Do I really Care?

Amos 2:6-8

“Thus says the LORD: “For three transgressions of Israel, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment, because they sell the righteous for silver, and the needy for a pair of sandals—those who trample the head of the poor into the dust of the earth and turn aside the way of the afflicted; a man and his father go in to the same girl, so that my holy name is profaned; they lay themselves down beside every altar on garments taken in pledge, and in the house of their God they drink the wine of those who have been fined.”

I often wonder if “Thus says the Lord” has any meaning to the majority of mankind, as you look at your neighbors, your local politicians, your city, your workplace, your family, does God’s commands have a controlling outcome on their moral character?   And if not, is there judgment that is coming as in the days of Amos the prophet?

Let’s look at what Jesus had to say about His soon coming: “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.”  (Matthew 25:34-40 ESV)

So the ones that were righteous by God’s standards, had no understanding that their acts of kindness and putting others before themselves was giving to the Lord.  For others who may have been churchgoers, but did not let Christ live out His life in and through them, Jesus said these very harsh words; “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” (Matthew 25:41-46 ESV)

As I ponder on these thoughts, I first had to check out myself; am I doing these things, do I really care about the poor, the strangers, the sick, and those in prison?  As I look at my country, I see evil men in high places that use the poor and under resourced for talking points, but their actions are only causing hardship and more poverty.  It is clear that they have no regard for them, but use them as talking points to earn votes and power.   So the question must be answered, do you believe Jesus tells the truth?

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Danger in enjoying God's Judgment on Others

Amos 2:4-

As we explore the Word as recorded by Amos, in the first and second chapter up to verse four, you may be reminded that as a people or as a nation we reap what we sow and now these evil pagans are getting what they deserve.  There is a danger in enjoying God’s judgment on a people or a nation, as seen in Proverbs 24:17-18, “Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, and let not your heart be glad when he stumbles, lest the LORD see it and be displeased, and turn away his anger from him.”  In fact, love does not rejoice in the judgment of others but flesh always does.   Jesus Christ, who is love, has instructed us to do something that apart from letting God do it through us is impossible, and that is to love our enemy and to pray for those who persecute you. 

As you use that wonderful gift of imagination, place yourself in the audience, you are the chosen of God, you are a descendant of Abraham, you are a Jew.  And it’s not been easy to be the chosen of God, but now this farmer tells you “Thus says the Lord” and he is speaking of the judgment of your enemies, of those who have persecuted your people. Are you a little excited?  This is not you getting even, no, the message that Amos is bringing is God was not sleeping, He saw what these nations did to His people and now it’s judgment time.  Amos is your newest man of the year he is welcomed as the guest speaker of any gathering of people, until verse four of that second chapter.

What has happened, the message has not changed, it is still “Thus says the Lord” but it’s no longer about your enemies, it is God proclaiming judgment on His chosen.  These were the words of God spoken from the lips of Amos: “Thus says the LORD: “For three transgressions of Judah, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment, because they have rejected the law of the LORD, and have not kept his statutes, but their lies have led them astray, those after which their fathers walked.  So I will send a fire upon Judah,

and it shall devour the strongholds of Jerusalem.” (Amos 2:4-5)

           

As Amos proclaimed the judgment of God on those six pagan nations that surrounded Israel, all is well, in fact, it is wonderful, but as the people of God, judgment begins with the church, just as it did with the chosen people.  And what had the chosen done?  They were living independent of God’s laws and statutes, and this question comes into my mind; are they that much different than the ones who have been called out of the world to faith in the redeeming blood of Jesus Christ?

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

"The Lord says"

Amos 1:3 – 2:3

Amos was one of the first prophets in Israel to record the words of God spoken to him of things to come.  We should listen very closely when Amos makes the statement “The Lord says,” and in verses 3-6 Amos is sharing what God has said about Israel’s neighbors and the judgment that is coming on them.

In the first two chapters each prophesy begins with these words: “The Lord says,” and only a foolish person would not pay some attention to a prophet, a pastor, a teacher, who stood before them declaring, these words are not my own they come from the mouth of Creator God.  The judgment of Israel’s neighbors begins in the third verse of chapter one and goes through chapter 2:3.

Each nation is judged that has caused harm to Israel, look at the last of these judgments on Moab.  “The Lord says: I will not relent from punishing Moab for three crimes, even four, because he burned the bones of the king of Edom to lime.   Therefore, I will send fire against Moab, and it will consume the citadels of Kerioth. Moab will die with a tumult,
with shouting and the sound of the ram’s horn.  I will cut off the judge from the land and kill all its officials with him.  The Lord has spoken.” (Amos 2:1-3)

I have a habit of looking at things from a historical vantage point, and from that view we have a very clear understanding that mankind has not changed that much, no matter how advanced our technology.  When God is passing judgment on their neighbors they were very pleased with the prophet Amos, and all of the other prophets, but when they said, “The Lord says,” and it was no longer judgment on the neighbors but on Judah and Israel, they did much like many do when the priest or pastor stands and proclaims the written word of God, it brings compliance or rejection. 

History tells us that no matter how much we advance in our technology, mankind has a sin problem and is without hope of that changing without God’s intervention.  And history tells us that God’s plan was to become a man, yes, to send His Son to live among us in the form of a man, but to never use His powers of being God, but to look to His Father for all His needs.  And the prophets like Micah and Isaiah foretold it, and yet history tells us that many did not listen and others refused the message.  This is the apostle John sharing what happened; “He was in the world, and the world was created through Him, yet the world did not recognize Him.  He came to His own, and His own people did not receive Him.  But to all who did receive Him, He gave them the right to be children of God, to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood, or of the will of the flesh, or of the will of man, but of God.  The Word became flesh and took up residence among us. We observed His glory, the glory as the One and Only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.  (John testified concerning Him and exclaimed, “This was the One of whom I said, ‘The One coming after me has surpassed me, because He existed before me.’”) 

It has been said that insanity is the repeating of the same conduct but expecting a different outcome.  I’ve come to the conclusion that mankind is experiencing insanity in that they believe they can ignore “The Lord says” and live life on their terms, and get a different outcome.  It does not seem to be working and maybe we should listen to the apostle Peter’s words in 1 Peter 1:10-12;  “Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of the Messiah and the glories that would follow.  It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things.”

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

A very small connection with Amos

Amos 1:1

Most of the time I can state with much clarity that I struggle to identify with the prophets, both the major ones like Isaiah and Jeremiah, and even those who are called Minor Prophets like Micah and Joel, but I do connect in some ways with Amos.  He was a farmer and for most of my life I’ve enjoyed growing veggies and it must have come from my granddad Golden, who farmed most of his life.  Amos was a man of the soil, he farmed to make a living, he had no desire to be a prophet, but God called him and then sent him out with a message.  I’m at best a peddler turned writer, but much like Amos I have felt God’s call to write about life; mostly my own and how Jesus Christ has given me hope and a eternal view of life in the promises of His written Word.

Amos was called with a message for Israel; Gene A. Getz gives this insight: “Amos pointed out that God despised those who participated meaninglessly in festivals, offering, and worship.   God hates empty ritual.  Amos also condemned those who loved riches rather than God.  There is one God, our Creator and Redeemer, and He should be worshiped with all our heart, mind, soul and strength.  Amos warned his audience that if they continued on the path they were on, God’s judgment was imminent.  Yet, he made them aware, though their nation was in a downward spiral, individuals who turned to God would experience His grace and compassion.”

I have more than a little trepidation about sharing with you what I believe God is up to by asking someone like myself to express thoughts in written form.  I do not have any of the tools, skill sets, or education that is needed in putting words on paper, or in this case on a computer screen.  But I’ve sensed the need to share with the community of faith the thoughts that come into my mind as I read the promises of God’s word.  In no way does that make me a prophet, for I believe strongly that when Jesus said it was finished, all that is needed to find an abundant life on planet earth and fellowship with the Father has been written in the manufacturer’s handbook on life, often referred to as God’s word, or the Holy Bible.

We have this from Dr. Claude Mariottini, Professor of Old Testament at Northern Baptist Seminary.  “One of the most important earthquakes in the Bible happened in the days of Uzziah, King of Judah around 760 B.C. The call of the prophet Amos to the prophetic ministry is dated from this event: “The words of Amos, who was among the herdsmen of Tekoa, which he saw concerning Israel in the days of Uzziah king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash king of Israel, two years before the earthquake” (Amos 1:1).

This earthquake probably was very devastating because it remained in the memory of the people of Israel for centuries. Two hundred years later, the prophet Zechariah spoke of that earthquake as a divine judgment upon the sins of Jerusalem: “And you shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal: yes, you shall flee, like as you fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah” (Zechariah 14:5).”

As a fellow member of the Christian faith, a follower of Jesus Christ, and a man who knows that his feet are of clay, and often his mind tunes into the deception channel, a channel that is full of worldviews and logic not found in the council of the Holy Spirit, let us explore the riches of knowledge and wisdom that is found in the words of this Minor Prophet.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

A World looking for Answers

Micah 7:17-20

A rhetorical question: asked in order to produce an effect or to make a statement rather than to elicit information.  Is that what the prophet Micah is doing in these verses: “Who is a God like You, removing iniquity and passing over rebellion for the remnant of His inheritance?  He does not hold on to His anger forever, because He delights in faithful love.   He will again have compassion on us; He will vanquish our iniquities.  You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.  You will show loyalty to Jacob and faithful love to Abraham, as You swore to our fathers from days long ago.”  (Micah 7:18-20)  Is Micah making a statement, is it a proclamation that you and I need in the year of 2013?

You may have noticed that the world is looking for answers, and that government has a lust for money and power and they spend and they spend and they tax and they tax, and then they print currency that has no value, and the last step is they borrow till someone else the bankers of the world tell them it’s time to pay.  When a government or a family begins to head down this path, history has shown that it also leads to moral failure, and a turning away from dependence on God to living independent lives.  Is that not where we find ourselves in the days of 2013, are we that much different than the people Micah passes judgment on?

It is encouraging to this writer that Micah reminded me that the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is our God, and that He alone has the ability to forgive our sins.  That our God delights in showing mercy, and that He keeps all His promises.  This is a great time to go back to the book of Deuteronomy and read the words of Moses to his people.  He is telling them that the message of God’s faithfulness must be passed on to our children, and grandchildren.  “Listen, Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is One.  Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.  These words that I am giving you today are to be in your heart.  Repeat them to your children. Talk about them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.  Bind them as a sign on your hand and let them be a symbol on your forehead.  Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” (Deuteronomy 6:4-9)

Gene A. Getz had this to say about these verses and how it applies to you and me: “Today, all true believers in the Lord Jesus Christ are included in the Abrahamic covenant.  We are those who have been blessed through the seed of Abraham, the Lord Jesus Christ.  Through the Savior, we have access to the one true God who is now demonstrating forgiveness and redemption through the blood of His Son.  When we receive His gift of eternal life and are justified by faith, He pardons our sins and His anger is removed.  We have “peace with God” (Rm 5:1; Eph 1:3-8).

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Have Good Data

Micah 7:11-20

As I was reading the verses of Micah the prophet, it is clear that for anyone to come to the correct conclusion they must begin with truth.  If my desire is to understand the simplest equation, it requires that my data must be sound, so if my concept of knowing God’s only Son is flawed, what hope do I have of understanding the prophesy of a man from 750 BC?

Micah is telling the people of his time about something that will happen in the future, and it is not clear if the people of Micah’s day believe what the prophet was telling them or if Micah and the few that did believe tied a timeline to the prophesy.  It would be wise of us to look at verse 12-13, “In that day they will come to you, from Assyria and the cities of Egypt, and from Egypt to the River, from sea to sea and from mountain to mountain.  But the earth will be desolate because of its inhabitants, for the fruit of their deeds.”  Now the environmentalist may say, see I told you mankind is destroying the earth, and once more we must look at the premise and ask the question, is mankind great than it Creator? 

To solve any problem we must begin with the correct information, an as we look to the Manufacturer’s handbook on life, we find this fact over and over telling us that sin will result in desolation.  We have stated that the prophet Isaiah was also prophesying at this same time line and one would be wise to read chapter 24 of the book of Isaiah.  It begins in this manner “Behold, the Lord will empty the earth and make it desolate, and he will twist its surface and scatter its inhabitants.  And it shall be, as with the people, so with the priest; as with the slave, so with his master; as with the maid, so with her mistress;
as with the buyer, so with the seller; as with the lender, so with the borrower; as with the creditor, so with the debtor.  The earth shall be utterly empty and utterly plundered; for the Lord has spoken this word.”  Now skip to verses 5, and 6, “The earth lies defiled
under its inhabitants; for they have transgressed the laws, violated the statutes, broken the everlasting covenant.  Therefore a curse devours the earth, and its inhabitants suffer for their guilt; therefore the inhabitants of the earth are scorched, and few men are left.”

This information must be entered into the equation and it requires a question; is this referring to judgment on the whole earth, and if the answer is correct, then has anything close to this taken place since the time of Noah?  The answer is not even close, so because of sin; mankind living independent from God’s laws, statutes, and breaking His everlasting covenant, a curse will devour the earth and its inhabitants. 

When beginning your equation with wrong data, your only hope is to begin a new with data that has not been compromised, and our world has taken deceitful information, and this is what Hosea, the son of Beeri, a contemporary of Isaiah and Micah had to say to the northern kingdom; “But you have planted wickedness, you have reaped evil, you have eaten the fruit of deception.  Because you have depended on your own strength and on your many warriors, the roar of battle will rise against your people, so that all your fortresses will be devastated—as Shalman devastated Beth Arbel on the day of battle, when mothers were dashed to the ground with their children.  So will it happen to you, Bethel, because your wickedness is great?”  (Hosea 10:13-15)

Now look at Micah 7:11, “A day for the building of your walls!  In that day the boundary shall be far extended.”  A promise that you can bank on, the chosen of Israel will once more rebuild and extend their boundary, for God has spoken of this time in His love letter to the people of planet earth.  And now the rest of the story, as it was told to Micah from God; “As in the days when you came out of the land of Egypt, I will show them marvelous things.  The nations shall see and be ashamed of all their might; they shall lay their hands on their mouths; their ears shall be deaf; they shall lick the dust like a serpent, like the crawling things of the earth; they shall come trembling out of their strongholds; they shall turn in dread to the LORD our God, and they shall be in fear of you.  Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression

for the remnant of his inheritance?  He does not retain his anger forever, because he delights in steadfast love.  He will again have compassion on us; he will tread our iniquities underfoot.  You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.  You will show faithfulness to Jacob and steadfast love to Abraham, as you have sworn to our fathers

from the days of old.” (Micah 7:15-20 ESV)

Make sure you begin with good data, for only then will your problem be solved.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Do you have Enemies?

Micah 7:8-10

Do you have enemies, and before you answer that question it may require some thought!  Like what does God’s Son have to say on that subject in John 10:10, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” Most would agree that Jesus is giving us a contrast between Himself and the thief, and most would agree that someone, anyone who came to steal and kill and destroy from you and your family would be considered an enemy. 

And for most of us we would not think of our neighbor as an enemy, much less friend, or a son-in-law or daughter-in-law.  And to think that a son or daughter or mother or father could be classified in that way is totally unacceptable.  Yet many both in an outside of Christian circles do acknowledge fear and distrust of those listed above.  And when you expand that to those who you work with and those who dislike and may hate someone who stands for and acknowledge their faith in Christ alone, you may find your enemy list growing.

This was Micah’s reply to those people: “Rejoice not over me, O my enemy; when I fall, I shall rise; when I sit in darkness, the LORD will be a light to me.  I will bear the indignation of the LORD because I have sinned against him, until he pleads my cause

and executes judgment for me.  He will bring me out to the light; I shall look upon his vindication.  Then my enemy will see, and shame will cover her who said to me, “Where is the LORD your God?” (Micah 7:8-10b ESV)

If you are a follower of Christ, take great pleasure in these words of Micah, for God did not promise that we would not have troubles or even enemies in this world, in fact, Jesus promised us that we would; “        I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33 ESV)  But when we fall we can be sure that our Lord will pick us up, and bring us back into fellowship with the Father.  It is great to be a member of the family of King Jesus, for He alone is Creator God.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

The longer we stay in Darkness

Micah 7:1-7

America’s Moral decline is not a new thing and from this writer’s viewpoint it did not begin in the 60’s, no we have been in a moral decline much longer than we can grasp.  It reminds me of my first missionary trip as a new believer in Christ, and our mission was to the interior of Mexico, with pastor Joe and my first mentor, Jack Archer.  In that I did not speak Spanish and most of them did not speak English, I was more in the role of observer, but as an observer it was clear that these people who lived in cardboard shacks, knew and loved the Lord Jesus Christ in ways that I had no understanding of at that point in my new faith. 

But that was only a very small part of the lesson that the Lord had prepared for me on that visit, in fact, the most important part of the lesson came later in a café/bar in Matamoras, Mexico.  When we arrived at the café/bar it was about 4 pm and the sun was full and bright and upon entering the café/bar it was as if one had walked into a cave with no light source.  I recall following the waiter to a table and you could only see images of tables and chairs with people sitting in them, and yet in only a few moments our eyes had adjusted to the darkness and we saw a very large room with people sitting all around us.  Pastor Joe then used that illustration to make a lasting impression on me, he ask this question, when you came out of the bright light into the darkness of the café, did you have any knowledge that the room we entered was full of people?  My answer was a simple no, and this was his reply; that darkness is an example of sin, when we as a people first enter into it we come out of the light and the darkness is overwhelming, but the longer we stay in the darkness it becomes less and less dark, it may even become enjoyable.

I believe the United States of America has experienced the darkness and it has become acceptable, in fact, the enemy has set up diversity training so that as a nation we have accepted whatever the world is promoting, and the experience for many of us in the Christian faith is to feel as Micah has stated in chapter 7:1-3, “How sad for me!  For I am like one who—when the summer fruit has been gathered after the gleaning of the grape harvest—finds no grape cluster to eat, no early fig, which I crave.   Godly people have vanished from the land; there is no one upright among the people.  All of them wait in ambush to shed blood; they hunt each other with a net.  Both hands are good at accomplishing evil: the official and the judge demand a bribe; when the powerful man communicates his evil desire, they plot it together.”

And though much of what Micah was experiencing was factual, because the majority of leaders, priest, and prophets in Israel were corrupt, godly people had not vanished from the earth, there were others who shared his spiritual convictions; such men as his contemporary Isaiah.  But his feeling of being alone was not incorrect, in that all around him the people of God who had forsaken the standards of God, had set up standards that made them feel good about sin. 

Micah comes to this understanding, that he should not put trust in a man, not his close neighbor, or even a member of his own house; that only one person is worthy of faith and that is God.  Listen to verse seven, “But I will look to the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation.  My God will hear me.”  We should never forget the account of the prophet Elijah pleading with God against Israel, picking up the account in Romans 11:3-5,  “Lord, they have killed your prophets, they have demolished your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life.” But what is God's reply to him? “I have kept for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace.”

           

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

http://fromourbackporch.blogspot.com/

When Sin is in the House

Micah 6:14-16

What happens to a Nation, a family, a Church that allows sin to be a part of it?  It has been correctly stated that God has placed in everyone a God shaped vacuum that only He can fill, and yet from the beginning the enemy of our soul has told us that his plan is better than God’s.  The apostle Paul gives this testimony about the Israelites, and I believe it also to be the testimony of many in and out of the Church.  “Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved. For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.” (Romans 10:1-4 ESV)   Could we once more be repeating history as the people of Micah’s time did, allowing evil acts and actions to invade our minds and hearts?  The people of Micah’s time were anything but just in their economic dealing with people, look at Micah 2:1-2.  And the people of Micah’s time were not into mercy, as you can see in Micah 2:8-9, nor were they humble, in fact they were law breakers and seemed to be proud of being such, as seen in Micah 2:2-3.

So Micah said this is God’s requirement: “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? (Micah 6:8 ESV)  Nowhere do we find in Scripture that those requirements have changed, and if they have not changed then the way God deals with a people who believe they can live independent of God not have changed.  In Micah 6:10-13 the Lord tells Micah, I’ve had enough, and now I’m bringing judgment.  Read and ponder the judgment of these people and ask the question, is that happening to me?  Often people who claim the name of Christ will tell you they just have bad luck, but it is clear that in God’s economy there is no such thing as luck, but there is blessing and curses. 

The following are the curses: “           Therefore I strike you with a grievous blow, making you desolate because of your sins.  You shall eat, but not be satisfied, and there shall be hunger within you; you shall put away, but not preserve, and what you preserve I will give to the sword. You shall sow, but not reap; you shall tread olives, but not anoint yourselves with oil; you shall tread grapes, but not drink wine. (Micah 6:13-15 ESV)

At no time in history have there been more people who are not satisfied, many live in fear of government, and what that government is about to do, others only want what others have and believe they deserve better, but there are not desires of earning or working toward that goal.  Many who are working hard seem to always have some surprise that takes what they have worked for.  Is this the judgment of the Lord?

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

What happens to such People?

Micah 6:8-16

Yesterday, we ended with Micah 6:8, and if I was to claim a life verse that would be it, because once a person has bowed their knee to Jesus Christ and received the free gift of life eternal, that verse is the key to walking in fellowship with the Lord.  Micah 6:8, “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God”? My dad loved history and often would say if only mankind would learn from and not repeat history then we would not have such pain in the world.  But the people of Micah’s day took a man who was a captain of the army and put him in charge of their country, much like the voters of the United States have done with a neighborhood organizer.  What kind of man was this captain, he was one of the worse kings the Israelites ever had; and we, the citizens of the USA, must wait to see if we also have repeated the history of Micah’s time.  This is what Clarke’s Commentary on the Bible states on the two kings mention in Micah; “The statutes of Omri are kept - Omri, king of Israel, the father of Ahab, was one of the worse kings the Israelites ever had; and Ahab followed in his wicked father's steps. The statutes of those kings were the very grossest idolatry.”

What happens to a nation when the leaders are wicked, and is God silent while this is taking place?  We only have to go back to Micah 6: 9-16, “The voice of the LORD cries to the city—and it is sound wisdom to fear your name: “Hear of the rod and of him who appointed it!  Can I forget any longer the treasures of wickedness in the house of the wicked, and the scant measure that is accursed?  Shall I acquit the man with wicked scales and with a bag of deceitful weights?  Your rich men are full of violence; your inhabitants speak lies, and their tongue is deceitful in their mouth.  Therefore I strike you with a grievous blow, making you desolate because of your sins.

You shall eat, but not be satisfied, and there shall be hunger within you; you shall put away, but not preserve, and what you preserve I will give to the sword.  You shall sow, but not reap; you shall tread olives, but not anoint yourselves with oil; you shall tread grapes, but not drink wine.

           

For you have kept the statutes of Omri, and all the works of the house of Ahab; and you have walked in their counsels, that I may make you a desolation, and your inhabitants a hissing; so you shall bear the scorn of my people.”

What happens to such people?  They learn to act in an ungodly manner they begin to call good, evil and evil, good.  Or as the apostle Paul stated in Philippians 2:21, “For they all seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ.”  Maybe we who God refers to as sheep, and I’ve learned that sheep are easily led into disaster, should listen to Albert Einstein, “God did not create evil. Just as darkness is the absence of light, evil is the absence of God.”  Will we the citizens of the USA repeat the foolishness of the people that Micah is speaking to?

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

We have been told what is Good

Micah 6:1-8

Have you of late, or have you ever taken time to reflect on the saving acts of the Lord?  That is the indictment of the Lord to His people with a reminder of the many saving acts from the time He brought them out of slavery from Egypt and sent Moses, Aaron, and Miriam to lead them. 

As a youth I made so many mistakes and I had a fear of God, but it was based on a total misunderstanding of His person; believing that to trust Him would take from me any chance to find success in this world.  When I got married I was so full of self that my beautiful wife was more of a thing than my bride, and much like God I was sure she would find out that I did not know how to be the husband she rightfully deserved.  As I’ve shared before, God put my barber and four other men into my life and arranged for me to see God living in them, and to understand that God could change a man’s heart, that God loved me, even when I did not love myself.  It was soon after my new birth in a hotel room in Victoria, Texas, that God introduced me to Jack Archer who began to help me understand that God loved a rascal like me, that God really loved me!

It seemed like everything was going great, a new baby girl, boy was I scared, she was so little and the most beautiful little girl that had ever walked on planet earth.  We were in a church and it seemed like for the first time in my life I was looked up to and was working with teenagers and very happy.  Now Jack had spent a lot of time telling me about how much Jesus loved me and the church we went to spent all its time trying to get me saved each and every service, but no one told me I had a real enemy that wanted to steal my joy, take away my testimony, and destroy my marriage, and that he was slick and smooth and very good at what he did.  It was just a short time later, that God allowed a hurricane to destroy our home and all that was in it and we learned together, the three of us, that God can rebuild homes as well as marriages.

It is in looking back that I understand now that pride and an arrogant spirit began to fill my mind and heart and before I knew what had happening I was willing to lose my two most precious gifts, my wife and my daughter, but God rescued me.  I had been with the 3M Company for twenty years, when I made a mistake and ask a vice president of Exxon why he had switched from one electrical distributor to another, and he took my question as if I was questioning his decision and went and told 3M’s largest distributor that I did not think they were worthy of Exxon’s business and that I did not believe they would deliver.  I did not say any of those things, but the distributor did not ask my boss or his boss but the president of 3M to fire me, and God rescued me!  He also showed me how to humble myself and go to the Exxon vice president and ask for forgiveness. 

And often I, like the people of Micah’s time, have wondered, what does the Lord require of me, is it more time reading an applying His written word, or more time in church activity, or maybe it’s doing some great act like feeding the poor and taking care of widows and orphans.   All of the above is good, if your heart is in the right place, but if it to earn God’s love then it is totally misguided; for God so loves you and me that He gave His only Son to step out of heaven and take the form of a baby and live among us for 33 years, telling us about the Father’s love, and dying on a cross to pay our sin debt.  The Holy Spirit spoke these words through the lips of Micah; “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8 ESV)

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

A new Wind is Blowing

Micah 5:7-15

What is a promise worth?  The answer would depend on who made the promise, if it is from someone who has always kept every promise they have made it is worth betting the farm on.  In Micah 7:1-9, we have this promise from One who always keeps His promises; “Then the remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many peoples like dew from the LORD, like showers on the grass, which delay not for a man nor wait for the children of man.  And the remnant of Jacob shall be among the nations, in the midst of many peoples, like a lion among the beasts of the forest, like a young lion among the flocks of sheep, which, when it goes through, treads down and tears in pieces, and there is none to deliver.  Your hand shall be lifted up over your adversaries, and all your enemies shall be cut off.”

If you are a Jew living in 2012, take heart, for God is a promise keeper, and if you are like me, one who by grace has been grafted into the family of God, then it might be helpful to visit Romans 11.  What a picture God has painted for us who are in the last days, and to His chosen, the Jewish people.  He compares the remnant of Jacob scattered all over the world to a young lion among a flock of sheep.  Do not miss the picture; the young lion is going to win.  Now as the ones that have been grafted in we should heed the message of Romans 11:17-21, “But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root of the olive tree, do not be arrogant toward the branches. If you are, remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you. Then you will say, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand fast through faith. So do not become proud, but fear. For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you.”

WOW, but it also comes with a great price in that God is going to remove all that we place our hope in; like security, news sources, governments, even false teachers and religious beliefs in other gods, like wealth and armies.  And this is the promise from God, “And in anger and wrath I will execute vengeance on the nations that did not obey.” (Micah 5:15 ESV) 

For years the government of the United States of America has stood with Israel, and God has blessed us mightily.   But a new wind is blowing that will bring judgment on our Nation, for the greatest of Promise Keepers has promised the following to Abraham; “And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”(Genesis 12:2-3 ESV)

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Greed of Leaders and Universal Corruption

Micah 5:1-5

When reading the Scriptures it is important to understand the timeline of the happening, or the prophecies, and what we refer to as the book of Micah was written 735 BC.  It is also important to understand that the prophecies are not in chronological order, and that is so true with the book of Micah.  He’s bringing a message of coming judgments, and the prophetic promises of deliverance, and is encouraging the people to confessions of national sins.  He then deals with idolatry and greed of the leaders and universal corruption.  Then he addresses a future hope, the establishment of a righteous kingdom and he refers to the latter days and the return of Christ to rule on the earth for a thousand years.  But what we refer to as chapter five, verse two, introduces the coming of Messiah king, and though many of these people did not understand the timeline, we have the guidance of the New Testament to understand what Micah and the others were prophesying.

Do you recall when Herod the king heard that the wise men were in search of the a new king; “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews?” and when Herod the king heard it he called the chief priests and the scribes of the people and inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.  Taking up the account in Matthew 2:5-6, “  They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet: “‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler

who will shepherd my people Israel.’” 

God the Father spoke by the Holy Spirit through Micah to His people sometime around 735 BC to announce the birth of His Son by a very young woman named Mary, it is only later that we are told her name, but her name, though important, was not the focus point, nor should it be, for Mary was honored by God for her obedience, but Jesus came to redeem all who would accept His free gift of grace by faith, putting faith in His blood shed on the cross for sin.  This is the account in Micah 5:2-5b, “           But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days.  Therefore he shall give them up until the time when she who is in labor has given birth; then the rest of his brothers shall return to the people of Israel.  And he shall stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God.  And they shall dwell secure, for now he shall be great to the ends of the earth.  And he shall be their peace.”

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Now who is delusional?

Micah 4:11-13

Have you read the latest newspaper on Israel?  This small nation that is slightly larger than New Jersey is bordered by these countries: Egypt, Gaza Strip, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, West Bank; they have only one thought and that is to remove them from the face of the earth.  This is from (Reuters) and the writer is Jeffrey Heller, it is posted on Monday Dec 3, 2012 8:12am EST  - Israel faced concerted criticism from Europe on Monday over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's decision to expand settlement building after the United Nations' de facto recognition of Palestinian statehood.  Britain, France and Sweden summoned the Israeli ambassadors in their respective capitals to hear deep disapproval of the plan to erect 3,000 more homes in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem.
Ahead of a Netanyahu visit this week, Germany, considered Israel's closest ally in Europe, urged it to refrain from expanding settlements, and Russia said it viewed the Israeli moves with serious concern. Angered by the U.N. General Assembly's upgrading on Thursday of the Palestinians' status in the world body from "observer entity" to "non-member state," Israel said the next day it would build the new dwellings for settlers. Such projects in the past, on land Israel captured in a 1967 war and which Palestinians seek for a future state, have routinely drawn almost pro forma world condemnation.
The nation of Iran has stated it desires to remove Israel from the face of the earth and is building an atomic bomb.  This is the latest from that nation; TEHRAN: Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi has downplayed the Israeli war rhetoric against Iran, saying the threats by the Tel Aviv regime to launch a strike against Iran are just worthless claims.   He goes on to state, “The Israeli regime’s aggressive policies are intended to magnify its “delusional power.”

Now that is today’s news, but before you buy into the story of the Iranian Defense Minister’s message to the world, you would be wise to look at what God has said to the prophet Micah.  “Now many nations are assembled against you, saying, “Let her be defiled, and let our eyes gaze upon Zion.” But they do not know the thoughts of the LORD; they do not understand his plan, that he has gathered them as sheaves to the threshing floor.  Arise and thresh, O daughter of Zion, for I will make your horn iron, and I will make your hoofs bronze; you shall beat in pieces many peoples; and shall devote their gain to the LORD, their wealth to the Lord of the whole earth. (Micah 4:11-13 ESV)

Now who is delusional?  Is this prophecy once more announcing what God is about to do?  For Israel has been given a weapon that is greater than any atomic bomb, it is their prince, the archangel Michael, and all he is waiting for is for Jesus to say go.  Are the nations of the world about to be gathered to God’s threshing floor?

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice