet, it was a promise I made to another that he could trust me to do that task.  I was not able to sleep and now I’m waiting for the storm to end so that I can take care of the task that was entrusted to me.  My lack of sleep cannot compare to those little guys going hungry, but you and I who are in Christ have been entrusted with a task of much greater worth and yet many of us are dropping the ball.

The apostle Paul states in verse 12, “But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that Day what has been entrusted to me.”  Do you have any understanding of what has been entrusted to you?  As a dad I had this understanding, I was to mold my daughter in a manner that she would feel loved, and that she could love others.  That she would feel secure and that our home would be a place she could run to for safety; as a dad I knew that God had entrusted me with Natalie to raise her to love God and to obey His written word.  But that is not what Paul is addressing, when you entered into the time line of Christ, everything changed, you were given spiritual gifts, eternal life, wisdom, the ability to understand spiritual knowledge, and you were given faith.  And with all of these gifts come responsibility.

Many of us fly all over the world, and most of us do not fully understand how something that weighs that much can fly, but what we lack in knowledge we exchange with faith and belief in the airline.  Most of us believe it will perform in full agreement with what our ticket states.  If your faith were not in an airplane that would get you to your destination, would you board it?  It comes down to a very serious question only you can answer; do you know Jesus in a way that you will board the faith plane for the life Jesus promises in John 10:10, a life of fullness, a life of abundance? “For I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that Day what has been entrusted to me.”

Faith that gets on the plane is a faith that is convinced that Jesus tells the truth, and that Jesus is able to keep all of His promises.  Bill Gillham was like you and me, but he believed that “God never allows a problem to come into your life for which God does not already have a solution.”  Knowing that in your mind is one thing, but getting on the plane of faith in your life and acting as if Jesus tells the truth will give you the ability to first, not be ashamed of your true identity and realize that Christ is your life.  Next, your actions will change from fear to faith, and you will have no doubt that what was given to you is yours because the Creator, Jesus Christ is able to guard until that Day what has been entrusted to you.  Note:  The two little guys were dry and very happy to have food.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Living life as a Prisoner of Jesus Christ

 

2 Timothy 1: 8-12

What insight!  It always amazes me that the key to living the Christ life is found when we ask the Holy Spirit to open our eyes to the verses and then to show us how to let Jesus do it all for us.  Verse seven that we addressed yesterday is the key to having a testimony like the apostle Paul’s.  It was Christ’s Spirit living in Paul, and Paul’s willingness to obey and follow the leadership of the Spirit, which is “power and love and self-control.”  So with that backdrop, shall we look into a life that is under the authority of the Holy Spirit?  And remember it required Paul to “faith it,” and Paul was very clear in Romans 14:23, that if you have doubts, wait, then ask for directions.

So as we pick-up in verse 8, “Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God” Life is so much how we look at the situation or the circumstance, and at the writing of this letter Paul is in prison in Rome, but he is not a Roman prisoner, he is there because of his willingness to serve Jesus Christ by his own testimony, a prisoner of Jesus Christ.  And how does he tell us to share?  In suffering for the gospel, but not in your ability but by the power of God.  Has anyone at your local church put out a signup sheet for suffering for the gospel, if so, I am willing to bet the form it still blank.  But in no way, or at any time, is Paul stating that he is doing this in his ability, but by the Spirit’s power.

Going back to 2 Timothy 1:9, “Who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began.”  He saved us, (we did not have one thing to do with it) and He called us to a holy calling.  This week, I read and kept this insight from Os Hillman, and I quote: “However, there is often an unspoken hierarchy that positions clergy (missionaries and evangelists, pastors and clergy) at the top, and occupations such as of the "helping professions" (doctors and nurses, teachers and educators, social workers) next, and "secular" workers (business executives, salespeople, factory laborers, and farmers) at the bottom.
So what determines the spiritual value of a job?  How does God assign significance? The hierarchy assumes sacred and secular distinctions, and assigns priority to the sacred.  But does God view vocations that way?  No, He does not.”  It matters not what God’s holy calling is for you, Housewife, Plumber, or President of the United Sates, it is your place in God’s plan to share Christ with a world in darkness, it is a holy calling, and it was assigned before the ages began.
Picking up in verse 10 -12, “And which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, for which I was appointed a preacher and apostle and teacher, which is why I suffer as I do.  But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that Day what has been entrusted to me.”  I’ve told my wife often, that I could make some claim about a goat, and take it through downtown San Antonio, and in less than two hours I would have a group of people following the goat.  Yes, we live in a culture that is in search of a provider, protector or one might say, a savior.  Many in the church are religious, but few can say as Paul has; “I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that Day what has been entrusted to me.”  Jesus abolished death and gives life, who else can make that claim?  I am in full agreement with Paul, I also am trusting Jesus to guard all that He has promised till that Day.
From the Back Porch,
Bob Rice

Think on these Things

 

2 Timothy 1:7

Think on these things; What things, things that are true, things that are honorable, that are just, that are pure, and especially things that are lovely, or commendable, or excellent, and worthy of praise, that’s a weak attempt at a paraphrase of Philippians 4: 8.  Those are great things to set our minds on, but there is a huge problem; we forget another Scripture that tells us to not be conformed to the pattern of this world, but to be transformed by the renewing our mind, and that is found in Romans12: 2.  And we have conformed at so many levels, that the habits of our lives are more in conforming to the patterns of this world than to Philippians 4:8. 

Could the answer be found in what we believe, could it be found in our desire to be liked, could it be that Christians have bought into the diversity message of the world, and just want to live free of conflicts?   We believe Jesus and He said; “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you.  If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.”  (John 15: 18-19)  I believe that you believe Jesus tells the truth, and I also believe no one wants to be hated, so many of us have become very timid outside of the doors of the church.  We have demonstrated a lack of courage in our Lord, and in the authority of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

If only we believed as King David, he found himself in a real mess, his son Absalom, who is an example of “conforming to the patterns of this world” ran his dad out of Jerusalem.  Absalom won the hearts of the people and with a vast army was chasing his dad to kill him.  It’s impossible to imagine you’re children seeking to kill you, and yet we still read about it in the paper or see it on T.V.  But look at King David’s cry to the Lord; “O Lord, how many are my foes!  Many are rising against me; many are saying of my soul, there is no salvation for him in God.  But you, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head.  I cry aloud to the Lord, and he answered me from his holy hill.  I lay down and slept; I woke again, for the Lord sustained me.  I will not be afraid of many thousands of people who have set themselves against me all around.”  (Psalms 3: 1-6)

Paul is telling both Timothy and us that when we enter into Christ’s time line, we are no longer living in a past of fear, hate, and failure, that no longer is who we are, we are now like our Lord because we are eternal beings, Jesus’ past becomes our past and Jesus future becomes ours.  So Paul instructs us in 2 Timothy 1: 7, “For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.”  My fellow Christians, we must become doers of the word, we have sat at the feet of preachers and teachers long enough, now it time to apply those truths in these last days.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

The world is in need of the Author of Love

 

2 Timothy 1:2-7

Paul was filling the role of a dad to young Timothy, we have no knowledge about Timothy’s birth dad, but Paul tells us that Timothy was a spiritual child and it is very clear that Paul was pouring his life into him.  In love and with great encouragement, Paul is teaching Timothy to be responsible, first to God, and then to all others.  What if your dad or some other spiritual man would have laid this kind of foundation in your life, how would your relationship with them have been?

Beginning in verse two, “To Timothy, my beloved child: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.”  In 1965 "What the World Needs Now Is Love" was a popular song with lyrics by Hal David and music composed by Burt Bacharach. First recorded and made popular by Jackie DeSahannon, it was a great song, but what the world needs is the Author of Love, none other than Jesus Christ.  And every child needs a dad that makes obvious his love for God and his love for that child.  Many of you reading this had such a dad, and as you grew in understanding of that love, it gave you great confidence in living life.

Paul goes on to tell young Timothy that he, like his ancestors, served God with a clear conscience, and then it seems not to fit the moment when he tells Timothy, I’m constantly remembering you in my prayers, night and day.  It is believed that this second letter to Timothy is also from Paul’s prison cell, but things have changed and now he is in close confinement and many who once stood with Paul are gone.  So he is writing to encourage and instruct Timothy, who is his son in the faith, and later we will see that he is asking him to hurry to Rome, so that he might enjoy his fellowship.

Verses 4-5 become very personal, “As I remember your tears, I long to see you, that I may be filled with joy.  I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well.”  A Grandmother and mother, poured their life and faith into young Timothy, a dad or granddad are not mentioned, and sad to say that our culture is not that different, with the absence of a dad’s love or encouragement in the spiritual life of their children.  But what encouragement, to a young person to have a Paul come into their life and remind them that they have a history of faith in their family.  Paul has just begun in his admonishment, as he reminds him of the spiritual gifts that God has given him and that for them to develop it will require Timothy to use them.  In both letters Paul has told Timothy to take care of his spiritual and physical self, and not to be timid in fulfilling his duties as a minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ. 

I’ve been blessed to have men who have come along side of me and been encouragers, and because of these men, Jack Archer, Ken Ryan, Johnny Anderson, Greg Hood, and John Davis, I’ve been encouraged to fan into flames the gifts God has given me, and to be a 2 Timothy 2:2 man of Christ.  Often these men have admonished me to not be ashamed of the gospel of Christ, and often Paul did the same thing for young Timothy.  In verses 7-9, “For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.  Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began.”  A book could be written on those verses, but look and ask the Holy Spirit to make clear that Paul was telling Timothy that God is willing and wants to do it all for you, and in suffering God will extend His power into your life.   Dads and Granddads, some young Timothy in your life needs you to come along side of him.

Form the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

His Promise His Plan

 

2 Timothy 1:1

“Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God according to the promise of the life that is in Christ Jesus”

This is referred to as a greeting and often we read past the “greeting,” to find the real meat of the book.  If we do that, we will miss the most important messages to us that are in Christ.  And it is so simple, life on planet earth has a design and a Designer, and in keeping with that truth; the Designer has put into place a plan for us to live in victory now, yes, right in the middle of this present darkness.

It requires us who are in Christ to stop trying so hard to be followers of Christ and ask the Holy Spirit to explain what He is saying in this greeting, in the second letter to Timothy.  I ask this question, can you and I find life outside of Jesus Christ?  Well, can we, now do not be so quick to answer, I have a big problem doing so, and often the quick answer is the wrong answer, so lets ask the authority on life to see what He has to say.

“Jesus said to them, “I am the resurrection and the life.  He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.  Do you believe this?”  Jesus said life is found in Him, He is life, and if you want life, that is what He has come to give to all of us freely, and this life is for right now, and will continue in heaven.  But there is a problem, and the problem is unbelief, and Jesus spoke clearly that a liar and deceiver has come to keep you from entering into life.  John 10:10 lays out the battle to keep you from entering into life or more correctly Christ.  “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”  How is your life going, is it full, and if the answer is yes, what is it full of?

The Spirit of God put these words in a book we call the Holy Bible, they are found in Ephesians 3:16-19, and in them is a prayer to the Master Designer, the one who gives life, Jesus has the key to life, not in heaven, but in the now.  Beginning in verse 16, “I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in you inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.  And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge – that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”  I must ask one more question; If you are filled to the measure of all the fullness of God, and God is life, is that life, the life Jesus is telling us about in John 10:10?

Bill and Anabel Gillham were great teachers on “The Life” or the “Victorious Christian Life” they know even more today, because they sit at the feet of the Author of Life.  Let me share a few of what Bill called key concepts:

• God never allows a problem to come into your life for which He does not already have a solution.
• Birth always determines identity.  All you have to do to go to hell is show up on the planet as a descendent of Adam.
• When you enter into Christ’s lifeline, you receive His nature (His spiritual characteristics) and His life.  You receive a new present, a new future, and a new past.
• Your heritage from Adam is history.  God had to do away with your old identity in order to give you a new identity.  The old is crucified in Christ (Romans 6:6, Galatians 2:20), and you became a new creation in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17).
• Salvation is like a coin: heads is “Christ in you” and tails is “you in Christ.”  The “you in Christ” verses outnumber the “Christ in you” verses 10-1.
• It is from the perspective of you are “in Christ” that you understand your true identity and realize that Christ is your life.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

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

Guard the Deposit

 

1 Timothy 6:20-21

“O Timothy, guard the deposit entrusted to you.  Avoid the irreverent babble and contradictions of what is falsely called “knowledge,” for by professing it some have swerved from the faith.  Grace be with you.” 

What comes to mind when you entertain the thought of “guard the deposit entrusted to you?” For me it is stuff, like money, and maybe it’s an heirloom that has been passed on from one generation to the next.  (I have little knowledge of heirlooms, the Rice’s had stuff left that even the trash people refused to take.)  But the Holy Spirit is not talking about stuff, He is referring to something of much greater worth, the wonderful, the powerful, the amazing handbook about living life on planet earth; the Bible.  In the pages of the Book is found all truth, all knowledge, the promises of our Creator and Lord Jesus Christ, and it is those truths and promises that the apostle Paul is making reference to.

So what are we to deposit?  First and foremost is the knowledge of our spiritual foundation, look to 2 Timothy 2:19, “But God’s firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and “Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity.”  Paul warns the church in Corinth that he has laid a foundation that someone else is building on, but to take care how you build upon it.  Then he says these words, “For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” (1 Corinthians 3:11)  Then comes our spiritual investments and Jesus said; “But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.” (Matthew 6:20) 

We must never lose sight that quarreling about words is of no value and only ruins those who listen.  In 2 Timothy 2:15, we are instructed to be workmen who are approved by God and who correctly handle the word of truth.  And in verse 16 of that chapter the Spirit states, “Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly.”  We have been clearly instructed to guard our hearts in Proverbs 4:23, “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.”

So what does the handbook on life tell us to guard our hearts from; doctrine that is found in worldly teaching; look at the instruction in Colossians 2:8, “See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.”  This is not a task that God has told us to accomplish in ourselves, listen, grasp, set your mind on this truth; “Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you – guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us. (2 Timothy 1:14 NIV)  The English Standard Version says the same thing in this way, “By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the good deposit entrusted to you.”

Remember, God does not expect your flesh to improve and to perform this task of guarding the deposit entrusted to you, but you are to ask and depend on the Holy Spirit who dwells within you, if you are in Christ!

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Truth is Truth

 

1 Timothy 6:17-21

What I learned in Sunday school and from my parents at home as a child, is that truth is truth and a promise from God is a promise that will be kept.  What is so amazing is that I believed and acted on these truths while I was an unbeliever, before I bowed my knee to the authority of Jesus Christ and by faith ask Him into my heart and life.  These truths hinge on what God’s word says about how a man should handle money, and credit, and lending of money.

As a very young child my brother and I would clean flower beds and cut grass to earn spending money, and we were taught that ten percent of what we earned was to be given to God, because He had blessed us with the opportunity and the ability to earn the money, and we were also taught to do it with a willing spirit, so that it would be acceptable to our Father in heaven.  Mother would often talk to us about being cheerful givers, and would read 2 Corinthians 9:7. We were also taught that if we borrowed a tool from dad or a neighbor and if it was lost or miss-placed, it was our responsibility to do one of two things, replace it or search till we found it and returned it in good working order.  I believe that teaching came from the book of Exodus 22:14, “If a man borrows anything of his neighbor, and it is injured or dies, the owner not being with it, he shall make full restitution.”  I also remember this verse from Psalms 37:21, “The wicked borrows but does not pay back, but the righteous is generous and gives.” 

I also learned about lending, but for many years we had little in the way of money and I was in my forties before God required of me to trust the promises that I learned as a child in Sunday school and at home.  Promises like these; “Good will come to him who is generous and lends freely, who conducts his affairs with justice.”  (Psalms 112:5)  I was also taught in Sunday school that when you lend, do not expect to get anything back, and to never lend expecting or as a condition of the loan interest in return.  In no way is this referring to a business deal; it is a loan to a friend, enemy, or even neighbor.  Jesus spoke to this subject in Matthew 5:42.

In fact, what I learned from Mother and Dad and also Sunday school was that God’s word could be trusted.  It does seem strange as I reflect back, that I applied the truths on money long before I trusted Christ’s love for me, I got it all backwards, but thank the Lord, I received the free gift of Salvation.  In Proverbs 13:11, “Dishonest money dwindles away, but he who gathers money little by little make it grow.”  God opens doors of employment, it is He that bestows on us the abilities that our employer needs, and that is what I learned from mom and dad, and Sunday school.  I also applied this truth found in Proverbs 22:7, “The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.”  And I learned not to be a co-signer also in Proverbs 22:26, “Do not be a man who strikes hands in pledge or puts up security for debts.”

For years, I would have told you I was not rich, and yet when we look at the poorest of the poor in the USA by the world standard, even they are rich.  So I believe if you live in the USA you should take very serious these verses in 1 Timothy 6:17-19, “As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy.  They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasures for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.”

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Preacher Filters

 

1 Timothy 6:11-16

Have you had anyone address you in this manner: “But as for you, O man/(woman) of God, flee these things.  Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, and gentleness.  Fight the good fight of the faith.  Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.”  (1 Timothy 6:11-12)  If you answer no, you may want to rethink that answer!  Because your preacher, priest, or teacher of the gospel has surely said these words, it may have been in a different format and often we go to church with our preacher filters on and filter out much of the message.  My dear friend and mentor Carroll Ray Jr. told me about preacher filters, they are designed by the enemy of our soul, and they tell the mind and emotions to tell the will that preacher/priest are suppose to say those things, and that is how a preacher filter works, and it seems to work very well. 

Now you might find yourself in this fix, you are between churches, I also use the example of being between jobs, it sounds so much better than telling people you are retired, but for some of my friends who hear that line often, it is getting a little old, in that I’ve been between jobs for 5 years; how long have you been between churches?  If you have been there for sometime, who is speaking the message above into your soul?  Not the enemy of your soul, that’s for sure, in fact he is reminding you often of how many hypocrites are in the church.  So let me give you a definition of hypocrite: “Someone who is acting in a manner not keeping with his/her real character,” so when a person who is a Christian is in church, it may be the only time of the week (to their shame) that they are not being a hypocrite.  And yes, church is a place open to messed up people and sinners, so come on back.

What is the Holy Spirit telling us to flee; the hunger for riches and letting the world system put you under the control of deception, and that deception is; “That your identity is found outside of Christ.”  Once we lose sight of that truth, we begin to buy into all kinds of lies that are fostered by the flesh, the world system, and the enemy of our soul.

As we take hold of eternal life, that is a real cool truth that we can take hold of eternal life, our earth suit is heading for the dirt, but the real you is already enjoying eternal life.  And the Spirit is telling us, who are eternal beings, to take hold of eternal life and be a light to our families, neighbors, dogcatcher, and all others, and to look forward to the return of Christ.  And while we are waiting for His return, do these things listed in verses 13-16 and the verse above.  “I charge you in the presence of God, who give life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, to keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which he will display at the proper time – he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see.  To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Want Creators

 

I Timothy 6:6-10

What is your problem?  It may be the same as mine, too many “want creators” and they are everywhere.  They come in the mail, on TV, over radio, at the grocery store, at all shopping malls, and they even pop-up on my computer screen.  They are everywhere, their goal is not contentment, no, the “want creators” goal is to make you feel the need for whatever, and you have learned that in acquiring that want, no matter what it is, a new car, boat, shoes, dress, pet, you have an instantaneous satisfaction.  Yet we have all learned that the new car gets dinged or the new shoes are not as cool with that dress or suit, and it matters not what the “want creators” promised, it’s value soon fades away and you find the need to acquire more stuff. 

This is my observation, it has little to do with your income, it’s common to both rich and poor and all of us in the middle, the “want creators” has our number, and often we let them put value on things that imply our value, our worth, and that is just not true.  Could our problem be that we have let stuff, stuff that rusts, and fades, get dings, needs painting, or dies, in the case of a pet; have we let this stuff establish our worth? 

If so, please read 1 Timothy 6:6-10, God knows all about our flesh, and he knows all about a world system that tells you that “Value is tied to possessions” and that is why the Creator gave us the handbook on living life on planet earth.  The Bible is no different in this regard to any other manufactures instruction sheet, it’s value is not in reading it, but in doing what the manufacturer has said in it’s instruction.   So what has He said; “Now there is great gain in godliness with contentment, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world.  But if we have food and clothing with these we will be content.  But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare that plunge people into ruin and destruction.  For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils.  It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.”

The one that Jesus warned us about in John 10:10, is the greatest “want creator” of them all and Jesus said that is the dude’s specialty, to make you believe that money or stuff equals the real you, and once you have bought into that lie, it becomes a love for more, and more, and still more.   But the author of the manufactures handbook, on living life on planet earth, gave clear instructions: “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”  (Matthew 6:19-21)  If we would believe the promise that Jesus made in John 10:10, we would not be so easily taken captive by the “want creators.”  This morning, my eyes went to Matthew 6:25, “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on.  Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?”   How you answer Jesus’ question, reflects how you live life!

Form the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Two Doctrines that come from the Feed Yard

 

1 Timothy 6:3-5

Paul is instructing Timothy and us that separation from contentious teachers is our duty!  There has never been a time in the history of the American church where these truths need to be taught.  As you read these Scriptures, give thought to your local church, to your denomination, and to the many voices that you listen to on the radio or television.  These are the words written to us: “Teach and urge these things.  If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness, he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing.  He has an unhealthy craving for controversy and for quarrels about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions, and constant friction among people who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain.”

There are many messengers and many messages that fall into the Scriptures above, but let us look at two that seem to be rising in popularity.  First, is the message that you are chosen and the other guy is not, and those who teach this doctrine will say that is God’s doing and you have no responsibility for sharing Christ with them because they are not chosen.  There is a word for this kind of message, and it is found in a feed yard for livestock, it’s full of dung (animal manure).  It has no root in the Scriptures, the gospel of John 3:16-18 refutes such false teaching, and those who are taken captive by it’s teaching end up trying to win others to such teaching, rather than sharing Christ with a lost soul.  In what we refer to as the High Priestly prayer of Jesus before leaving this earth to return to glory, this was one of the last things he ask of His Father: “I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you have loved me.”  If you have entered into a relationship of faith in Christ, you are chosen and that is truth, but it is also clear that Christ’s call to you and I is to share that truth with all that the Spirit leads us to.

The other message that also should be left in the feed yard has more messengers and the message resonates beyond the church to the lost masses.  It has become the message that many flock to, and its messengers are normally handsome men with very active and have attractive wives who are loved by the media, and their message is given wide circulation.  And there is a good reason why it is void of the gospel of Jesus Christ, it is a gospel of man, it is a gospel that states to all who will follow; a Jesus that asks nothing of you but to be nice to others and whatever you do, be kind and good to you dog or cat.  It promises health and wealth, no pain, no suffering, and it is all about what you can do for God and not what God has done for you.  But it has some real problems, and most of them come from Jesus’ own written word.  Lets begin in the gospel of John 8:31, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and the truth will set you free.”  And you may be asking the same question these Jewish believers asked, free from what, and Jesus answered, the control of sin.  In Matthew 28:18-20, Jesus tells us that “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Him, and he tells his followers to go and make disciples of all nations, in the name of the Father, the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, (verse 20) “teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.  And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” 

If Jesus said all, he meant John 13:34, that we are ordered to love one another, and in John 14:15, Jesus tells us that love for Him is shown by keeping what He has commanded us to do.  As I stated above, this false gospel has no place for suffering, yet Jesus and the apostles gave us a clear message on what part suffering has in the life of a follower of Christ.  Paul addressed suffering in Romans 8:17, “Now if we are children, then we are heirs – heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.”  You may also want to look at Ro 8:36; 2 Co 1:7; 11:23; Php 3:10, and 2 Ti 2:12.  It might be helpful if those who teach a gospel of a pain free faith would look at 1 Peter 5:10, “And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.”  Now that is something we can look forward to.  Jesus said; “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace.  In the world you will have tribulation.  But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

So what are you going to choose, the feedlot gospel, or the gospel of Jesus Christ, one offers false hope, but Jesus offers peace in the middle of tribulation.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Is Work a Dirty word to You?

 

1 Timothy 6:1-2

Is work a dirty word to you?   Do you wish you could just do what you wanted, and never have to get your hands on a mop, wash dishes, or go to your daily job in order to put bread on the table for your family?  Have you ever daydreamed about finding millions of dollars of gold in your backyard, or inheriting millions of dollars, and you no longer need to work?  Would that be a good thing?  Fantasies like these come into our minds more often when the task at hand is not going well, or we are feeling unappreciated, but the question that needs to be asked is, what is the source of these desires?

If you have a mind-set of “I hate work,” or I’m unappreciated by my family, wife/husband, and the people I work for and with, and how good a life it would be if I was wealthy and did not have to do anything but enjoy life?  If you are having these thoughts, you would do well to read about a very wise man that did what he wanted, and he called it meaningless.  King Solomon said; “I hated all the things I had toiled for under the sun, because I must leave them to the one who comes after me.  And who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool?  Yet he will have control over all the work into which I have poured my effort and skill under the sun. This also is meaningless.”  (Ecclesiastes 2: 18-19)  Solomon not only was the wisest of men, he had wealth like few have known, and he understood that hope and peace were not found in great wisdom, or great wealth.  In a few more verses he has this to say; “A man can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in his work.  This too, I see, is from the hand of God, for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment?  To the man who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness, but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and storing up to hand it over to the one who pleases God.”  (Ecclesiastes 2: 24-26a)

Why does much of our culture seem to work at not working?  Could it be that the enemy of our soul has got us to tune into the wrong channel, the channel that always implies “Did God really say?”  The answer is found at the book of beginnings, in Genesis 2:15, “The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and keep it.”  Now this was a good gig that God had given man, but Adam chose to sin and that brought with it labor, and yet God never said labor was anything but good for man.  Proverbs 6:6 tells us to model the ant in our work and Proverbs 6: 9-11 gives us an understanding of the person who has tuned into channel 1, and that channel is controlled by the enemy of our soul.  Channel 2 is telling us to gather our crops in summer and be a wise son, but channel 1 says, sleep late, do little, look to others for your income, and Channel 2 says, that is a disgraceful son.  My thoughts, but very close to Proverbs 10:5 and Proverbs 12:11, He who works his land will have abundant food, but he who chases fantasies lacks judgment.”  And one that I personally applied along with enjoying work was Proverbs 13:11, “Dishonest money dwindles away, but he who gathers money little by little makes it grow.” 

So what does all of that stuff have to do with being a Christian employee?  This is the bottom line, anyone Christian or not who hate what they are doing, or who feels they deserve better, has opened themselves up to Channel 1, and Channel 1, will never consider their employer worthy of respect, and God is requiring more than just respect from a follower of Christ, and if your employer or boss is a believer in Christ, then you are to serve them even better; so that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ will not be slandered. 

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

They were Stumbling blocks to me

 

1 Timothy 5: 19-25

“Do not admit a charge against an elder except on the evidence of two or three witnesses.”

Growing up in small Baptist churches, 1Timothy 5:19 was omitted from the teaching, or if not omitted, it was ignored.  Now that was not the case in our home, my dad was a deacon who understood the Biblical role of a deacon, and it is my observation from a child vantage point that dad was a servant and friend to most pastors.  I do recall a group of men coming to our home more than once, and always at night, most were much younger than dad, and yet dad was only in his early forty’s, they also were deacons and they were there to let dad know that his support for the pastor was going to get him in hot water.  

When things like this happened, we were told to go to our rooms, adults were going to discuss things that children did not need to hear, mother also would go to her room after making coffee and offering dessert, and I must confess that being sent to your room and not getting to listen to the “Shadow knows,” or the Lone Ranger” was awful, but to think that those men were going to jump my dad, and mother was going to let them eat our dessert was more that this child could handle, it was appalling.  Now when the house you live in is 900 square feet and voice are raised, some in anger, and others just trying to be heard above the others, we hear it all, and it was men like these that made me wonder if what was taught at church was ever applied. 

My dad would tell us, if one of us was foolish enough to bring it up, that these men needed our prayers, that our pastor was doing the best he could with the resources he had been given.  In many of these small churches the pastor served at the pleasure of the deacon body, he was a fifth wheel, so to say, the deacon ran thing and they expected the pastor to do all the work of ministry, and the definition of ministry was decided by that small group of men and their wives.  I would hope to report that this is a thing of the past, but it is not, it happens anytime a deacon body has a wrong concept of it’s Biblical responsibility.

Paul in his third time to go to the church at Corinth has this warning; “Every charge must be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses.” (2 Corinthians 13:1)  He is making reference to the following taking place in the church, quarreling, jealousy, anger, hostility, slander, gossip, conceit, and disorder.  This was a sad witness to the world, and it seems in this case that the root cause was past sins and no repentance, sins like sexual immorality and sensuality, that had been their practice.  Paul is not implying that these are elders being accused.  Each of us before bringing a charge against an elder, Pastor-Teacher, would be wise to listen to Jesus, and take the log out of our own eye before bringing a charge against anyone.

What those deacons should have done back when I was a child, and any that have that mindset today, is see what the Bible instructs about bringing a charge against an elder.   And in the case of elders, all of us should require two or three witnesses before even citing them.  And a note to the elders: go back often and read the qualifications God has set for your task of leading His church in 1 Timothy 3:1-7.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

A very appalling Message

 

1 Timothy 5:17

“Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching.”

In the United States many in the church have developed some outlandish practices of referring to the local church as, that’s Pastor Hagee’s church, or Max Lucado’s church, or Ed Young’s church. This lists just a few people that seem to receive reverence that has no place in the kingdom of God.  I do not know any of these men, and only use their names because I’ve heard others refer to them in this way.  I do believe that each of these, an many others who are referred to in this manner, would be quick to state that, I am only the senior pastor, it is not my church, it is the Lord’s church.  It would be nice to say that this false concept has come from the media, but that is not correct, it comes from Christians.  So let me be clear that it is a very appalling message, to all who witness, first to the unbelievers because these have put a mere man in the place of Jesus Christ, and they can only wonder who is being worshipped.  It is also to the angels and the host of heavenly witnesses who watch us to see what we will do with this freedom of our will.  I also believe and know that God has stated that He is a jealous God when it comes to someone, anyone taking His place of being worshiped.  He has stated in Exodus 34:14, that His name is Jealous, and in 1 Corinthians 10:14, the apostle asked this question; “Shall we provoke the Lord to jealousy?  Are we stronger than he?”  You and I as followers of Christ, should never become followers of a preacher or teacher, and our pastors would be wise to tell all who listen what Paul told the church at Corinth, “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.” (1 Corinthians 11:1)

OK, it is not the elder’s church, but how should we treat an elder who rules well?  I am a strong believer that the Bible is the greatest of all commentaries, so shall we look in it for our answer.  Hebrews 13:7, “Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God.  Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith.”  The Bible is very clear that those who rule well deserve our respect; “We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work.  Be at peace among yourselves.” (1 Thessalonians 5:12, 13,) 

If we the church want to show honor to our pastors, we will practice living at peace with others in our local church.  Often, those who are controlled by the flesh take up large blocks of our pastor’s time.  The answer is honor is to be given to all who deserve honor, and especially those who labor in preaching and teaching.  And they should be paid in such a way that they do not have to be concerned about taking care of their family.  It is a wise church that meets the financial needs of its pastor/teacher, but I also believe it can bring harm when a large and rich congregation pays its pastor above the average member of that local church.  Pride is always waiting at the next corner!

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Why do we no longer do This?

 

1 Timothy 5:1-16

“Do not rebuke an older man but encourage him as you would a father.  Treat younger men like brothers, older women like mothers, younger women like sisters, in all purity.”

If you were born in the forties or fifties, this Scripture above seems like a no brainier, that is what your mother and dad had taught you from a child, but since that time it sure seems like it has not been taught at home or at school.  Paul is talking about the church, but most of us were taught it applied to all walks of life.  Our society is often discourteous to older people, the apostle Paul in his letter to the churches at Colossae gave this insight; “Conduct yourselves wisely toward outsiders making the best use of the time.  Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.” (Colossians 4: 5,6,)

But as Christians, we should be reminded that both “Rich and poor have this in common: The Lord is the Maker of them all.” (Proverbs 22:2)  That also applies to older men and women, and younger men and younger women, in the area of being kind and courteous.  When it comes to widows, Paul used a lot of ink, and it is ink that needs to be read and then applied in the Church today.

We would be very wise to read and then read it again, because God is very serious about His church taking care of what Paul calls a real widow.  Paul gave Timothy some guidelines on defining a widow, and we would be wise to follow them, and even go beyond these guidelines.  First, we as a church are to show honor to widows, but if they have children or grandchildren that can provide for them; they should do so, and not look to the church for material support.  The apostle Paul tells us, “But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” (Verse 8)

Paul gives this command to the church; a widow has to be of a certain age, the wife of one husband, and have a reputation for good works, and if she has brought up children, has shown hospitality, and has been a servant to others, she has done well.  Paul tells us not to enroll younger widows because they will desire to remarry, and some of them become idlers, going from house to house and some even become gossips and busybodies.  Paul tells these young widows to remarry and have children and manage their households, and by doing so they will not give the adversary a foothold in their life.

In summation let me give these thoughts, no where is Paul telling the church not to minister, or support anyone of any age, and especially young mothers with children who find themselves without the support of their husband.  Anyone who would use this Scripture to do so has missed the mark.  James 2:15, is very clear, that as a church we are to help those who have needs in the local church.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice’