“Two-year-old” mind-set

Acts 4:32-37

Have you ever thought about a world where everyone stayed two years old?  Now, that is absurd, but please humor me for a moment.  What is the first thing that comes to your mind about two year olds, with the exception that they need someone to care for them and show love and give direction to their young lives?  Yes, you are 100% correct, they all say the same word, and as my pastor stated in a sermon, it may be the first word they learn, even before mom and dad, and the word is “Mine.”  It would be impossible to build community with a society that had the mind set of a two year old, wouldn’t it?

For some forty plus years, I have read Acts 4:32-37 and tried to explain it away as a one-time event, and there are many other things that have always bothered me.  We have few examples of this taking place outside of these verses, and many would call this communism?  So let us explore the word communism: “a political theory derived from Karl Marx, advocating class war and leading to a society in which all property is publicly owned and each person works and is paid according to their abilities and needs.”  We watch this form of society and it has one very large problem, it goes back to the “Two year old” that is called the State, and the State says that it is all Mine.  And the state, which is usually the strongest “Two year old” tells all others what their abilities and needs are; it is a rip-off and it has never worked, but that is not what is happening in Acts 4:32-37.

Why does Acts 4:32-37 bother me so much, maybe for the same reason it troubles you, and I must say it has taken me a while to come to this understanding.  I still have a two-year-old mindset, in fact, our foundational beliefs are centered in, “I worked hard and I earned this business, this home, this boat,” and the list keeps going and going.  Now as Christians we like to believe that God has blessed us with everything, and that we are just the caretakers of what has been entrusted to us.  And some of us do believe that, and some of us give as we feel led to do so by the Spirit of God, but that does not change that our culture both inside and outside the Church has the same mind-set as a two year old, when it comes to, it is mine.

 I understand the problem, what I do not understand is what could happen to the American Church that would drive it to having all things in common?  I must say it would be a God thing, because a two-year-old mind-set is common to man when it comes to our stuff.  But just stop and ask this question, is that the “mind of Christ,” and then go from there.  This is what happened to those folks who entered into Christ and Christ entered into them, we refer to them as the first church: “Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common. And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold and laid it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need.” (Acts 4:32-35 ESV)

A “Two-year-old” mind-set will always have these questions: What about the leaders, will they also share?  The answer must be yes, for anything other than that is not Christian community, but a communistic system that is very evil.  2 Thessalonians 3:6-8 gives the Christian leader his orders.  “Now we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from any brother who is walking in idleness and not in accord with the tradition that you received from us. For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us, because we were not idle when we were with you, nor did we eat anyone's bread without paying for it, but with toil and labor we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you.”  And the next question that enters a “Two-year-old” mind-set will be what about all those lazy, no good people who will join the church just to take what others have worked for?  And it a very simple answer: “For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat.” (2 Thessalonians 3:10 ESV)

A Christian with a “Two-year-old” mind-set will always look for the loopholes, and the what-ifs, because the “What if” to that mind-set is a reason to do nothing.  This writer does not know the answers to the “What if” in fact, this writer is still trying to become a three year old in Christ, and follow the instruction that the apostle Paul gave to the immature Corinthian church in this verse, “When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways.” (1 Corinthians 13:11 ESV)

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

It could happen to You

Acts 4:23-31

It could happen to you and to me, and you ask, what could happen?  The very same thing that is being recorded in these verses, and what this writer finds so amazing was that long before it occurred king David said by the Holy Spirit these words, “Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD and against his Anointed, saying, “Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us.” (Psalm 2:1-3 ESV) 

If you missed yesterdays “Back Porch,” let me bring you up to date, the rulers of the people, their Supreme Court has make a decision and it was this; “So they called them and charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.  (Acts 4:18 ESV)  Then they released them without harming them, because of their fear of the people.  We pickup the story in verses 23-26, “When they were released, they went to their friends and reported what the chief priests and the elders had said to them. And when they heard it, they lifted their voices together to God and said, “Sovereign Lord, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them, who through the mouth of our father David, your servant, said by the Holy Spirit, “‘Why did the Gentiles rage, and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers were gathered together, against the Lord and against his Anointed.’” 

Few people have enjoyed the freedom to live and worship as we in the United States have enjoyed.  I often wonder, are my thoughts on freedom and liberty the same as others of the Christian faith?  Many of us dream of liberties that we lost, like fishing in any body of water that is not privately owned without limits and license, or like correcting our children in public without the fear of having Child Protective Services show up at our door.  And any rational person can see why some of these laws had to be put into place, but what about the freedom to worship with others in your home, some have had that freedom removed by a local government in the USA.  And we are not referring to extremes like the sacrifice of a goat in the back yard; no we are talking about Christians having a private Bible study in their homes in the great state of California.

I began with; “It could happen to you and to me, and you ask, what could happen?”  The same thing that took place with the early church; “for truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place. And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness, while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” (Acts 4:27-30 ESV)

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Before the Judge

Acts 4:15-22

As I read this story of the leaders of the Jews telling Peter and John to no longer speak or teach in the name of Jesus, listen to Peter and John’s reply: “But Peter and John answered them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.”

(Acts 4:19-20 ESV)  These leaders were not men who feared God but they did fear the people and the people had seen what only could be called a miracle.  As Paul Harvey would say, and this is the rest of the story: “And when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding no way to punish them, because of the people, for all were praising God for what had happened. For the man on whom this sign of healing was performed was more than forty years old.” (Acts 4:21-22 ESV)

It is amazing how the Lord brings back into our minds the events of the past, and how they make you think about how you have lived life on planet earth.  I was called for Jury duty in Houston, Texas and it was the last place I wanted to be.  Now this had happened many times before but, for the first time I made the cut, I was in the last group of people listening to the lawyers, on both sides, tell us about the case that we would be hearing.  The defense lawyer began to tell us a story of another case, but he said it is very close to what happen in this case that we would be hearing.  This was the scenario; the police were called for domestic violence and were invited into the home, while in the house they saw heroin displayed on a table in the house, and in that they did not have a warrant that evidence was not to be considered by those on the jury.  The lawyers goes on to ask if any of us would have a problem forgetting that fact, if the Judge told us it was not to be considered, and I raised my hand and said I would not be able to do so.  At that, the lawyer informed me that if the Judge ordered me to do so I must, and once more my answer was, I could not do that.  The judge was an old man who was sitting in for another judge and he called me down before him, now I must say that added some pressure to my decision.  The Judge looked down at me and in a strong voice asks, “Mr. Rice are you telling this court that you will not follow my instructions?”

I must tell you I was intimidated, I was not sure what the judge would do to me, but I said your honor, I am not being defiant but I could not remove that thought from my mind, I am just being honest.  And sweeter words I’ve never heard, than what came from the judge, “Mr. Rice you are dismissed, leave my court.” 

Now, I’m not what anyone would call brave, I stood as Peter and John did with one great exception, the truth they stood for was the good news of Jesus Christ, mine was just being true to myself.  My judge could have maybe charged me with contempt of court, but the Judges that Peter and John stood before could have had them beaten and imprisoned.  In my case only I praise God, but in the case of Peter and John, all the people were praising God.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Boldness

Acts 4:13

What a contrast this verse is to many who go by the name of Christian.  “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus.”  This writer for many years did not want those in authority over him to think of him as common, or uneducated, especially not the ones I lived with or went to church with. 

In fact, I can testify, to my shame, that not often was anyone astonished by my boldness in proclaiming Jesus Christ as the answer to any problem you and I may be facing.  Take a moment to visualize the setting, Peter and John are in the center of this room, they came from jail the night before and with them is the man who was born lame, and he is still excited about being able to walk, and he is walking very well.  Yes, they are in the center, and sitting or standing around them are the leaders, and I bet the one that was healed is standing because if you were born lame and now can do what you only dream about doing, there is no way you are going to sit.  So the well educated rulers and elders and scribes gather with Annas the high Priest and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family.  Now that has got to be a little intimidating for just about anyone, and these guys are just common uneducated fishermen.

You do remember what Peter said: “Rulers of the people and elders, if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed, let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by him this man is standing before you well. This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”  (Acts 4:8-12 ESV)  It is not often that I am in total agreement with these religious leaders but what boldness, Peter was speaking as a man with all authority, to men who believed (wrongly) that they were in charge.   And in the middle of all that is happening, the astonishment of the boldness of uneducated common fishermen, one point was not hidden; these men had been with Jesus.

Could it be that no one recognizes that we have been with Jesus?  Being with Jesus can happen anywhere; it can even happen at your local church!  But if that is the only place where you are meeting with Jesus, then more than likely no one is astonished by your walk, they may see you as a very religious person, and that puts you in the same boat with the guys who surrounded Peter, John and the man who was lame, but no one is saying you have been with Jesus.

So as we look at the life of Jesus, what did He do to spend time with the Father?  Now it is a must to understand that Jesus was never off line with the Father, but that is not true with you and me, we are easily disconnected, in fact, many of us who go by the name of Christians are rarely on line.  So let’s look at the one Peter refers to as the Holy and Righteous One, the Author of life, the Son of God, Jesus.  And doctor Luke tells us that after Jesus healed a man full of leprosy great crowds gathered to hear him and be healed, and look what Jesus did; “But he would withdraw to desolate places and pray.”

(Luke 5:16 ESV) 

Do you remember doctor Luke reporting on the man with the withered hand who Jesus healed on the Sabbath, and did those religious guys get upset?  Jesus left and went to the mountains because He needed to talk with the Father about 12 guys; this is that account: “In these days he went out to the mountain to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God. And when day came, he called his disciples and chose from them twelve, whom he named apostles:”  (Luke 6:12-13 ESV) could it be that our flesh does not like spending time with Jesus?  That time with Jesus may require changing what we enjoy, like ____________ and O my, that list is so long, but looking to Jesus we see He put time with the Father above what the flesh enjoys.  Mark’s gospel addresses this; “And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed. (Mark 1:35 ESV)

What are people saying about you?  Are they saying you’ve been with Jesus, and if so they are astonished.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

An "Exchanged Life""

An “Exchanged Life” what does it look like?  I believe the “Exchanged Life” is best defined as: giving your life over to Christ, and receiving in replacement a life that is free of the control of sin.  Peter the fisherman, a disciple of Jesus Christ, who denied Jesus Christ, and after the Holy Spirit entered Peter’s life, a bold servant of Christ who proclaimed Jesus wherever he went.  He was never the same after the Holy Spirit came upon him!

When a Peter steps on the stage of life, and by self-will allows the Holy Spirit to run the show, to originate his life, and to be willing to be made willing no matter what God allows, God allowed the following: “And as they were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them, greatly annoyed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. And they arrested them and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening. But many of those who had heard the word believed, and the number of the men came to about five thousand.”  (Acts 4:1-4 ESV)

We would be wise to learn from this lesson, when doing what the Spirit leads you to do may not feel right, but may get you in a lot of trouble with the religious leaders and others who follow them.  But from a kingdom worldview God will honor what He has put into your heart, and if you are blessed to see the results, that is great but it does not always work out that way.  Peter and John must have been told because Luke the physician reports that those who believed were about five thousand and only the men were counted.  Does that change Peter and John’s situation?  No they are still in jail   waiting for a chance to address those who had authority to keep them in prison or take their lives.  When we talk about the “Exchange Life” this is not the Peter who was afraid of the servant girl in the courtyard where Jesus was being held, no this is the Peter who understands; “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.’  (Galatians 2:20 ESV)  This Peter does not know what the outcome will be tomorrow, but he is full of confidence in who controls tomorrow.

“On the next day their rulers and elders and scribes gathered together in Jerusalem, with Annas the high priest and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family. And when they had set them in the midst, they inquired, “By what power or by what name did you do this?” Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders, if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed, let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by him this man is standing before you well. This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”  (Acts 4:5-12 ESV) 

A good number of people have come up with a more generous plan than what Peter is addressing in this exchange with the rulers of the people, especially when it comes to verse 12,  “And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”   I am not sure by what authority you come up with a salvation without Jesus as the only way, but if we examine the authority that Peter is speaking under it is none other than the Holy Spirit of God.  And earlier, Peter while addressing the crowd told them; “But you denied the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, and you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses.”  (Acts 3:14-15 ESV) And it is the Righteous One, the Author of life, He has also spoken in John 14:6 ESV, “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”  If you are one of those with a more generous plan to bypass Jesus or to earn your way outside of the cross, please rethink your plan, where did it come from, and is that one greater than the Author of life?

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

No one is Excluded

Acts 3:17-26

Have you stopped to examine yourself, your thoughts, things you do and why you do them; if not today is a good day to begin.  Over the years, I have hung out with some intellectually accomplished folks, some who excelled to the top of their profession and yet all had one thing in common, they acted at times in ignorance in relationships, in financial areas, in business deals, and especially in spiritual areas of life.  So as you do a little self examination today, it would be helpful to visit the word ignorance: “incomprehension of, unawareness of, unconsciousness of, unfamiliarity with, inexperience with, lack of knowledge about, lack of information about; informal cluelessness about.”  Not all that is about you, but when it comes to this writer, there is much that I am clueless about.  And that is why author Luke, the physician, is giving an account of Peter’s conversation with this crowd that had gathered to see the miracle of the man who was born lame, now walking and leaping and praising God.

As a person who made his living in the business of sales, I learned early on to always make sure the person who had chosen the technology that was being used was addressed in this manner, that the technology you now are using was the best at the time of your decision, but let me show you what this product can do for your company.  And ninety nine percent of the time I was speaking what was true, and I also learned that decision makers do not like to be told what they were unaware of, or had lack of knowledge of what was on the market, or that they had made a bad decision.  But that is not what Peter did!

This is the account of what Peter said: “And now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers. (Acts 3:17 ESV)  How did he address them, as brothers, and then he explains that you were clueless about what they did, it sounds like Peter may be giving them a pass on their poor performance, but keep reading.  “But what God foretold by the mouth of all the prophets, that his Christ would suffer, he thus fulfilled. Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, whom heaven must receive until the time for restoring all the things about which God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets long ago. (Acts 3:18-21 ESV)

To be ignorant or clueless is one thing, but what Peter has done so well is point them back to the teaching of Moses, and the prophets, and also from Samuel, and Abraham.  And now you have read this account, and the most important question you will ever be ask is; have you repented, and is there a time when you ask Jesus to blot out your sins?  If not, today is your day of Salvation, today Jesus will, by your invitation, come into your life and He will restore and refresh your spirit and will come into your life.  To understand what has taken place read 2 Peter 1:3-8.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

A thirst for the Unexplainable

Acts 3:11-16

As you read these verses something becomes very clear, our Designer has placed in each of us a thirst for the unexplainable.  Why else would men who study the atom keep trying to understand it’s make up and how it holds together.  It’s the same reason that astronomers study the stars and the planets, and you and I are drawn to a person who is performing an act we call magic and we wonder how did they do that?  Many people have driven long distances to be made well from some sickness by what is referred to as a faith healer, and many will put their trust in a person who claims to be able to tell them about the future.  Yes, our Creator designed us with a thirst for the unseen, or the unexplainable.

I believe that is why this account of a man who was born lame, had never known how to walk was told by Peter, “I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!” And he took him by the right hand and raised him up, and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong.

(Acts 3:6-7 ESV)  If I had seen this man jumping up and walking and praising God, I also believe you would have been amazed at how these men did such a wonderful act?  But what if you were the man who had been lame from birth?  It is not a far stretch to believe that you and I would be clinging to Peter and John, and I must ask this question when you ask Jesus into your life, were you not crippled by the control of sin?  And that brings up a very concerning question, have people been amazed at how you are now walking in this world, are your spiritual feet and ankles strong, and are you leaping and walking and praising God?

This is the account of what happened: “While he clung to Peter and John, all the people, utterly astounded, ran together to them in the portico called Solomon's. And when Peter saw it he addressed the people: “Men of Israel, why do you wonder at this, or why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we have made him walk? The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified his servant Jesus, whom you delivered over and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release him. But you denied the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, and you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses. And his name—by faith in his name—has made this man strong whom you see and know, and the faith that is through Jesus has given the man this perfect health in the presence of you all.”  (Acts 3:11-16 ESV)

Jesus did not just restore the man’s legs, he restored the man, and did you notice how quick Peter and John were to give all the credit to the Lord, and they addressed them in a manner they would understand. The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified his servant Jesus, ” and many of us would have quit speaking at this point.  It was at this point Peter and John understood that God was going to bring about conviction on those who came running to see this unexplainable act.  Lets pick up on the account, “whom you delivered over and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release him. But you denied the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, and you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead.” 

I am so glad the Holy Spirit had Peter add his testimony and John’s and many others who saw the risen Christ in physical form.  This is what he said: “To this we are witnesses. And his name—by faith in his name—has made this man strong whom you see and know, and the faith that is through Jesus has given the man this perfect health in the presence of you all.”  My prayer for you is that you also will trust Jesus to give the gift of life to those who you encounter, and that you will, in love, show the boldness of the Spirit that lives in you.  I also pray that you will ask the Father to do the same in my life.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Lord make me Weak

Acts 3:1-10

What a wonderful account of Jesus Christ living His life in and through Peter and John.  How different it is from my experiences, and the question we must ask is why?  Could it be that they had more of Christ living in them, or is it because they were apostles, they had greater faith in this truth, “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.”  (Galatians 2:20 ESV)  I believe that when Christ died on that cross I also died to the penalty of sin.  Jesus did this for whosoever will believe in Him, and I have little understanding of the how, but I can testify that when by faith He came into my life, I became a different person, ask my wife.  Jesus looked at you and me (outside of time as we understand it) and paid in full for our sins.  But it is the last part of Galatians 2:20 that my flesh wars with, and it is not that I do not believe it to be true, I do, it’s that I have a misguided faith, it is often placed outside of Christ.  And that kind of faith will never tell a man who is born lame to look at me, as Peter told the man in this story.  Misguided faith will never believe that God is the same today as He always has been, misguided faith will try to help the pain, but has no power to say as Peter: “I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!” (Acts 3:6 ESV)

My prayer is that your faith is not misguided, that as you go, it is Jesus going, and as you do it is Jesus doing, because what Peter did was not special, it was promised to everyone that the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth, the Helper would live in us and through us and do things impossible for man.  But How, is a great question, faith comes by hearing from God and acting on what we hear, and the enemy of our soul tells us we do not have to die to all other sources. 

You and I have been trained like birddogs to trust in our abilities, but Scripture tells us that if you want to be strong, then you must become weak, for in weakness we will find dependence on Jesus.  “But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:9-10 ESV)

The apostle Peter speaking by the authority of the Holy Spirit has this to say about all who are in Christ, but often you and I do not believe it is true about us, we must ask Jesus to give us a new understanding of our identity in Christ.  This is what the Spirit of Truth says about your new identity in Christ:” His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. (2 Peter 1:3-4 ESV)

Will you pray for my misguided faith, and ask the Lord to make me weak so that I will depend on Jesus only, and I am asking that for all who read this.  In this present darkness many are looking for light, and that light will be found in a weak person who allows Jesus to be life, and those are the ones who are saying, “but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!”  And we will experience what Peter and John experienced; “And he took him by the right hand and raised him up, and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong. And leaping up he stood and began to walk, and entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God.

(Acts 3:7-8 ESV)

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Vastly Different

Acts 2:42-47

As I read this account of the beginning of the Christian church, it becomes painfully clear that what we call church, compared to this first church, is vastly different.  Let’s examine what it looked like and maybe then we will understand what has been lost.  In verse 42 we have this statement of fact; “And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.”  The “they” is referring to the new Christians and we find the word devoted and it may be wise to consider its meaning. (Devoted: “showing great love, commitment, or loyalty to somebody or something, especially over a long period of time.”)  And who was this love, commitment, and loyalty manifested to, none other than Jesus Christ and His apostles.  Now when it refers to teaching and fellowship and to the breaking of bread and the prayers, what you do not see is the church of 2013.  What you do see in this early church is young and old, rich and poor, all hanging out together learning Scripture teaching and fellowship, and having meals together.  And the church came together for instruction in righteousness, and in fellowship, but prayer was not something they began and ended a service with, it was the window to the Father.  They did not have to be taught that prayer was the source of power, they model what Jesus had done while living among them.

Now it may be a wise thing for most of us to stop reading at this point because the following has been eradicated from the American church of 2013.  “And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need.

(Acts 2:43-45 ESV)  Now let me confess that for years I’ve read these verses and dismissed them as that was just for that time, God does not expect us to work hard and be wise in our handling of wealth and then give it to someone who refuses to work.  That is what the socialist in our government, or progressives expected, especially if they are excluded from giving any of their funds.  But does God require the church of 2013 to have all things in common? 

My dear brothers and sisters, it is just the facts that this is how the church began, with all things in common, but as it grew many began to listen to what Bill Gillham referred to as Channel One, the deception channel, the voice that sounds just like you but is from the enemy of your soul.  And that voice said, you are working harder or you have given more than others, so sit back and enjoy the blessing of your fellow Christians and guess what they did.  This subject is addressed by apostle Paul in his letter to the church of the Thessalonians, “Warning Against Idleness.”  ^“Now we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from any brother who is walking in idleness and not in accord with the tradition that you received from us.”  Paul goes on to make clear what he is telling them; “For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat. For we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busybodies. Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living.” (2 Thessalonians 3:10-12 ESV)  In no way is God instructing the church to not take care of those who are not able to work, or the children or mother of some no good, lazy man, who will not work. So we begin to see how the deception channel began to manifest itself in the early church.

As we look at verses 46-47, we see how deception and the flesh not being trained to rain on how it feels, and looks to the author and protector of our faith, the Spirit of Truth.  So we went from a church that is living in fellowship with both God and man to what James is addressing in his letter to the Christians living in the Roman provinces outside of Judea.  Remember the letter is addressed to Christians; “What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.” (James 4:1-4 ESV)  In this early church, it was not dying, it was growing, people were letting Christ live out His life in them and many were being added day by day to those who were being saved. 

We’ve come along way baby, we are not close to that early church, and is the model you are following adding to your church members, remember that Jesus told the Pharisees named Nicodemus “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”  (John 3:3)  Membership in a church is not salvation, so how is this change from the original model working?

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

 

Seeing oneself as God see them

Acts 2:38-41

This morning after reading these verses, I ask, “Lord what would it take to make mankind look into their hearts and see themselves as you see them?”  Could it be that we have a misguided understanding of how we are seen by God?  It is true that all of us have come up with a set of values that guide how we live, what we do and whom we do it to or with.  Still the question hangs out there, how can we be sure that we have the ladder on the right wall, or better said, how can you and I examine our lives by a standard that is approved by our Creator?

This is not a new problem, and as I ask this question my mind went to this verse in Judges 17:6, “In those days there was no king in Israel.  Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.”  We have an example of the people of God who have by choice thrown off all moral and spiritual authority, and that always leads to each person asking the other by what authority do you have the right to tell me how to live?  The account in Judges is the people of God living in disobedience to the commands of the Lord, and allowing the Canaanite people to invade their culture, minds and hearts, and they regressed from being the distinctive people of God to living as wicked as the Canaanites.

As I ponder on “Every way of a man is right in his own eyes” I was led to Proverbs 21:2, “         Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the LORD weighs the heart.”  My thoughts went back to our country and how it was founded, history tells us it was the Bible that our founders looked to.  It was the most important book in the development of Western civilization.  Yet, as mankind became more enlightened we chose to do as the Jews who came out of Egypt did, forget what God had done for them, and not abide by the agreements we had entered into as a people.  It was a choice made by people who did not want anyone or any authority over them, so our nation has told God to park it on the sideline, because we want “Hope and Change.”  And God has already spoken, it is our choice, we can choose blessing from God or curses, and as a nation we have chosen.

If we, as a people, could only learn that God is truth, His word is truth, and it has been left as a guide for each of us while living on earth.  We have the words of Moses spoken to the people coming out of bondage of Egypt, listen and examine your hearts to see if you are doing what God told the people to do. “See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse: the blessing, if you obey the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you today, and the curse, if you do not obey the commandments of the LORD your God, but turn aside from the way that I am commanding you today, to go after other gods that you have not known.  (Deuteronomy 11:26-28 ESV)

It is written that they chose curses, and so have the United States of America and much of the Western world, but do not lose heart, look at what God told Moses to tell the people of Israel. “And when all these things come upon you, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before you, and you call them to mind among all the nations where the LORD your God has driven you, and return to the LORD your God, you and your children, and obey his voice in all that I command you today, with all your heart and with all your soul, then the LORD your God will restore your fortunes and have mercy on you, and he will gather you again from all the peoples where the LORD your God has scattered you.  (Deuteronomy 30:1-3 ESV)

When you come to this point, will you ask Jesus the same question as these men of Israel did in Acts 2:37?  “Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”  Listen to Peter’s reply, it is the reply that God is looking for; “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.”  (Acts 2:37-39 ESV)

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Do you have a Higher Standard than God?

Acts 2:21-41

“And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.’

         “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know—this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it.

        

(Acts 2:21-24 ESV)

John, my dear friend has often said you can’t have it both ways; you’ve got to teach it round or square, because round will not fit into square.  Never has that been more the case than when it comes to the doctrine of Salvation, and the problem comes when religious men have said grace, through faith, plus some act on your part.  And my premise is that the “Plus Grace folks” are putting a round peg in a square slot, and it is not in keeping with what Jesus has said in Scripture.

If we look at the Scripture, “that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved,” is that in keeping with what Jesus taught in John 3:14-15, “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.”  If you have not spent time in the book of Numbers of late, you may be asking how does Moses lifting up a serpent in the wilderness fit into your premise?  It’s a small but important part of the story of the children of Israel exodus from Egypt.  When they got to Mount Hor they set out by the way of the Red Sea to go around the land of Edom.  You will never believe that these people became impatient on the way and blamed both God and Moses.  This is the account in Numbers 21:5-6, “And the people spoke against God and against Moses, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we loathe this worthless food.” Then the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died.”  It is amazing what a little dying will do for an attitude adjustment, do you recall the few weeks after 9-11, the USA looked to God, but it was short lived?  But the people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD and against you. Pray to the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people. And the LORD said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole, and everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live.” So Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on a pole. And if a serpent bit anyone, he would look at the bronze serpent and live.”  (Numbers 21:7-9 ESV)  It is important that we understand that they had to believe, they had to put their trust in what Moses said, the serpents were still biting them, but if they believed in the promise of God and looked upon the bronze serpent they were saved. 

We need to return to John 3:16-18, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.”  Jesus is very clear that Salvation is based on Grace by faith only, and He had the Holy Spirit speak through the apostle Paul with this insight: “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9 ESV)  So my dear reader, if anyone has placed conditions on you entering into a relationship with Jesus other than confession of your sins with a repentant heart, and it is God who looks on the heart not man, then they have a higher standard than God.

Note: It would be very wise to dust off your Bible and read Acts 2:21-41.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

           

           

Are these the Last Days?

Acts 2:14-20

I bet you have heard someone say that they believe we are in the last days, and your question may be “the last days of what?”  In my profession the last days of the quarter were always important if you had not reached your quota, and it always seemed to bring with it expectation, anticipation, (hope), and frustrations.  We have many last day experiences in our lives, the last day of school, the last day before we move to a new area, the last day before coming back from a great holiday or vacation, the last day before being locked up in prison, but none of these is what Scripture is making reference to.

If you look at Acts 2:14-16, you see Peter addressing the men of Judea with this announcement; “‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; even on my male servants and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy.  And I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke; the sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood,

before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day.” (Acts 2:17-20 ESV)

What Peter is quoting is from the prophet Joel and the name Joel means “Jehovah is God.”  This took place about 800 BC, and the key thought is national repentance so that the nation of Israel would receive blessing and not curses from God.  He used the phrase, “The day of the Lord,” in 1:15; 2:1, 11, 31; 3:14, and it is clear that Joel is looking to a special day.  It is in keeping with the Scripture that the Holy Spirit spoke truth of what was to come.  Hebrews 1:1-3, “Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.”  And the apostle Peter makes this very clear in these verses; “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 ESV)

Jesus the Son of God also spoke of this day, “The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day. For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment—what to say and what to speak. And I know that his commandment is eternal life. What I say, therefore, I say as the Father has told me.” (John 12:48-50 ESV)  Has Jesus spoken else where in Scripture and the answer is in many places, but the church and especially the American church has come up with a doctrine that has an escape clause to what Jesus, the Author and Creator, has spoken to us about in the gospel of Matthew 24.  And we would be wise to take these words to heart; “See that no one leads you astray.”  My fellow Christians, it is your job to ask the “Helper” to guide you into all truth, do not take my word for it or any other man’s, God has promised that the Holy Spirit will guide you into all truth.  As you read Matthew 24, pay attention to verses 4-8, and with that insight look at what Jesus has said: “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake. And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.”

(Matthew 24:9-14 ESV)

Because I am often a coward, and especially when it comes to pain, I’m hoping that I’ve missed something, and the guys who teach blessing with no pain or suffering are right.  But stop and examine these last four years in the United States, the land of the free, and what do you see; at every door is some group that hates Christians, and it is being encouraged from the President and his administration.  Could it be said, and I believe it could, that the church in the United States as a whole, and there are exceptions, is much like the church Jesus referred to in Revelation 3, “‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.” (Revelation 3:15-17 ESV)  If that is were you find yourself, part of one of these churches, ask your “Helper” to guide you into all truth, because we are living in the last days.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

The Amazed & the Mockers

Acts 2:1-13

When God shows up in the affairs of men, it is commonplace to find two groups of people, the amazed and the mockers.  And this is the case in the account of the Holy Spirit coming into the lives of the followers of Jesus Christ.  You must remember that when the Lord showed Himself to the disciples, they were hiding behind locked doors in fear of the Jews, and Jesus came and stood among them.  And do you recall what Jesus did after showing them His hands and His side; “And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.”  (John 20:22-23)

That very day those in that room, behind locked doors, received the Holy Spirit, but much like you and me they did not understand the fullness of what Jesus had done.  It is eight days later and Jesus comes back to address Thomas who was not there on the earlier visit, and guess what the doors are still locked, they are not living as men with authority, in fact, they have little understanding of the power and authority that is living in them; much like you and me.

So it is time for Pentecost and if you were a Jew you called it (Hag) Shavuot, and it was the 50th day after the Passover offering of a sheaf of wheat. Pentecost was originally a harvest festival that came to be associated with Moses' law giving at Mt. Sinai.  It means "fifty" and designates the fiftieth day after Passover.  Pentecost relates to the Old Testament Feast of Weeks found in Deuteronomy 16:9-10.  But it is on that day that the Church came into being and this was the fulfillment of what Jesus promised in John 14:16-18, “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever — the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.”   I sure hope you reread the account of this in Acts 2:1-13, for it is there that you will discover the two groups of people, the amazed and the mockers. 

Why were some amazed and others mocked?  Because the Holy Spirit came into the room where this group of people were celebrating Shavuot or (Passover) and it sounded like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house were they were sitting.  And this is the account from Acts 2:3-4, “And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.  Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language. And they were amazed and astonished, saying, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language?

           

It mattered not what language you spoke, when Peter and the others spoke you understood it without a translator other than the Holy Spirit of God.  Now we are living 2000 plus years later and God has reveal some cool technology that allows us to do something close to this with software technology, “Researchers at Microsoft have made software that can learn the sound of your voice, and then use it to speak a language that you don't. The system could be used to make language-tutoring software more personal, or to make tools for travelers.”  Now lets go back, these are people all from one area of the world, they were Galileans, and most were not considered educated and yet they had the software of the Holy Spirit speaking to all who would listen.

So what can we learn from this; first and most important is that all who are in Christ, not Baptist, not Catholic, nor any other group or denomination, but all who by faith in the finished work of Christ and have received the Holy Spirit as promised by Jesus in John 14:16-18, have all the Holy Spirit you will ever receive.  But you may be like the disciples all locked up in a room, with no understanding of what Jesus has given you.  The other thing is to understand that when Jesus shows up in your life, some will be amazed and others will mock your actions, but it only matters that you give all praise and glory to the Father and the Son.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Have you gone to the Uproom?

Acts 1:11

“Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”

It has been many years since that day when the angels ask the question of those watching Jesus ascension into heaven, “why do you stand looking into heaven?  Those who were watching were at a place called the Mount of Olives, it is near Jerusalem, and it is a Sabbath day journey.  So what is a Sabbath day journey, the Easton's Bible Dictionary states the following: a distance of 2,000 cubits, or less than half-a-mile, the distance to which, according to Jewish tradition, it was allowable to travel on the Sabbath day without violating the law (Acts 1:12; comp. Ex. 16:29; Num. 35:5; Josh. 3:4).  But I found this of interest; “Some later rabbis invented a tradition that enabled them to get around this limitation.  For example, since they were allowed to go 1,000 yards from their home, they defined their home as anywhere their personal possessions were. They would take a bag of worthless possessions, go 1,000 yards, put down a personal possession, and say, "This is my Sabbath home; I can go another 1,000 yards." By this means, they could go anywhere they wanted.  No wonder Jesus said, "You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to the traditions of men" (Mark 7:8).” (Stanley M. Horton)

And many in the church of 2012 are living life in the same spirit as those rabbis who invented a tradition that enabled them to get around what God has commanded.  It is amazing how often people choose what part of the Bible is applicable to their lives.  I’ve heard them say, I just do not like Paul’s writings or I just cannot believe in a God who would let that happen or say that.  My mind and the Spirit that lives in me yells, you foolish people, how small of a God do you serve.  It always goes to this, if God is too busy or too small to keep His written word from error, then why would anybody trust Him? 

But getting back to those folks looking into the sky as Jesus left planet earth; they returned to Jerusalem and entered an upper room, where they were staying.  Now it is not a 12’ X 12’ room, it is a big room, and that may not be in keeping with what you envision.  There were about 120 people who gathered in that room for prayer and it was Peter who stood up and told them that the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke before hand by the mouth of David concerning Judas.  Peter goes on to give us an account of what happen to Judas and then Peter quotes from the Psalm and they decide to cast lots to see who of these two men; Joseph called Barsabbas and Matthias, would fill the office of Judas.

As I read this account, I wonder did they stop looking up to the Eastern Sky looking for Jesus return?  But is that the best of questions, I think not, so the real question is, are you and I watching for His soon return?  Have we gone to our upper room and that room could be anything that keeps our minds and hearts from looking and waiting for the soon return of our Lord. 

As we look for guidance from the Scriptures, should this be the attitude concerning being ready for our Lord’s soon return?  My dad often said, “ We learn nothing from history, if we did it would not be repeated.”  And Jesus said this, “For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.”  (Matthew 24:37-39 ESV)  Jesus goes on to tell us that He is coming in an hour when we least expect Him to come.

Should we not model the example that the apostle Paul left for us, in that each day he was looking for the soon return of our Lord, and by doing so was an encourager to those who were followers of Christ.  This is a great example of the attitude we should have; “I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus, that in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge—even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you—so that you are not lacking in any gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.”

(1 Corinthians 1:4-9 ESV)

Paul wrote a letter to Titus and he referred to Titus as my true child in a common faith.  Paul is telling Titus and us to live life with a joyful expectation of our Lord’s glorious appearing.  You will find that written in Titus 2:11-14, “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.”

And the apostle John has this word for each of us; “And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming. If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him.” (1 John 2:28-29 ESV)

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice