It is always a Choice

John 8:48-59

In the early days of my career I worked with a young man who had hatred for Jesus in his heart, and he told me one day that Jesus was responsible for ninety percent of the problems in this world.  When I told Joe that I believed Jesus was the Son of God and that I had placed my faith in Him for my eternal future, Joe’s reply was, if he is God, I would spit in his face.  In that I was just beginning my walk with Jesus, I dropped the subject and it never came up again.  But I do recall that in that exchange, Joe told me that the Bible never claims that Jesus was God.  Many years have passed and yet I recall that day in the parking lot of 3M BPSI offices on Padre Island drive, and my inability to show Joe how often Jesus claimed to be God.

One such account is John 8:48-59, where the Jews were claiming that Jesus was a Samaritan and had a demon, and this was his reply, “I do not have a demon, but I honor my Father, and you dishonor me.  Yet I do not seek my own glory; there is One who seeks it, and he is the judge.  Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death.”  The Jews that heard Jesus said they were now sure that He was crazy or was being controlled by a demon, and they answered that Abraham died, as did the prophets, and Jesus replied; “If anyone keeps my word, he will never taste death.”  Unlike my exchange with Joe in the parking lot many years ago, the Jews knew who Abraham was, so they came back with this, “Are you greater than our father Abraham who died?  And the prophets died!  Who do you make yourself out to be?” (John 8:53)

“Who do you make yourself out to be?” This may be one of the best questions ever asked?  And Jesus’ reply in verses 54 – 56, is very powerful and in verse 56, Jesus put it all on the line, “Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day.  He saw it and was glad.”  Can you imagine the shock of hearing this, Jesus had taken off the table being a good moral teacher, He was nuttier than a fruitcake or was He God?  This was the reply of the Jews, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham”?  Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I Am.”

These Jews were fully aware that Jesus’ claim was “I Am” the name God told Moses to give the people if they ask who had sent him to free them, in Exodus 3:13-15.  So, it is now your choice, is Jesus a lunatic or is He the Son of God?

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Who is your daddy?

John 8:37-46

Who is your daddy? It is famous for such call – and - response verses as "What's your name? (What's your name?) /Who's your daddy? (Who's your daddy?) / (He’s rich?) Is he rich like me?"  These lyrics are from "Time of the Season" a song by The Zombies, and featured on their 1968 album Odessey and Oracle. Who's your daddy? Is a slang expression used in the song to ask a rhetorical question? A rhetorical question is a figure of speech in the form of a question posed for its persuasive effect without the expectation of a reply.  ^(Note: the information is from Wikipedia.)   It might surprise you to read that over 2000 years ago Jesus Christ ask this question to a group of Jews who were following Him.

It all began in this way, Jesus tells the crowd the following; “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”  (John 8:31-32)  Now we understand that Jesus was referring to Himself as being the source of all truth, but the crowd did not grasp what He had stated.  This group of Jews could follow their roots back to Abraham and their claim was that they had never been enslaved to anyone.  It’s very clear they were offended by what Jesus was saying, so He raised the level of His discourse with this statement: “I know that you are offspring of Abraham; yet you seek to kill me because my word finds no place in you.  I speak of what I have seen with my Father, and you do what you have heard from your father.”  (Verses, 37-38)

“They answer him, “Abraham is our father.”  Jesus said to them, “If you were Abraham’s children, you would be doing what Abraham did, but now you seek to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. This is not what Abraham did.  You are doing what your father did.” (Verses, 39-41)  What a comparison to the church of 2012, where many in the pews claim to be followers of Jesus, but show little or no effects of abiding in His word.  These Jewish people did not know the Father; and they went on to claim we have one Father – even God.  But much like many members of today’s church they do not pass the test in John 8:31,32, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”  

Jesus may not have asked the question, “who's your daddy”?  But it is very clear that He is about to tell them who their daddy is, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and I am here.  I came not of my own accord, but he sent me.  Why do you not understand what I say?  It is because you cannot bear to hear my word.  You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires.  He was a murderer from the beginning, and has nothing to do with the truth, because there is no truth in him.  When he lies, he speaks out of his own character for he is a liar and the father of lies.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice - http://fromourbackporch.blogspot.com/

Whose Prisoner are You?

John 8:31-37

What value do you put on your freedom?  In the United States we love freedom and people from all over the world are trying to come here because we are free to speak, to travel, to worship, to fail or to succeed.  We also are number one in many things, but did you know we are number one in the number of prisoners, 2,019,234.  Number two is China 1,549,000, and Russia with 845,967, India has 313,635, Brazil has 308,304, Thailand has 213,815, Ukraine has 198,386, South Africa has 181,944, Mexico has 172,888, and Iran has 163,526, and that is only the top ten.

It is reported that on a global basic there are 8,570,051 prisoners and yet many places like Cuba report no prisoners.  That number should trouble us that our society has that many law breakers, that many people who have given up their freedom because they chose to get their needs met outside of the laws of the land.  But Jesus tells us in John 8:34, “Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin.”  We no longer use the word sin, it not in keeping with a progressive society, but we have renamed it with phrases like they messed up, or bad to the bone, or one of my favorite is by my friend Cory Munn, “that is just wrong.”

One of my teachers was Bill Gillham, and much of what I write has some of Bill hidden in them.  Bill had this to say about the word sin: “The power of sin is what its name implies, a power to entice you into sin. It dwells in you (Rom. 7:21), yet it is not you any more than a gold tooth that dwells in your mouth is you. Sin's goal is to deceive saints into living to get their needs (though good and godly) met by sinning rather than by using the Matthew 6:33 method; that is, "seeking Christ first."  If you are one of those who has removed sin from your vocabulary you may want to visit 2 Timothy 2:20-26, verse 26, is a wrap-up of the source of sin.  “And they may escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.”

Now the rest of the story, we do not have to be taken prisoner by sin, it is a choice, and Jesus tells us how to choose in John 8:31-32, “So Jesus said to those Jews who had believed in Him, If you abide in My word [hold fast to My teachings and live in accordance with them], you are truly My disciples.  And you will know the Truth, and the Truth will set you free.”   Amplified Bible 

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

http://fromourbackporch.blogspot.com/

Apathy & Ignorance is often a Choice

John 8:21-30

In the 1970’s I worked with a young man named Joe Williams, who often would say, “Apathy and Ignorance are two things that have no equal.”  Joe was using apathy to define a person who showed no interest in the subject or was just lazy.  If you add ignorance to that person you have someone who is unaware or lacks knowledge, and who is not willing to put any effort, mental or physical energy to achieve a purpose.  Often, such a person will tell you that his mind is made up, and not let you share any facts with him.  Have you encountered such a person, if so, will you agree that Joe was on the spot with his definition?

I have no doubt that many of the Pharisees fit into Joe’s definition, but not all of them, and we should never forget that others on the peripheral are watching and listening.  Picking up the story in verse 22, “So the Jews said, “Will he kill himself, since he says, “Where I am going, you cannot come’?  This is where the story becomes our story, it is no longer Jesus just talking to the Pharisees, you and I are not in the peripheral in the story, in fact we are the focus of Jesus’ words.  These are the words that Jesus is speaking to all of us; “You are from below; I am from above.  You are of this world; I am not of this world.  I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins.”  (John 8:23, 24)

As I reread verses 23&24, it became clear that you and I who have now read these words may be asking the same question as the Pharisees; “So they said to him, “Who are you?”  Jesus said to them, “Just what I have been telling you from the beginning.  I have much to say about you and much to judge, but he who sent me is true, and I declare to the world what I have heard from him.”  They did not understand that he had been speaking to them about the Father.  So Jesus said to them, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own authority, but speak just as the Father taught me.  And he who sent me is with me.  He has not left me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to him.”  As he was saying these things, many believed in him.”

You and I are part of the world Jesus refers to, so now the ball is in your court, do not be apathetic and ignorant, but look and examine the information; Jesus is Creator God, or he is at best a liar, and I’ve made my choice to place my trust, my life in Him as my Lord and my God.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Absolute

John 8:12-20

“I am the light of the world.  Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

I was wondering if you consider the statement above an absolute?  It seems that Jesus had strong feelings about who He was, and His value to anyone who follows him.  The declaration of being the light of the world seems to come from someone with total power and authority, and who has unconditional ownership of that title.  If a person was going to make a statement that was that conclusive, what are the possibilities that somebody is going to want them to back up that statement with evidence of proof, and that is precisely what the Pharisees did to Jesus?

So who were the Pharisees; a group of very religious men who claimed that they   received the backing and goodwill of the common people, apparently in contrast to the more elite Sadducees. Pharisees claimed prophetic or Mosaic authority for their interpretation of Jewish law, while the Sadducees represented the authority of the priestly privileges and prerogatives established since the days of Solomon, when Zadok, their ancestor, officiated as High Priest. (From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia with my input)  Yes, the Pharisees saw themselves as set apart, and as the keepers of the Law of Moses, but they also were the ones who added laws to what Moses had given them.  These are the guys who confronted Jesus on His statement above.

Picking up the story in verse 13, “So the Pharisees said to him, “You are bearing witness about yourself; your testimony is not true.” Jesus answered, “Even if I do bear witness about myself, my testimony is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going, but you do not know where I come from or where I am going.  You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one.  Yet even if I do judge, my judgment is true, for it is not I alone who judge, but I and the Father who sent me.  In your Law it is written that the testimony of two men is true.  I am the one who bears witness about myself, and the Father who sent me bears witness about me.”  (Verses 13-18)

Jesus tells that group of Pharisees, “for I know where I came from and where I am going, but you do not know where I come from or where I am going.”  What a message you and I need today, why, because we live in a society with no understanding of where it has come from or where it is going.  The average person on the street has little or no understanding of our history or our Constitution and it seven articles and 26 amendments, and I’m including this writer in that group to some degree.  So if we are uneducated about the documents that allow us life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, the freedom of speech, and worship, of travel, the freedom to fail or to succeed were the Pharisees that different from us? 

You see they like many of us had a strong belief system, but much like our politicians they believed the law were for their constituents but did not apply to them.  If they only knew Jesus then they would have know His Father!  One of Jesus disciples, Philip ask the very same question that these Pharisees ask of Jesus in John 14:8, “Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.  Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip?  Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.  How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?  Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me?  My dear reader, it hinges on this; do you believe Jesus tells the truth?

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Breaking News - Jesus has not Condemed You

John 7:53-8:11

As I read these verses I wondered, what would it have been like walking with Jesus on planet earth in His physical body?  The people have gone home from the feast of Booths and it is the next morning and as it is His practice, Jesus gets up early and goes to the Mount of Olives to hang out with His Father.  It is still early morning and Jesus is back at the temple and the people come to Him and sit down and He teaches them. 

Now picking up the story in John 8:3-5, “The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst they said to him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery.  Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such woman.  So what do you say?”  Well what can He say, it’s in the Law and they have every right to kill her for her act of adultery, but it is not about the Law of Moses, and it is not about adultery, they are looking for an opportunity to bring charges against Jesus. It is reported that Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground.  Verses 7-11 of John 8, gives this account; “And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” “And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground.  But when they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman, where are they?  Has no one condemned you?”  She said, “No one, Lord.”  And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.”  Did you see what happen to this woman who was caught in the act of adultery; her life was changed, she went from adultery to placing her faith in Jesus, that day He became her Lord.

Many who teach or preach on this wonder aloud, what did Jesus write, but I wonder what happen to the so-called listeners of Jesus, why did they leave?  Being good Jews who had come to temple early in the morning, many of them were there most of last week and would have been, you would think, followers of the Law of Moses, just like the scribes and Pharisees.  It’s important to understand that the crowd was listeners of Jesus, most had not put their trust in Him as Messiah, but they were believers in the Law of Moses.  There is a similarity to the church of today; church members, small groups members, listeners, but not trusting Jesus to do it all for you, to be your life.  Many read and even put to memory 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.” 

Jesus had this to say about our tradition and His commandments, to a group of religious folks in Jerusalem in Matthew 15:7-9, “⁷You pretenders (hypocrites)! Admirably and truly did Isaiah prophesy of you when he said:  These people draw near Me with their mouths and honor Me with their lips, but their hearts hold off and are far away from Me.  Uselessly do they worship Me, for they teach as doctrines the commands of men.^” (Amplified Bible)  Two thoughts come to mind, would I have been one of the pretenders in that group of listeners?  And are the words of Isaiah true about my life today?

From the Back Porch,
Bob Rice

Have we Forgot?

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Acts 23: 1-11

I would never have believed that a political party in the United States would have taken God out of their platform and then had a floor vote on putting God back in that lost three times and the leaders of that party ignored the vote and placed God’s name back into the platform, for political reasons, not because they love God.  I would never have believed that this same group would support men marrying men and women marrying women and by their actions oppose marriage between a man and a women.  I would never have thought a President of the United States would hold special prayer services for Muslims and call the Nation’s day of Prayer an event, and not be part of it, but all of this and more took place in the last four years.  And this same group does not like Christians; if given the chance they would do all in their power to silence the message of the cross, and of a risen Jesus Christ.  They want Christian to keep faith a private thing, and trust in government not in God.

At the time the apostle Paul was put before the council of Rome was in charge, they were the conquering army, and the Jews hated them, but the leaders played nice in order to keep power over the center of life, and at that time in Israel that was the temple, it governed the Jewish culture and it was more than a religion.  From the view of the governing bodies that ruled over the Jewish people they saw Christianity as a threat to their way of life, their control, their seat of significance.  

We also have an army that has come against Christians in the United States, and they have a leader who has been attacking and deceiving mankind since the Garden of Eden and his game has not changed, and his goals are clearly stated in John 10:10, by Jesus, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”  Many a Christian can quote this verse and many believe it until they find the mob is coming after them, or they believe they may lose a way of life that is centered in the church and being good to their neighbors, and in the freedom to talk Christian but often not be Christian. 

Then they demand action from their leaders, and who are their leaders, Pastors, Politicians, and maybe Fox news.  And just an observation, it seems like they are quick to quote any source no matter the source if they are saying something they agree with in the political, the financial, or the spiritual realm, and it seems to matter not that the source can be verified.  We Christians in the USA seem to dismiss much of what Jesus has told us, about being light in a very dark world, and have we forgot that light dispels darkness, and that Jesus tells us we are the light of the world.  Do you recall these words; “In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”  (Matthew5: 16)

This writer hates the evil that has attacked the family, the church, and the God in whom we trust, and yet, early on I was part of the email army to set right all the wrongs coming from the enemy, when the Spirit of God began to speak light into my heart, be light, do not be part of the things of darkness.  I am not saying do not take a stand for good over evil, but make sure that your words are true, and remember it is not about a brand or a party, it about being light so that glory is given to the Father.

As you read Acts 23:1-11, you will see the wisdom of God at work in Paul’s life, and you will see the words from Jesus saying, “Take courage, for as you have testified to the facts about me in Jerusalem, so you must testify also in Rome.”   And Paul understood that Rome was not going to be a holiday, but Rome meant prison, it meant loss of freedom, but it also meant wining many to Christ, it meant being light and the writing of much of the New Testament.  This question confronts me, have I been crucified with Christ, is it no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me?  Is the life I am now living in the flesh a life of faith in the Son of God, who loves me and gave himself for me, or have I forgotten who govern, who blesses and who curses?

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

What part did you Play in the Story?

John 7:37-52

If you grew-up in 1950’s as I did you saw change, lots of change, and it’s easy to get nostalgic, yes, it is so easy to look back and long for the past, but then you remember the hot nights without air-conditioning and waking up with the bed sheet wet with your perspiration.  Yes, much has changed, and yet the character of people has not changed from the time Jesus walked on the streets of Jerusalem.  Place yourselves in the story; use that wonderful gift of imagination that you and I were given as a gift from our heavenly Father.  You are in Jerusalem for the feast of Booths, and it is the last day and almost time to grab the children and wife and return home with all the stuff you bought at the Jerusalem mall. 

This new prophet Jesus, who seems to have stirred up the Pharisees by claiming to be sent from God and able to forgive sin, stood up right in the middle of us and cried with a loud voice: “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink.  Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’”  (John 7:37,38)  I dropped my (Challah) loaf of bread that I had just purchased, what was this man claiming, some said, “This really is the Prophet,” and I heard others standing in the crowd saying, “This is the Christ.”  But I also heard others saying, “Is the Christ to come from Galilee?  Has not the Scriptures said that the Christ comes from the offspring of David; he comes from Bethlehem, the village where David was?”  Yes, it seemed that there was a division among the people over him.  In fact, the Jerusalem Times Herald has a news flash reported, that some of the leaders wanted to arrest him, but no one laid a hand on him.  It was also reported that the officers that were sent to arrest him were in big trouble with the chief priests and Pharisees, it is reported that they ask, “Why did you not bring him?”  And the officer’s answer was, “No one ever spoke like this man!”

It has been over 2000 years and the crowd is still divided on, is Jesus God, or is He a lunatic?  After much study, I’ve come to understand that you must choose one of those options; He did not leave any other options.  By faith and the grace that the Father has given me, I have bowed my knee to His Lordship, Jesus is the only Son of God, He is Creator, He is my Savior and Lord.  Now unlike my imaginary person in the story, I have the understanding of verse 39, that gives clarity to what Jesus said in verses 37&38, “Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.”

If you put yourself into the story, what part did you play, were you one of the ones that said, “This really is the Prophet?”   Or were you part of the small group that said, “This is the Christ?”  Maybe you knew just enough Scripture to have reservations that the Christ was not to come from Galilee, or were you one of the officers who came to arrest Jesus but were blown away by the things He said?  Or last, were you the religious guy who saw Jesus as a threat and wanted to kill him?   Religion always leads to killing those who are a threat!  Who were you in the story?

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Wayne had the spirit of a Berean

Acts 20:28-32

Monday will be two week since Jan and I attended the celebration of Wayne Thomas’ life, and how Wayne let Jesus Christ live in his earthsuit while on planet earth.  Before the service, Jan and I were talking in the foyer with many people whom we have known for years, when I saw Pastor Mark Estep visiting with an old friend, Kyle (Fred) Bergeron, who has been the area manager for a large real-estate company, and on greeting them Kyle told me he was no longer doing that, now he was just in sales.  Kyle went on to tell Pastor Mark that being over a large group of people was much like running a church.  I replied that he could not be more wrong, that the two did not compare.  This was all done in light conversation but this morning as I read Acts 20:28; Paul’s instruction to the elders of the church at Ephesus, and to all the elders since, the words jumped off the page at me.

“Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood.” (Acts 20:28 ESV)  Now if you were part of that conversation, it was not light, that was some very deep waters for the elders.  Paul, letting the Holy Spirit wiggle his lips, shared how they were to pay careful attention to themselves and to all the people the Holy Spirit had given them in his church.  The apostle reminds them that God is mighty and that His grace is the search engine that is needed to be an overseer to His church.  He goes on to share that (Grace) is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified.  Sanctified can be defined as: free from the power of sin, not sinless, but sin has no authority over us, though, sin is always a choice, after one comes into a relationship with Christ.  That goes for the overseers as well as the pew sitters!

If each person who has felt the call into fulltime church work, was instructed in this manner it would be a wise person who reminded them of what the Holy Spirit said through the apostle Paul.  This should be shared; “I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them. Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish every one with tears. And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified.

(Acts 20:29-32 ESV)

We who are referred to as (the flock) must also be alert, we are told by the Spirit of God to; “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.”  (2Timothy 2:15)  We should be like the Jews in Berea who received the word with all eagerness, and they examined the Scripture daily to see if these things were so.  Why is the flock easy prey, because they sit at the trough of some pastor who may be one of those the Holy Spirit is referring to as speaking twisted things, to draw away disciples after themselves.  If you are like the Bereans that will not be the case, for the Scriptures will expose such a person.

Now let me close with a word about my friend Wayne, he could easily have been called a Berean, in that he searched the Scriptures and I knew him to be a man of prayer because he was part of a group of men who for years met on Saturday morning to pray, I was blessed by and often confronted by my friend Wayne.  He understood that grace was a free gift, that it was grace that made him acceptable before God, it was grace that put the love of Christ in him and that it was through grace that God poured out his love for him.  It was the power of grace that showed Wayne that he was not on a performance-based acceptance but a Jesus-based acceptance.  If you do not know about grace, ask Jesus to open your eyes and bring someone to teach you the ways of God.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Intimacy or "Hide and Seek"

John 7:32-36

Is Jesus talking about “hide and seek” in these verses?  Most of us have played the game of “hide and seek” at sometime in our life.  It is a game most of us played as children or now play with our children or grandchildren.  From the experience of my childhood I can testify that it is best played indoors with some defined perimeters.  If my older brother Fred and his friends wanted to get rid of me they would say, “let’s play hide and seek” and we would not set boundaries, and it worked every time, till I learned they had left that area for the big park or one of their friend’s home.  But it is not only a child’s game it also happens in relationships, it’s not called “hide and seek” but it has the same affect, it’s called hiding our feelings or stuffing them so far away that we never let the other person or persons find the real you.  This is not a fun game, but it is a game that is played in marriages, families, church, at the office, and it is a game most of us have played.  It has this affect; it keeps you from knowing the person or being known by the other person.  It keeps intimacy out of those relationships, and it is impossible to be intimate without trust and openness.  Is that what was going on with Jesus and these people in Jerusalem?  And maybe a better question is, could that be what is going on between you and Jesus?

Now we know this from the Scripture, that the Pharisees heard the crowd saying, could this be the Christ, and they sent officers to arrest Him.  At this point, Jesus told the crowd, “I will be with you a little longer, and then I am going to him who sent me.  You will seek me and you will not find me.  Where I am you cannot come.”  “The Jews said to one another, “Where does this man intend to go that we will not find him?  Does he intend to go to the Dispersion among the Greeks and teach the Greeks?  What does he mean by saying, ‘You will seek me and you will not find me,’ and, ‘Where I am you cannot come’?”

It sure sounds a lot like “hide and seek” until you examine the information, and on a closer look you will not find anything but Jesus being transparent with a people who had closed their thinking to a Messiah who did not meet their perimeter.  And then the question must be asked, have you done the same thing as this Jewish crowd?  Jesus has been very open with the Jewish people, He has said to them, “I am the bread of life: whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.”   Does that not sound like a claim that only God could keep?  And just a few short verses later in John 6:47, “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life.  I am the bread of life.”  In John 5:37-40, are these the words of a mad man or God, for if he was not God, then we only have the words of a lunatic.  Jesus said,  “And the Father who sent me has himself borne witness about me. His voice you have never heard, his form you have never seen, and you do not have his word abiding in you, for you do not believe the one whom he has sent. You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life.”

Is the crowd the ones playing the game, not of “hide and seek,” but of “I’m first” and that game is often played, it is my ball and my rules and it matters not what is true, I want to be in control of my life, as old blue eyes sang “I did it my way,” well how is that working out in your relationship with Jesus Christ?  Only when we submit to His authority, only when we acknowledge Jesus, as God, will we be able to have intimacy with Him.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Could this be the Christ?

John 7:25-31

This morning as I read this Scripture, I revisited the French philosopher and author Blaise Pascal who lived from 1623 – 1662, and these are some of his thoughts:  “In faith there is enough light for those who want to believe and enough shadows to blind those who don't.”

“Belief is a wise wager. Granted that faith cannot be proved, what harm will come to you if you gamble on its truth and it proves false? If you gain, you gain all; if you lose, you lose nothing. Wager, then, without hesitation, that He exists.”

As I was reading John 7:25-31, it seemed like Pascal understood the dilemma that many in the crowd in Jerusalem were going through, “Can this be the Christ?”  And if we believe it is, what will they do to us?  Many in Jerusalem had been looking for the Christ, the promised Messiah, so listen to what they were saying, “Some of the people of Jerusalem therefore said, “Is not this the man whom they seek to kill?  And here he is, speaking openly, and they say nothing to him!  Can it be that the authorities really know that this is the Christ? (John 7:25-26)  “In faith there is enough light for those who want to believe and enough shadows to blind those who don't.”  Pascal understood the predicament they faced, it was a battle of some knowledge coming up against the light for those who wanted to believe and enough shadows to blind those who don’t.  And in verse 27, we have the shadows that blind those who don’t.  Listen; “But we know where this man comes from, and when the Christ appears, no one will know where he comes from.”

It is very interesting that Jesus’ reply is not a statement, but a question, “You know me, and you know where I come from?  But I have not come of my own accord.  He who sent me is true, and him you do not know.  (Note: Jesus has moved the conversation from a question to a statement.)  I know him, for I come from him, and he sent me.”  And now the rest of this story; “So they were seeking to arrest him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his hour had not yet come.  Yet many of the people believed in him.  They said, “When the Christ appears, will he do more signs than this man has done?”

In the second quote of Pascal, he asks the question what harm will come to you if you gamble on its truth and it proves false?  He is referring to the eternal not the temporal because in the temporal it cost many of them a great price.  Many were disowned and put out of the family and friends acted as if they had died.  In Hebrews 11:36-38, we have this account; “Some faced jeers and flogging, while still others were chained and put in prison.  They were stoned; they where sawed in two; they were put to death by the sword.  They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated – the world was not worthy of them.  They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground.”  That is an eyewitness report of what happened to many who took the wise wager of belief in Jesus Christ.

Now we no longer live in the time that Jesus walked on planet earth, but we still have the same dilemma that many in the crowd in Jerusalem were going through, “Can this be the Christ?”  And in the world we live in, it will cost you to place your trust and faith in what He has promised.  At this time many are being disowned by parents and family and in many parts of this world they are being jeered and flogged, some are being put in prison and others or being murdered.  And yet in most areas of the United States, we seem to have a faith that cost very little, maybe someone is making fun of you, or you have been turned down for a promotion, if you stand for the things of God.  But if you have not noticed, things have changed, what was once good is now being called evil, and what was evil is now being called good.  God sent a prophet named Isaiah to tell us about such a time, and about such a people, I believe we are in that time, and there is evidence that declares we are those people.  You will find that in Isaiah 5:20!
 
“Belief is a wise wager. Granted that faith cannot be proved, what harm will come to you if you gamble on its truth and it proves false? If you gain, you gain all; if you lose, you lose nothing. Wager, then, without hesitation, that He exists.”

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Christians are the hope of the World

John 7:14-17

As one who has taught the Bible, I can testify that no one has marveled at my teaching, but some may have said how did this uneducated guy get to teach a class.  I personally believe that in my case I was willing to do what others who had the training and education were not willing to do.  When it came to Jesus, it is written; “The Jews therefore marveled, saying, “How is it that this man has learning, when he has never studied?”  Now in the time of Jesus on this earth it was common to follow a teacher of the law, one such was a Pharisee named Gamaliel.  In Acts 22:3, we see the apostle Paul making this statement, “I am a Jew born in Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up in this city, educated at the feet of Gamaliel according to the strict manner of the law of our fathers, being zealous for God as all of you are this day.”  That was the norm if you were going to have others follow you, but Jesus had been a carpenter and had not sat at the feet of any of the great teachers of His time.

This was Jesus reply, “My teaching is not mine, but his who sent me.  If anyone’s will is to do God’s will, he will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own authority.  The one who speaks on his own authority seeks his own glory, but the one who seeks the glory of him who sent him is true, and in him there is no falsehood.  Has not Moses given you the law? Yet none of you keeps the law.  Why do you seek to kill me?”

Please forgive me but I must chase a rabbit in the area of authority: the power or right to give orders, make decisions, and enforce obedience. Only God has absolute authority over his creation, and that was what Jesus was telling these people and they, much like our culture today, did not want to be subject to that authority.  In many families today in the United States we are not seeing any evidence of children being taught to respect authority, they are not taught to respect adults, not those who are over them at school, or church, and that has brought about a breakdown in our society.  It also means they will be raised to not respect the authority of God or submit to or look to His direction in their lives. 

Listen to the crowds answer to Jesus in verse 20, “The crowd answered, “You have a demon!  Who is seeking to kill you?”  This was Jesus answer to them in verses 21-24, “I did one deed, and you all marvel at it.  Moses gave you circumcision (not that it is from Moses, but from the fathers), and you circumcise a man on the Sabbath.  If on the Sabbath a man receives circumcision, so that the Law of Moses may not be broken, are you angry with me because on the Sabbath I make a man’s whole body well.  Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment.”

When you ponder the words of Jesus or am I making a wrong assertion and you, like many, only read His word, but do not let it have authority over your life?  I’m hoping if you are reading this you deliberate on the words of our Lord, because the hope of your family, your community, and your nation is people seeing Christ lived out in and through you.

From the Back Porch,

Rice

A Promise is a Promise

Hebrews 3:16-19

A promise is a promise, especially when it comes from our Creator, and it was first given to Abraham in Geneses 12:7, a promised land, the land of Canaan.  And we understand that the chosen people were enslaved in Egypt and God used a man named Moses to lead them to the land of promise.  But many who had been chosen, never entered that land, verse 19 gives this insight: “So we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief.” 

Often, when we read over the cost of their unbelief, our minds do not go to what an unbelieving heart cost others.  It cost their children 40 years in a wilderness going to funerals, watching their older brothers and sisters, their mothers and dads, and even grandparents die and be buried.  The promise was theirs, but most did not believe the promise, they had misplaced faith in a man, Moses, and when things got hard they rebelled.  Rebellion will always come when the people lose faith in the object of that hope, and these people, the ones who followed Moses had misplaced their hope in Moses, and not in the God who parted the Red Sea.

Are you in a wilderness of unbelief?  Have you misplaced your faith in a church or preacher?  Who is the object of your faith?  Do you have any understanding of what has been promised to you, and I’m not talking in the hereafter. You and I have a responsibility to “act like Jesus tells the truth” that is faith, and it is faith that others watching will desire.  This world system is built on self, greed, and putting your trust in governments, Corporations, money, or anything but the promises of Jesus Christ.  So unless we act on those promises, unless we teach them at home, and unless our Children and grandchildren see the object of our faith, will they not also wander in the wilderness of unbelief?

Many of us often go to church, we attend Bible studies, but we seem to fall short, we still live life on our terms.  If you are on that road, and you are sick of self, sick of always coming up short, it is time to grit your teeth and ask God to guide you to “How.”  Psalm 119:9-11 gives us this, “How can a young man keep his way pure?  By guarding it according to your word.  With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments!  I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.”  What you and I store up and treasure in our hearts is what we will draw from in time of need, in times of catastrophe, so store up His word, know and put to memory His promises; then when you hear His voice you will know how to answer.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

The World is looking for Christians who believe

Hebrews 3:1

“Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God.”  A few thoughts came into my mind, after rereading this for the third time this morning.  Paul is not addressing unbelievers; he is without any doubt addressing those who walk with God, those whom God has blessed in this world.  Your first thoughts may be that is not addressing me, but I do know a few people that need to read that verse and apply it to their life.  Stop, it does apply to you and me, we have a belief problem, but often it is off our radar. 

It is my personal belief, that what the world needs to see is Christians who believe God, Christians who are not ashamed to be considered a fool for Christ, who listen for His voice and have already made the decision to obey.  But so many have been taken captive by the deceitfulness of sin.  They have grown wise in their thinking, and have acquired much of what the world calls success, and what is referred to as success brings with it pride and arrogance.  Take care, brothers, because there is not room for pride and arrogance in a believers heart, it will always lead to an evil and unbelieving heart, it will lead you to fall away from the fellowship of other believers, it will lead you away from the living God.  Is that where you find yourself?  It matters not what title you have at the local church, it may be pastor, or teacher, elder, or deacon, but have you began to trust in programs or money more than you trust in God.  You still say the right words, but your heart is unbelieving and evil.

It is so important to remember that this is referring to a saved man, a man or woman who trusts in the Lord, they have walked in the years of drought and have not feared, they have placed their roots into the stream of faith, Jeremiah 17:7-8, talks of such a man, but both the saved and the unsaved are referred to in the same chapter verses 5-6, have verse 9 in common.  “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?”  Verse 10 gives a clear understanding of who can understand your heart and mind, “I the Lord search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds.”

I also believe that not one of us who are in Christ wants to fall away from the living God, so what are some signs you and I can look for?  Jesus said to watch your heart for these things; evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness; all of these come from within our hearts and defile a person. You may want to look this up in Mark 7:26.  For these reasons, we need to have an accountability partner, and we must have the fellowship of a local church.  Do not believe that you can live the Christ life without being in fellowship with others who also are living in this world system, in this present darkness.  Hebrews 3:13!

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

A Culture of Noise

Hebrews 3:7-11

We are living in the culture of noise; it matters not where it is, meaningless data, or just racket coming from the radio, TV, or any of the other noisemakers.  We often lie to ourselves about desiring quiet, but give us a moment of silence, and we will find a way to quickly fill that space with sound, of some kind.  So that being true, how do we engage in conversation with God, who speaks to us in those times of silence?

Verse seven begins in this manner; “Therefore, (anytime therefore is used in Scripture it is important to look at the verses that came before the therefore) as the Holy Spirit says, “Today if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, on the day of testing in the wilderness, where your fathers put me to the test and saw my works for forty years.  Therefore, I was provoked with that generation, and said, “They always go astray in their heart; they have not known my ways.’  As I swore in my wrath, ‘They shall not enter my rest.” (Hebrews 3:7-11)  So what came before the therefore; we who are in Christ are His house, it is the exchanged life, Christ now lives in us, and we now live in Christ. 

What kind of house, have you welcomed our Lord into?  Is your house so filled with stuff, so filled with activity that it is impossible to hear his voice?  If that describes your life you have been deceived, you are being misled and do not understand that the Holy Spirit was sent to guide us into all truth, to be our teacher, to be our comforter.  If we understand that truth, but keep choosing to fill our schedule with activity and noise, are we any different than those in the time of Moses who hardened their hearts and rebelled?

Galatians 2:20 holds so many keys to opening our hearts and minds to the exchanged life, you 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.” If you have come to understand this great truth and yet live life as if it was your business to schedule the events of life with no regards for hearing the voice of the Holy Spirit, are you living in rebellion?

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice