Contemplation

John 1:14

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Have you ever contemplated the statement above?  Jesus introduced to the world grace and truth and the dictionary defines grace: “The infinite love, mercy, favor, and goodwill shown to mankind by God.”  As an act of faith one can experience being set free from sin, by the confession of sin and accepting repentance from God.  If we explore the Handbook on living life on planet earth, it is often referred to as God’s Holy Word, or the Bible, its pages are full of the word grace.  Many refer to grace as God’s unmerited favor, it’s God’s goodness and mercy, His great love for mankind and it was introduced to this world by Jesus, who took on flesh and dwelt among us in flesh for awhile, but when He returned to the Father, grace and truth lived in and was empowered by the Holy Spirit of God to all who received it by faith.  In 2 Corinthians 8:9, “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.” 

What does 2 Corinthians 8:9 mean?  If that is your question, it a good one and the apostle Paul answered it in a letter to the church at Ephesus.  Ephesians 2: 13-19,^13”But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. ¹⁴For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility ¹⁵by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, ¹⁶and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. ¹⁷And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. ¹⁸For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. ¹⁹So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,” 

God’s mercy, His grace, has bestowed citizenship in the household of God, in fact the apostle Paul wrote to the church at Rome, and told them in Romans 8:15, “For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, Abba! Father!”  What can compare to that?  Surely no one would compare the riches of this world, they or temporary, but to be adopted into the Family of the Creator, the giver of truth and grace, is eternal.  Therefore, if your adoption is through the blood of Jesus Christ, you have grace sufficient for all human needs, that is what 2 Corinthians 12:9, is saying to us: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” God’s grace shows up not in our strength but in weakness, and that is who we are, “no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,” 

I’m sure you have noticed that we have not gotten to truth, but Jesus has much to say about the subject and He had this exchange with Pilate; “Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?”  Jesus answered, “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?”  Today many who are members of some denomination are asking the same question as Pilate or even Thomas.  In the gospel of John 14:5 “Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going.  How can we know the way?” How many are sitting in churches that will not ask that question because they fear what some other person might think of them, aren’t you grateful that Thomas ask it for you, and this is our Lord’s reply.  “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me.”  I have talked to many people who want another way, but it comes down to an issue of;  “Does Jesus tell the truth?”  If not, he is at best a liar and a lunatic, not a good teacher, nor a good man, because He has made this claim, that He is The Christ, the only way, the only door to the Father.

I believe Jesus is “Truth” the only truth, and I believe that “Truth” lives in me and I live in that “Truth”.  For us who are adopted into the family of God, we have much to look forward to, Jesus said this to us; “Let not your hearts be troubled.  Believe in God; believe also in me.  In my Father’s house are many rooms.  If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.” (John 14:1-3)

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Is it part of our DNA?

John 1: 6-13

Back in the old days, when I worked for money I often heard people say, where did this day go, or the week or month flew by?  Now, I still work and often it’s doing something important like cleaning the house for Jan or working in the garden so we can enjoy fresh vegetables, but I’ve noticed that the day, week, and month seems to take wing and are gone.  For many of us we are too busy to notice the blessings God has sent to us, blessings like flowers, birds, grandchildren, friends, and often your wife or husband.  So I wonder is that unique to our time, our culture, or is it just a people problem? 

I’ve come to this conclusion, it is in our DNA and God has been sending special people to us from the beginning to tell us to stop and listen, to be still, and see or hear and act on the blessings that He sends.  Such a man was John the Baptist, and this is what John 1:6-8 says, ^“There was a man sent from God whose name was John. ⁷ He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. ⁸ He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.” 

Could it be that the people of Johns day were much like us too busy being busy, that they missed out on the greatest gift our Father has ever given, much greater than any of the wonders of this world, greater than anything you place value on.  Being busy may have caused many to ignore the giver of life.  John 1:9, “The true light, which enlightens everyone was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him.”  Creator God took on flesh, that is what John tells us in chapter 1, verse 14, “The Word became flesh and lived for a while among us.  We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

I do not believe it is possible to see clearly or understand the feelings of Jesus, but from a Bob’s view, if I had been the Creator, and you chose to leave my paradisiacal garden, and later I sent Moses to lead you to the promise land.   Now I’ve come to buy you back out of sin and your too busy to notice me, you would have been toast, I’m returning to glory to be worshipped, no cross, no forgiveness, but thank God, we are not God.  John 1:11-13, “He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him.  But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born not of blood nor of the will of flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.”

If you are too busy being busy, stop look and listen, and ask God to reveal His plan for you, it a good plan.  If you, like the people of Johns time, have not received Jesus, will you ask Jesus to give you ears to hear and eyes to see what the Spirit of God has for you in Christ?

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

The Power of the Light

 

John 1: 4-5

“In him was life, and the life was the light of men.  The light shines in darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

The power of light over darkness is without challenge; it only takes the smallest of light to dispel darkness.  But the light that verses four and five make reference to is the light of the Spirit of the living God, that light will give you clarity in a evil and dark world of sin. 

Do you recall your imagination when you were a small child, the images and ideas that came into your mind, and how you formed images of the voice on the radio and in the books you read, I believe television has stolen much of our imagination today.  But I’m asking you to imagination yourself in the time that Jesus walked on the earth, you are a member of a Jewish family, and your life is built around the customs and traditions of your religion, and that means all Jewish boys learned to read and write in their own family, and the book that was used was the Bible.  You have learned how to assimilate the history of Israel, the election, the promises, the covenants, and the law is your guide.  You have learned to sing the psalms and each Sabbath you and your family are at the synagogue.  You have grown up under Roman rulers and as a people you resented the Roman government, that is a mild understatement, you hate Rome and it’s appointed king Herod.  As a Jew, your world was divided into two types of people: Jewish and Gentile, and that meant anyone who was not Jewish.  Rome gave you some freedom of religion, but your court system (the Sanhedrin) was limited in what it could do, it no longer had the right to put someone to death without Rome’s approval.

That is the world you live in and this new teacher comes to your village and says, “I am the light of the world.  Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12)  Now as you imagine yourself in this setting, let your mind go back to what had just taken place before Jesus said the words above.  Jesus is at the temple teaching those who gathered around him and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in the act of adultery.  And these are the words they spoke and you and all that had gathered knew them to be the Law of Moses.  “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery.  Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women.  So what do you say?” (John 8:4-5) You and all who have gathered to hear this new Teacher are amazed, he does not speak but begins to write on the ground, and then he stands and says; “If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” He once more began to write on the ground and it was amazing, the older men left first and then the younger and no one was left to condemn her.  “Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Women, where are they?  Has no one condemned you?”  “No one, sir” she said.  “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared.  “Go now and leave your life of sin.” (John 8:10-11)

You may still be wondering what did Jesus write, why did they all leave?   Now he has said that He is the light of the world and if I follow him I will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.  One of the Pharisees challenged him, and told him his testimony was not valid.  Now Jesus said a lot but this I will never forget; “I am the one who bears witness for myself, and the Father who sent me bears witness about me.” (John 8:18) 

At this point you can stop imagining, but you must make a choice just like that group that came to Jesus that day.  Do you accept that Jesus is the giver of life and that He has the ability, no matter what condition you are in, to give you a new spirit and this light of life, or do you reject it?

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

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Christ is Creator God

 

John 1:3

Is there evidence to convict Jesus Christ of being the Creator of the world?  My hope is that by the end of this paper you the reader will come to this conclusion; that if the Bible is the word of God there is proof that Christ is Creator God.  It may be helpful to return to Genesis 1:1, “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.”  This was before God had created time; it was outside of day or night, before there was a 24-hour day, and as time critters, that messes with our head.  But the Word that John refers to in John 1:1 that was in the beginning with God and was God, and that is none other than Jesus Christ.  In Genesis 1:26, after the Creator had spoken things into being, (now that should blow your socks off) it did not require him to go to the local building supply company, he just spoke it into being, God the Father said let us make man in our image. 

So far the Son of God, whom the Bible refers to as Creator God, has spoken everything into being, but he is not finished, the masterpiece of creation was mankind.  And in Genesis 2:7, God our Creator took something He had made to form His masterpiece.  “Then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.” (Genesis 2:7)  It is very important to the culture we live in to understand, He did not breath life into your pet dog or cat, He spoke them into being but mankind was laying on the ground looking like a man, but deader than dead, no life till Creator God breathed into his nostrils the breath of life.  In John 1:4, the Word or Jesus, or Creator God, all the same is the giver of life.  “In him was life, and the life was the light of men.” (John 1:4) 

Now this dust; we call it a body or earth suit, in that it does not work outside of earths’ atmosphere, that dust, houses the real you, the mind, will, and emotions, we refer to that as our soul or the spirit that Creator God has breathed into us.  What happen to that dust after Adam and Eve sinned?  It was the first broken-relationship; man had broke fellowship with God because man lost his light, and God dwells in the light.  Man brought a curse on the ground and it brought fore thorns and thistles, can you imagine a rose bush without thorns, or a garden without weeds.  In Genesis 3:19,“By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; and to dust you shall return.” 

Now this dust we call our body is walking around earth without light; walking in spiritual darkness, yet once more God outside of what you and I call time, has provided a way to redeem His masterpiece.  God’s Spirit spoke these words through the apostle Paul in Colossians 1: 13-17, “He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.  He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.  For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities – all things were created through him and for him.  And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” 

For those of us who have moved from darkness into the light that only Christ can give, we often wonder why did I fight so hard to live in the darkness?  Jesus, the Word, the Creator answered that question in John 3:19, “And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil.”

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Introduction & John 1:1,2,

 

The Gospel According to

John

Introduction & John 1:1,2,

The gospel of John is believed to be pen by John late in the first century, and it main theme, to inspire faith in Jesus Christ as the Son of God. It is quite difficult for me to understand things outside of time, I like you am a time critters, I understand being born, and the important things that happen between that and death, but eternity is hard to get my arms around.  The book of Ecclesiastes is believed to be penned by Solomon, a very wise man and in Chapter 3:11, we find this; “He has made everything beautiful in it time.  He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from the beginning to the end.”  I’ve personally have come to this understanding, God is big, real big, bigger than my ability to grasp, and the great prophet Isaiah shared this information with us in Isaiah 55:8-9, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord.  As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” 

John 1:1,2, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.”  This beginning John is making reference to happen outside of time in what we refer to as eternity.  This Word was not only in the beginning with God, but it was God and we understand that God has no beginning or end. He had no mother or father; Isaiah had this to say about God, “Do you not know?  Have you not heard?  The Lord is he everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth.  He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. (Isaiah 40:28)

This word that was with God and is God has been searched for since the fall of man, we have the account of Moses asking God to show him His glory in Exodus 33:20, and this was the answer; “But, he said, “you cannot see my face, for man shall not see my face and live.”  Now that sound like we have a problem, and before we go there I believe it is important to have a better understanding of this “Unseen God.”  He give us a window into His heart in Exodus 34: 6,7, “The Lord passed before him (Moses) and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation.”  But God the Father lives in an unapproachable light and mankind as been fearful as a whole to seek Him, and that is why He sent the Word.

In John 1:18 we begin to understand that Jesus is the Word, that Jesus is God!  “No one has ever seen God, but God the only Son, who is at the Father’s side, has made him known.”  In Paul letter to the church of Colossae he wanted them to understand the preeminence of Christ, and in what we call the first chapter looking at verses 15-16, “He (Jesus) is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.  For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and in visible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities – all things were created through him and for him.” 

For the first time mankind has a God who took on flesh who can be seen, touched and believed on or rejected, this is the apostle John account of God taking on flesh:  “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life – the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us – that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. (1 John 1:1-3)

Jesus, the Word, the Creator, the Eternal God, the giver of life, now an for eternity, who has a plan for your life, and it is a good plan, but to participate in that plan requires all to come by faith, to except the grace of God, and that means bringing not one thing of yourself to His plan.  Romans 10:9, is the only plan God has put into play for mankind to come into a personal relationship with Himself, it not a simple plan as many have said, it requires death to all that you have put trust in and to move that trust to the Word, to Jesus the Christ.  “Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9)

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Darkness is simply the absence of Light

 

Do you like absolutes? Something that is completely unequivocal and not capable of being viewed as partial.  An absolute is complete and in no way conditional on any future evidence or behavior.  Darkness is the absence of light, light can be measured, but darkness cannot.  So for many who hate absolutes, and try to say there is no such thing, could their problem be they hate the light, because the light exposes their deeds?  I must share a disclaimer; my belief system is not based on my thoughts, but on the authority of Scripture and my understanding of it, and the author of the Bible has a lot of ink on the subject of darkness and light.

Jesus speaking in John 3:19, 20, “And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil.  For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.”  The first chapter of the book of John will introduce you to the light that has come into the world.  If you are a good religious person or a person hiding in the darkness of your heart, and have not by faith gone to the light, you are walking in darkness.   Jesus speaks to this in Mark 7:6-8, “And he said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, ‘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.’ You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men.”  How often we foolishly believe we are following Christ, only to discover we are full of formalism, bringing meaningless worship with our lips, but our actions are far from the commandments of God; Jesus calls those who do that hypocrites.

These are the claims of Jesus: “Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world.  Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12)  Bad things happen to good people in darkness, it could be said that there is danger in darkness.  Jesus also knew that often we are dull in our thinking so the Holy Spirit put these thoughts into the apostle John’s mind to share with us: “Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness.” (1 John 2:9)  Jesus also called us sheep, not some cute little lamb, but sheep that can easily be scattered and become prey for wolves.  Sheep need a shepherd who will give them the protection and the direction they need.  Psalm 119:105, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.”  It is not a light to make the path as if it were day, it is shining right in front of your feet, so that you stay on the trail God has for you. 

We have entered a time where many will come claiming they have the light we need, “Hope and Change” but like sheep who are not all that smart and do not ask; hope in what and or what changes, and what many hoped was light is not light, but more darkness.  Jesus is the light of the world and Christians should not be looking elsewhere for light or hope; you will not find it in man only in Christ.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Do You have Unrealistic Expectations?

 

2 Timothy 4:9-16

What I often expect and what happens in life are often very dissimilar.  Jan and I have had the joy of working with, teaching, and mentoring young couples, and we know a few young ladies who have entered the marriage relationship believing they were Cinderella and the man they married was Prince Charming.  It is not a fun thing to watch, it’s painful, and often there are years of disappointment till the expectations come into the reality that she is not living in a fairy tale, and that the man she married also may have entered marriage with misconceptions of his role and some tried to compete and not complete each other.

We sometimes have unrealistic expectations as a Christian and what happens as we live out our Christianity is that we have many disappointments and sometimes the feelings of being abandoned, if so, you will identify with the apostle Paul?  This second letter to young Timothy was written from a prison cell in Rome, it is also believed to be Paul’s second imprisonment at Rome when this letter was penned.  Paul is now confined and no longer has the degree of liberty as in his first imprisonment.  He is not accessible to his friends and has been deserted by many of his former associates.  In 2 Timothy 1:15-17, we are made aware of his circumstance, “You are aware that all who are in Asia turned away from me, among whom are Phygelus and Hermogenes.  May the Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains, but when he arrived in Rome he searched for me earnestly and found me.”

Paul has no misgiving as to what is coming next, it is his execution, and he is lonely and looking forward to Timothy and others to come give him support in this time of need.  Paul is lonely, he has been cut-off from those whom he had poured his life into and we do not have a clear understanding of what Alexander the coppersmith has done, but Paul tells Timothy, that Alexander did me great harm, but the Lord will repay him according to his deeds.  And Paul gives this warring to Timothy, “Beware of him yourself, for he strongly opposed our message.” (2 Timothy 4:15)

The culture in which Paul lived hated the message of grace and love by putting faith in Christ Jesus, much like we are seeing in the United State and other parts of the world today, with one exception, they have not put many of us in prison yet.  But it is coming because darkness hates the light, because it shows what is happing in the darkness.  In our culture we take and put the ones who have poured their life into us not in prison, but state run nursing homes, and often they are forgotten, not visited, not cared for as one who has value.  My prayer is that those who find themselves in that state will have the faith of a Paul; though he felt deserted by many and was very lonely, he kept his eyes on the prize.  This is the attitude we must have; “But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it.” (2 Timothy 4:17)

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Are You a Finisher?

 

2 Timothy 4:6-8

Are you a finisher, do you stay with the project until the outcome has reached the vision you had for it?  What makes an instrument have both market value and intrinsic value, for example the violin, why would the designs of Stradivari, Guarneri, and Amati, hold such great value? “What many people do not realize is that Italy's old masters and their followers designed each individual instrument with slight but significant variations in the arching, the thickness of the top, back, and ribs, the overall dimensions, and the placement of f-holes.” (By Reginald Williams)  It was in the details, they more than likely had many designs, many-bought lesson (failures), before the vision, the project was finished and the design has proven to hold both market and intrinsic value over time.

Many a person has begun a project with great enthusiasm only to lay it aside, never to finish the vision they had begun with such passion.  We all have examples of not completing the project, for many it has been marriage, or raising children, and for so many who are called Christian, it is finishing strong, looking for the crown of righteousness that the apostle Paul is referring to in 2 Timothy 4:8.

The Scriptures tell us that without a vision the people perish, what is your vision for finishing this great Christian race?  The Holy Spirit speaking through the apostle Paul had this to say to all of us in 1 Corinthians 9:24-27, “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. ²⁵ Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.  Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air.  No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.”

I believe the trend in dropping out of the Christian race and the trend of obesity in the United States have an unusual comparison over the last 20 years, from 1985–2010.  Both have one thing in common, an undisciplined life.

“During the past 20 years, there has been a dramatic increase in obesity in the United States and rates remain high. In 2010, no state had a prevalence of obesity less than 20%. Thirty-six states had a prevalence of 25% or more; 12 of these states (Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and West Virginia) had a prevalence of 30% or more.”  (Quote from the CDC Website)  As a nation and as a culture and as Christians, we have become people who blame someone else for our lack of discipline, but the Holy Spirit says this; “Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is their shame.  Their mind is on earthly things.” (Philippians 3:19)  For a Christian to finish strong, requires keeping your eyes on Jesus, and remembering to walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

The Eraser seems to be Working

 

2 Timothy 4:1-5

I’m very slow when it comes to deep thinking; most who know me will not argue with that assessment.  But today a light came on in my mind as I read 2 Timothy 4:1-2, “I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom; preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.”  Do you recall my sharing about how my friend Carroll said that we all have “preacher filters,” and a voice in your head says, “That’s what preachers get paid to say” and so you ignore the message.  My pastor Ray Still believes there is an eraser as you exit the building that removes all that was given to us in the way of instruction to live life on Planet earth. 

But our enemy is one smooth dude, and I believe he uses this tool on everyone who reads the Bible, and it goes something like this; that does not apply to you, that’s for those in ministry, not _____________ and you fill in the blank with your calling, it may be homemaker, or doctor, etcetera.  So the question must be ask; “Have you, have I been charged in the presence of God and Christ Jesus?”

It is a very important question, for we are experiencing the prophecy of 2 Timothy 4:3-4, “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 listening to the truth and wander off into myths.”  Have you read the paper or watched the T.V. of late, this is a small sample of what they are saying: “Political comedian Bill Maher says religion is a "neurological disorder." MSNBC's Keith Olbermann called prolifers "Christian jihadists." CBS News Anchor Katie Couric claims Christian values are "repugnant,” Christian America is under attack. The enemy is using Hollywood and the mainstream media.”  Those statements are not coming from church spokesmen, but from Political Columnist and author S.E. Cupp who is also a professed atheist.  When God has a message to send, He has used a king who went crazy and ate grass, so why not an atheist.  Could it be that we who have been charged to be ready in season and out of season, or you might say in our homes, and while shopping, or working, or as we go, to exhort, reprove, and rebuke, with patience and love, have you said it is not my job.

Few of us are called to be pastors, but all who are in Christ are called to be ministers.  One of many examples is Aquila and Priscilla, God had this to say about them in Romans 16:3-4, “Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, who risked their necks for my life, to whom not only I gave thanks but all the churches of the Gentiles give thanks as well.”  You may be saying only two examples, then keep reading and you will find Epaenetus, Mary, who has worked hard for you, also Andronicus and Junia, who Paul calls his kinsmen and fellow prisoners, and the list keeps going through verse 16. 

In a nutshell, we the Church are ignorant of or have refused to obey the charge given to us by Christ Jesus and God the Father, and we are reaping what we have sown.  It makes one wonder, why will we who have Christ living in us not be light in this present darkness?

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Do you believe what is stated in the above Scripture?

 

2Timothy 3:16

“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.”

Do you believe what is stated in the above Scripture?  That is a question my mentor and friend would often ask of me when reading the Bible.  Ken Ryan had a way of cutting to the chase, because I knew what was going to follow, if you believe it, why are you not obeying, following, applying what the Scriptures say in your daily life.  I’ve been blessed with many mentors, but God took special favor on me by sending Ken Ryan into my life, he was not only my teacher, but he correctly used the Scriptures to reproof and encourage my life. 

If you have not by faith ask Jesus Christ into your life, it is a requirement before any deep understanding of these 66 books, divided among the Old and New Testaments, referred to as the Bible.  In 1 Corinthians 2:12-14, “Now we have received not the of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God.  And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.  The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.”

Based on the above Scripture, we can state with full confidence, a non-believer will only understand the Bible after they have bowed their knee in repentance and ask Jesus to forgive the sin of unbelief that is keeping them from a personal relationship with the author of the Bible.  The apostle Peter said these words; “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.”  (2 Peter 1:20-21)

Just a few facts that might be of help to a person looking at the Bible, the Old Testament contains 39 books, and the New Testament has 27 books.  The word “testament” means “covenant” or “contract.”  We have already stated above that the Holy Spirit is the author of the Bible, but He used over 40 different people from all walks of life: farmers, tent-makers, shepherds, fishermen, physicians, priests, kings, and yet it is perfectly cohesive and unified.  What is so amazing is that it was written over a period of 1,500 years.  It’s beginning goes to the time of Moses, around 1450 BC to around 100 AD.

If you are in Christ, Do you believe what is stated in the above Scripture?

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Has "I Deserve, I'm Entitled" invaded the Church?

 

2 Timothy 3:10-15

If you are a church planner, a member of a church staff, or a pastor of a new church, the following Scripture is not recommended reading for church growth, in our culture of “wanting without doing.”  Never in my life have I seen more of this, ignorant people being used by evil people to create fear, anger, and hate for others; like we are seeing under this administration’s in power. That same culture has also invaded our homes and churches; a culture of “I deserve, I’m entitled,” and it is the opposite of being a servant in the kingdom of God.  If you have been taken captive by a belief of, “I deserve, I’m entitled,” or that the answer to the problems is more government, then you are ignorant of the teaching of “The Manufacturer’s handbook on living life on planet earth.” 

In this letter to Timothy, Paul is addressing a man he loves like a son, but more than that he is a good soldier of Christ Jesus.  Timothy is a faithful man who has the ability to teach others, and he also is a follower of the teaching, conduct, and faith of Paul.  Timothy has learned patience, love, and steadfastness from watching a man who saw himself as a prisoner of Jesus Christ.  A man who said and meant, “For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” (Philippians 1:21)  If you need more information on the character of Paul, read Philippians 3:7-11.  That is Timothy’s model, and Paul reminds Timothy of what took place at Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra, and in all of these places Paul was persecuted and endured physical suffering.

I have seen many a program come and go in the Baptist church, most were cultivated in the minds of men.  But I’ve never tried this one: Sign up today for our new program on how to be persecuted, and have the heart attitude of Paul; “For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”  That’s going to be a very short list, if you are the one at the sign-up table, you will not need to stay long, and you will not need helpers.  But listen to what the Holy Spirit is saying in 2 Timothy 3:12 & 13,“Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.”

Paul is telling both Timothy and us, that being a true follower of Christ, not an impostor, will cost you in all areas of this life, but it is worth the price.  Listen to these words of encouragement: “But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.” (2 Timothy 3:15)

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

A quart short in the area of "application by faith"

 

2 Timothy 3:7-9

We all met people who are very intelligent persons with all kinds of book smarts, but who are dumber than a rope?  Sure you have, we all met them, and as this Scripture states, “Always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth.”  (2 Timothy 3:7)  Yes, we know such people, but what about in the church, what about you and me, who attend Bible studies, who daily study the Scriptures, could verse seven be applied to us?   The Holy Spirit speaking through the earth suit of someone said the following to the Hebrew Christians; “About this we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing.  For by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God.  You need milk, not solid food, for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child.  But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.”  (Hebrews 5:11-14)  The writer goes on in chapter six to tell us it is time to by faith apply what has been learned or taught, to make it your walk and not just your talk.

Could it possibly be that many of us intelligent people who have been to all the Bible studies, still run a quart short in the area of application by faith.   It is not a new problem, the writer refers to Jannes and Jambres who apposed Moses, in fact the writer goes on to say “they opposed the truth – men of depraved minds, who, as far as the faith is concerned, are rejected.  But they will not get very far because, as in the case of those men, their folly will be clear to everyone.” (2 Timothy 3:8b-9)

A person with all the answers does not want to listen to truth, they want followers, they want to oppose authority, and it’s called being full of self.  Galatians 5:16-17 tells us all we need to know, but if we are living independent lives and not dependent on God the Father, we somehow believe Galatians 5:16-17 applies to others and not us.  “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.  For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.” (Galatians 5:16-17)  This truth applies to all, yes, even to pastors, teachers, and pew sitters, and to walk in the Spirit is a choice made often, many times everyday.  When we are walking in the Spirit, we experience love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control; so it should be easy for each of us to know when we are in the Spirit or in the flesh.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

The meaning of the Last Days

 

2 Timothy 3:1-5

When the Bible refers to the last Days what does that mean?  Is it the end of the world?  It is a very simple answer found often in Scripture, it is referring to the return of Christ.     That we the church still remain on earth at this time is not important for this paper, what is important is that you are in Christ.  The Prophet Isaiah proclaimed Christ’s coming in about 760 BC, “In the last days the mountain of the Lord’s temple will be established as chief among the mountains; it will be raised above the hills, and all nations will stream to it.” (Isaiah 2:2)  If you are wise and keep reading the following verses you will see that it is Christ that is coming back.  Daniel also writes of the last days in Daniel chapter 12, and if you have family that is not in Christ, please tell them Jesus is coming, and to leave earth without a personal relationship is everlasting contempt.  It is a wise person who has ears to heard what the Spirit is saying in Daniel 12:1b-2, “And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never has been since there was a nation till that time.  But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone whose name shall be found written in the book.  And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.”  The prophet Micah also gives us the same account as Isaiah, written sometime around 750 BC. 

The apostle Peter also refers to the last days and it is very clear that he is talking about Jesus return to this earth in bodily form.  In 2 Peter 3:2-4, “That you should remember the predictions of the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior through your apostles, knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires.  They will say, “Where is the promise of his coming?”  Our Lord tells us in Matthew 24 what is gong to happen, and it reads much like the 6:00 PM news, “And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars.  See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet.  For nation will rise again nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places.  All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.”  (Matthew 24”6-8)

But if you want to read today news paper turn to 2 Timothy 3:1-5, “But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty.  For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power.  Avoid such people.”  I have no incite into what is left on the clock before Christ’s return, nor does any other person, but it sure looks like we are close to the mid-night hour.  And God does not grade on a curve, He does not take into the process your goodness, the test only hinges on, have you bowed your knee to Christ, have you received by faith the cleansing of your sins by His Blood.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Are you Young at Heart?

 

2 Timothy 2:22-26

Are you young at heart, old Blue eyes (Frank Sinatra) sang a great song that went like this:

Fairy tales can come true, it can happen to you
If you're young at heart
For it's hard, you will find, to be narrow of mind
If you're young at heart
 
Don't you know that it's worth every treasure on earth
To be young at heart
For as rich as you are it's much better by far
To be young at heart

The song states at the end “And if you should survive to 105
Look at all you'll derive out of being alive
Then here is the best part, you have a head start
If you are among the very young at heart.”  And isn’t it great to be young at heart and to accentuate the positive?  I believe it’s the way to live life, and our culture seems to promote youth, and we see many who have missed the message of being young at heart, in that they are still running after youthful passions; like how much stuff can I acquire or can I still conquer the opposite sex in order to feel young.  These people are not young at heart; they are very empty trying to fill up their days with self-gratification.

And that is what the apostle Paul is addressing, not being young at heart, but being a person who put self first and uses people.  Paul is not saying, put away your “Young at heart” mindset, but flee the passions of self.  In the book of 1 Corinthians 13, used often
in wedding ceremonies and is referred to as the love chapter, verse 11 states; “When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I reasoned like a child.  When I became a man, I gave up childish ways.”  That is what Paul is addressing, beginning in 1Timothy 2:22, “So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.”  I come to understand it is impossible to put self on the throne of my life and seek faith, love, and peace, for to pursue righteousness I must seek the Righteous One, the Lord Jesus Christ.

My flesh likes to be first, to be seen as someone of value, it likes to give its opinion and if the flesh is not under control of the Spirit, it leads to foolish, ignorant controversies, and they always bring about quarrels.  Paul is telling Timothy, keep your opinions to yourself, because these only lead to quarrels, and the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness.

Often we believe that getting in the face of that person seeking what is described, as “Youthful Passions” is the right thing to do, but it often causes greater division.  The apostle Peter warns us about how the enemy of our soul is wanting to devour us in 1 Peter 5:8, “Be sober-minded; be watchful.  Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”  We must not lose sight that these are Christians, who have been taken captive by the evil one.  Verses 25b - 26 are very clear on this: “God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, and they may escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.”

Please be young at heart an always accentuate the positive, we need that so much in a time when many of us are acquiring age, but please put away the foolish passions of independent living, and place yourself under the authority of Jesus Christ.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Whose Voice am I Listening to?

 

2 Timothy 2:14-19

No matter what your profession, it is always wise to inquire of those over you, if you are meeting their expectations.  In sales you normally have a review twice a year and at that time I would ask my boss to share his goals and what I could do to help him meet his personal goals.  Have you ever ask the Lord about His plans for your life and what you need to do to enhance His kingdom on this earth?  Paul is telling Timothy not to quarrel about words, what kind of words; Paul tells us in 1 Timothy 1:4-7.  Much of this was coming from teachers without understanding either of what they were saying or the things about which they made confident assertions.  They talk about myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculations rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith.  Paul tells Timothy, “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.”  (1 Timothy 6:3-5)  Watch out for such people, in fact run from them!

If you are not asking the Lord for your performance appraisal today is a great day to begin, but make sure you stop and listen.  This was Paul’s counsel to young Timothy; “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handing the word of truth.”  (2 Timothy 2:15)  A person who applies and rightly handles the Scriptures will allow that truth to guide them; they will put faith in God’s promises no matter what the circumstances or what they are feeling.  Much of this not being ashamed is based in; do I value truth more than anything else?  The Psalmist tells us in Psalms 119:72, “The law from your mouth is more precious to me than thousands of pieces of silver and gold.”  He stays with that theme in Psalms 119:127, “Because I love your commands more than gold, more than pure gold.”  He is putting God and His promises and commands before all else, before family, business, church, he is a doer of the word, not just a hearer.  In Proverbs 23:23, “Buy the truth and do not sell it, get wisdom, discipline and understanding.”

My daughter came home from church camp as a very young teen and proclaimed to my wife and I that Jesus and Truth or interchangeable words, that Jesus is truth.  What amazing insight and in John 1:14, we are told the following: “The Word became flesh and lived for a while among us.  We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”  Later in that same book we have these words from our Lord Jesus, who said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me.”  (John 14:6)  It sure sounds like Jesus has total control of the way to God the Father, that He has total control of both truth and is the giver of life.  You may be like Pilate, asking questions but refusing the answers, is that where you find yourself? 

This is the conversation between Jesus and Pilate; “Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?”  Jesus answered, “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.”  (John 18:37)  So you must ask this question; whose voice am I listening to?

Form the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Remember this One Fact

 

2 Timothy 2:8-13

The apostle Paul tells Timothy to remember this one fact: “Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, the offspring of David, as preached in my gospel, for which I am suffering, bound with chains as a criminal.  But the word of God is not bound!  If Christ was not raised from the dead our faith is of no value.  And for as long as we have had the Written Word of God, the Bible, evil men have tried to replace it, destroy it, or add a new bible like the Mormons.  They will not come out publicly and say the book of Mormon replaces the Bible, but will say that it gives new insights.  My reason for addressing the subject is that this came to light from a supporter of Mitt Romney who is a Mormon and running for the office of President of the USA.  Professor Richard Bushman, who is a Mormon, had the following to say in support for Romney and the Mormon faith. "To my way of thinking the idiosyncrasies of Mormon belief and practice are not the issue; Catholic belief in transubstantiation and Protestant belief in the resurrection [of Jesus] can be made to look silly, too," he told CNN in reaction to Erickson’s book.

I must tell the professor that the resurrection of Jesus Christ is not odd or unusual to the Catholic or the Protestant believer in Christ, but because the Professor is a man of great knowledge and especially on his church, it leaves me wondering if Mormons put no hope in a risen Christ?   The apostle Paul has this reply to anyone who holds to such teaching: “And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins.”  (1 Corinthians 15:17)  You may need to go first to 1 Corinthians 15:4, “That he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.” The apostle Paul gives this account of his personal encounter with Christ, and the following account of the number of people who also encountered the risen Christ; and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.  "Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep.  Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles.  Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.” (1 Corinthians 15: 5-8)

Professor Richard Bushman, who is a Mormon by his own statement, is much closer in his belief to Muslims than to Christians, if his statement supports his beliefs.  I found this information of great interest: “Based on Dr. Hemer's credible research, the book of Acts was recorded on paper about 62 AD (NOTE: the Qur'an was recorded on paper about 572 years after the book of Acts. This original (called the Hafsah Codex) and most credible version of the Qur'an was later destroyed by Muslims about 667 AD! WHY?).
When Saul of Tarsus met Jesus on the road to Damascus, Jesus spoke from heaven.  Since Acts records that Jesus ascended into heaven, there is no conflict based on the texts written into the book of Acts and the experience of the Apostle Paul.
However, there is conflict with the Qur'an, which claims that Jesus never died on the cross or rose from the dead. Instead, the Qur'an claims, without external or supporting evidence, that Jesus simply ascended into the heavens.”   
The Holy Bible, the revealed and inspired Word of God, states that the Qur’an or Koran is antichrist and so is anyone who holds to such teaching.  The apostle John is very clear on what an antichrist will look like and you can look this up in 1 John 2:18; 4: 2-3, and 2 John 7, states, “For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh.  Such a one is the deceiver and the antichrist.
(Note: Given the choice of the two men running for the office, I am going with Mitt.)
From the Back Porch,
Bob Rice

How is your Race Going?

 

2 Timothy 1: 5

“An athlete is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules.”

What do athletes and Christianity have in common?  They both have rules that must be applied and adhered to so they will finish well, and it seems that Paul is comparing the Christian life to a footrace.  The analogy of the Christian in training and the athlete are a theme through out the New Testament.  The Bible tells us to renew our minds in Romans 12:2, and that does not happen without hard work, but we are told in 1 Corinthians 9:24, “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize?  Run in such a way as to get the prize.”  A wise athlete will always look to a coach or trainer who can help him run better, connect with the ball better, run a play as it was designed, and in the Christian life we need that life coach to tell us if we are running our race in keeping with the will of God, the apostle Paul did this when he went to Jerusalem with both Barnabas and Titus, and it is recorded in Galatians 2:2.

I’m not a golfer but I find it interesting that a great golfer can lose his game, and Galatians 5:17 tells us a Christian can also do the same thing.  “You were running well.  Who hindered you from obeying the truth?” (Galatians 5:7)  In this case, they were told that they needed Christ plus, and the plus was rules that came from the mind of men, and added grace and faith plus, and the plus is like putting weights on a runner, he will not finish the race.

If that is where you are discarding these rules designed to look good to man, like do not eat pork, or you must read your Bible each day for 30 minutes and pray for 30 minutes; the implication is that by doing so you become more acceptable to God, it’s grace plus.  Paul gave this counsel to churches at Philippi; “Holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain.”  (Philippians 2:16)  Paul is saying to follow the instructions of the manufacturer, read and obey and you will finish the race.

Like the athlete, the Christian has others who are watching the race, some are cheering for you, but some want you to become discouraged and to quit the race God has planned for you.  As you prepare for your race, keep this Scripture in your mind; “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” (Hebrews 12:1)  And you should ask who are these witnesses, people like the person you work with who is immoral, your children, your wife/husband, the neighbors, and everyone who comes in contact with you, plus the angels, the rulers, the authorities, the cosmic powers both good and evil.  It is a very large group that is watching your race, and your cheerleaders are God the Father, His Son, and the Holy Spirit, plus the angels.

In sales they have a saying “WIIFM” what’s in it for me, so let me share the “WIIFM” with you.  “Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day – and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.”  (2 Timothy 4:8)

If your race has not gone well, if the enemy of your soul has added weights to your race, if you have lost sight of the goal, my prayer for you is that you will believe what was written in the manufacturers handbook about living life on planet earth.  Know that God has a plan for you, it was designed just for you, read about it in Jeremiah 29:11.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice