A light that cannot be Hidden

Matthew 5:14-16

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”

First, let us look into the credentials of the one who spoke the words stated above, who was he?  It was Jesus the Christ, the Messiah, the one the apostle John called the Word, and John goes on to tell us that the Word was with God in the beginning.  But John does not stop with that, he goes on to state: “All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men.”  My hearts desire is that all who read this will come to the realization that Jesus tells the truth, but only the Holy Spirit can bring a person to that understanding, then He will guide you into all truth, as you submit to His leadership.  It is important to grasp that Jesus came to bring us light, and the understanding of grace and truth, as found in John 1:14.  Grace without truth leads us to no need of redemption, and truth without grace will bring us to being judgmental and without love for the things God loves.

So Jesus is telling each of us that; “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house.”  For many years my light was not on a stand, I had basket faith and only with those who were followers of Christ did I remove the basket.  I bought into the deceptive channel, that I often refer to as Channel One, and that channel says it is alright to attend church, but do not mix talking about Jesus in your business life, for it will cost you, and it may.  Do not tell your neighbors, they will not want anything to do with you, and many more examples that were lies to keep my light under the basket.  You may also have bought into Channel One, but remember it is deception, and Channel Two is a much softer voice of the Holy Spirit telling you to let Jesus do it all for you. 

Many of us can look back to a time in our history of strong families, where the dad was not only the provider, but also the leader or the one who guided us in the truth found in the Bible.  It was a time where there seemed to be light in the schools, in the business community, and in the homes of many.  We knew what darkness was, but then something happen very slowly, as we allowed the desire for better stuff to push the mother out of the home into the workplace, and many a child was left to raise themselves.  We also saw divorce increase and many a single mother taking on the task of provider and teacher, and the child left without the authority of and the love of a dad.

So we have somewhat of an advantage over those who were not exposed to that history, this present darkness where government is stepping into the role of provider and adviser. Many of the young people have not been exposed to light, and Christians with basket faith are like salt that is no longer good for anything. 

If you have been deceived by that smooth voice of Channel One, it sounds much like your voice, but praise God, He loves you an is also speaking on Channel Two telling you that if you will confess to the truth, you have been deceived by that old thief the devil, the Father will forgive and equip you with the boldness to be light in this present darkness.  The prophet Isaiah had this to say about Jesus; “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shined.” You and I who are in Christ are to be an extension of His ministry, carrying His light into your home, your neighborhood, and the workplace, for this is the command from your Creator: “In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

A light that cannot be Hidden

Matthew 5:14-16

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”

First, let us look into the credentials of the one who spoke the words stated above, who was he?  It was Jesus the Christ, the Messiah, the one the apostle John called the Word, and John goes on to tell us that the Word was with God in the beginning.  But John does not stop with that, he goes on to state: “All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men.”  My hearts desire is that all who read this will come to the realization that Jesus tells the truth, but only the Holy Spirit can bring a person to that understanding, then He will guide you into all truth, as you submit to His leadership.  It is important to grasp that Jesus came to bring us light, and the understanding of grace and truth, as found in John 1:14.  Grace without truth leads us to no need of redemption, and truth without grace will bring us to being judgmental and without love for the things God loves.

So Jesus is telling each of us that; “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house.”  For many years my light was not on a stand, I had basket faith and only with those who were followers of Christ did I remove the basket.  I bought into the deceptive channel, that I often refer to as Channel One, and that channel says it is alright to attend church, but do not mix talking about Jesus in your business life, for it will cost you, and it may.  Do not tell your neighbors, they will not want anything to do with you, and many more examples that were lies to keep my light under the basket.  You may also have bought into Channel One, but remember it is deception, and Channel Two is a much softer voice of the Holy Spirit telling you to let Jesus do it all for you. 

Many of us can look back to a time in our history of strong families, where the dad was not only the provider, but also the leader or the one who guided us in the truth found in the Bible.  It was a time where there seemed to be light in the schools, in the business community, and in the homes of many.  We knew what darkness was, but then something happen very slowly, as we allowed the desire for better stuff to push the mother out of the home into the workplace, and many a child was left to raise themselves.  We also saw divorce increase and many a single mother taking on the task of provider and teacher, and the child left without the authority of and the love of a dad.

So we have somewhat of an advantage over those who were not exposed to that history, this present darkness where government is stepping into the role of provider and adviser. Many of the young people have not been exposed to light, and Christians with basket faith are like salt that is no longer good for anything. 

If you have been deceived by that smooth voice of Channel One, it sounds much like your voice, but praise God, He loves you an is also speaking on Channel Two telling you that if you will confess to the truth, you have been deceived by that old thief the devil, the Father will forgive and equip you with the boldness to be light in this present darkness.  The prophet Isaiah had this to say about Jesus; “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shined.” You and I who are in Christ are to be an extension of His ministry, carrying His light into your home, your neighborhood, and the workplace, for this is the command from your Creator: “In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

How is your Salt?

Matthew 5:13

“You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet.”

You are salt, Jesus called His followers salt, is it something anyone other than Jesus has ever called you?  So if your Creator referred to you as salt, the question must be ask, is it sea salt, table salt, or kosher salt?  Why has He, who is all knowing, called us who follow him salt? 

In my search for truth I went to many sources, and found this summary on Salt in the Bible from Wikipedia, this free encyclopedia will help us understand more about salt. “The role of salt in the Bible is relevant to understanding Hebrew society during the Old Testament and New Testament periods. Salt is a necessity of life and was a mineral that was used since ancient times in many cultures as a seasoning, a preservative, a disinfectant, a component of ceremonial offerings, and as a unit of exchange. The Bible contains numerous references to salt. In various contexts, it is used metaphorically to signify permanence, loyalty, durability, fidelity, usefulness, value, and purification.”  All of that statement is true, but Jesus is referring to the very last word in the definition, purification when He called us salt.

If we look at how salt is used in the Old Testament it is often used as a purifying agent, as found in the book of Leviticus 2:13, “You shall season all your grain offering with salt.  You shall not let the salt of the covenant with your God be missing from your grain offering; with all your offerings you shall offer salt.”  And do you recall when Elisha is in Jericho and the people of that city told him they like the city but the water was bad and the land is unfruitful?  This was his reply: “He said, “Bring me a new bowl, and put salt in it.”  So they brought it to him.  Then he went to the spring of water and threw salt in it and said, “Thus says the Lord, I have healed this water; from now on neither death nor miscarriage shall come from it.” 

So if we look at being the salt Jesus tells us to be, we must examine our lives to see if we are living a life of purity, not only before man but also before God.  The culture we live in is far from pure, and often leadership of the church is far from pure, but the issue is, are you pure, am I pure, or have we become like our culture?  Has your witness lost its effect on those who know you best, has your salt lost it taste, are you a lover of stuff more than a lover of God?  If you have been polluted by this present darkness that we live in, run to Jesus for he has promised this; “If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.”

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Will the American Church encounter Suffering for Christ?

Matthew 5:11,12

“Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”  

How often do we who are called by the name Christian use the Scriptures to say what we want them to say, but not in keeping with the thoughts and message of what is written.  A good policy is to ask who is this addressing; Christians who are being persecuted falsely only because of their standing for Christ.  What is the action being ask for by those who are reviled and persecuted?  Rejoice and be glad and remember this is not something strange that is only happening to you, for it is clearly stated the prophets were also persecuted before you.

Now, this is not the most popular topic for any service at church, but can you imagine a pastor or priest using it with the Easter or Christmas only crowd?  Have you ever been to a Bible Study that is focused on preparing the student for being reviled and persecuted for standing for Jesus?  If one is given and you’re the teacher, first and foremost, if you are not being persecuted and reviled for the service you are giving to our Lord, please let people know that truth, and if you are the teacher in the American church, do not be surprised if the class is small in attendance. 

This writer has been called a Bible thumper to his face by one of his close kin, he has been ask by cousins to remove them from his blog list, but this writer has never been reviled or persecuted for his actions on standing for Jesus, and I know few who have in the American Church.  But I do have an example of a righteous man, whose ministry is to the family, Jim Dobson has been named enemy number One by the progressives, and they have said all kinds of evil about him, and have attacked his character, his ministry and his love for Jesus Christ.  Now the good news, I doubt that Dr. Jim Dobson would see himself as one who falls into the same category as the prophets of old.

So lets look at what some of the prophets suffered because they obeyed the voice of the Lord.  Beginning in 2 Chronicles 24:20-21, “Then the Spirit of God clothed Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest, and he stood above the people, and said to them, “Thus says God, ‘Why do you break the commandments of the Lord, so that you cannot prosper? Because you have forsaken the Lord, he has forsaken you.’” But they conspired against him, and by command of the king they stoned him with stones in the court of the house of the Lord.”   This is the account of the prophet Jeremiah, “Now Pashhur the priest, the son of Immer, who was chief officer in the house of the Lord, heard Jeremiah prophesying these things. Then Pashhur beat Jeremiah the prophet, and put him in the stocks that were in the upper Benjamin Gate of the house of the Lord.”  (Jeremiah 20:1-2)  If you look at chapter 32, you find Jeremiah locked up in the court of the king’s guards, for telling the king what God is about to do.  Many examples of men of God being faithful to what God tells them to do or say are persecuted for their faith, and if you need more insight, go to Hebrews 11:36-39.     

All over the world people who are obeying God are paying the price, for they understand the promise of rejoice and be glad, for they know God keeps His word.  The American church is soon to encounter the reality of Matthew 5:11 and I pray that I will be faithful, and as Peter said, I find joy that I could be trusted with suffering for Christ.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Persecuted for What?

Matthew 6:10

“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven.”

I wonder if there has ever been a time when some group of people has not been persecuted for being the wrong sex, the wrong religion, the poor, the wrong color, or just in the wrong country, or political standing.  It seems to me, the one thing the human race has done well is to hate others, and in doing so to persecute, or be persecuted.  But Jesus is not telling us we are blessed for being persecuted for any of the things listed above, but we are blessed when we are being persecuted for righteousness. 

So why are we in the American church not experiencing more open persecution, are we not being righteous?  What is righteousness, is it an action of responding to injustice, is it a morally upright people, a virtuous person, one who is blameless before both man and God?  Now, if that defines “righteousness” and the promise is the kingdom of heaven, why, is it we do not act righteously?

 Could the problem be, for this writer and maybe for you also, found in the letter of James 1:22 to the church, “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.”  James is not writing to unbelievers, he is addressing our needs, people who are followers of Christ, when he says the following in James 4:1-4, “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)

Could the problem be that we have been so richly blessed and have looked to the blessings and not given things to the God who has blessed?   That we have bought into the deceptive Channel that tells us we deserve better and life is about friendship, not with God in thankfulness, but in the world system that has no regard for anyone but only what gratifies our fleshly desires.

The answer my friend is not blowing in the wind of opinion, the answer is by faith, acting on the promises of Jesus, and for me that is to believe and then act like Jesus tells the truth.  For Jesus is our righteousness as stated in 1 Corinthians 1:30-31, “And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Peacemakers Needed

Matthew 5:9

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God”

Is there understanding of the term peacemaker in this culture, and are you wondering why would anyone ask such a question?  First, let’s define peacemaker: “a person who brings about peace.”   Such a person could be seen as a negotiator, arbitrator, mediator, and even a go-between.  In fact, when we look at Jesus those are titles that can easily be attached to Him.

 When we explore the Scriptures, this is what is said about the mediator we need in our lives; “For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.” Looking to Jesus as our go-between with the Father, as the only one who can deliver on this statement; “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (John 14:27)

I must confess that this subject has not been easy, for often and especially in my business life I was not at peace, so I could not fill the role of peacemaker, and I’ve let that attitude flow into other parts of my life.  When we are not at peace with others made in the image of God, we will also not be at peace with God, and the world tells us that it has the answer to peace, love, and joy, but the answer is not found in the world, but in Christ.  So what is needed to be a peacemaker, first, to grasp who you have become in Christ, and what the Father has given you?  When the joy and peace of Christ fill our life, then we will fill the lives of others as the Holy Spirit leads us.

The HCSB Study Bible, on page 1618 in the footnote, has this to say on being a peacemaker: “The ministry of peacemaker involves resolving conflict by making prompt apologies and acts of restitution, refusing to seek revenge, and humbly serving and loving one’s enemies.”  I will not bet the farm on many things, but I am willing to do it on this statement, it is impossible to achieve the above statement out side of letting Jesus do it all for you and through you.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

The understanding of what is Required

Matthew 5:8

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”

If only we had the understanding of what is required to be pure in heart, and then act on it, would not all people want to be pure in heart so they could see God?  Does the Scripture give us information on how to be pure before our God?  It might be wise to answer a question with a question; was Jesus pure in heart before God.  Now not so fast with your answer, give some thought to the question, what are the ramifications if Jesus was not pure before the Father?  One short answer, you and I are without hope of redemption, but Jesus was God in the flesh, and you and I are not, there in lies a big problem, we need to be pure like Jesus.  Is that possible?

If the requirement is to be like Jesus, how can we attain purity, it might be helpful to look back to the Law and Moses where God required a lamb without spot or blemish, (pure) to be sacrificed and the high priest to enter the temple and make atonement first for his sins and then for the people, but it was something he had to repeat each year.  For God made it very clear without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins. (Hebrews 9:22)  The ninth chapter has a road map of the grace God has given you and me through the shedding of His pure Son’s blood.  Begin in Chapter 9:24, “For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf. Nor was it to offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters the holy places every year with blood not his own, for then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.”

Jesus is rightfully called the second Adam, for in that sin came into the world through Adam, redemption came through the blood of Jesus Christ.  So to be pure, no man has this ability we need to enter into Christ, and Christ to enter into us.  And in John I’ve found this promise: “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.”

(John 14:18-21 ESV)  And once more you are confronted with the question; “Does Jesus tell the truth?”  How you act on what He has said is the real answer to what you believe, not by mere words.

I am often ask if I’m a religious person, and if I am may this quote from James be my religion: “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.”

(James 1:27 ESV)

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

What does Merciful look like?

Matthew 5:7

“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.”

What does merciful look like, is it a child who plays with the kid down the street who has a physical disability when know one else will play with him?  Is it the business man who looks past the employee who works hard but does not have the skill set to be a producer, is it the church who ministers to the homeless and the prostitutes, and the drug addicts?  How should we define merciful?  The dictionary has this to say about the subject of being merciful: bringing someone relief from something unpleasant.  It was for sure a merciful act when the child showed love for the one no one else would play with because they were physically disabled.  The businessman carrying a person because he was not able to do better, yet he showed up for work each day and gave 100%, in my opinion this was an act of mercy.  And it goes without question, the church acting like what it is, the body of Christ, was being merciful.

But we live in a culture that is not merciful, a culture with little time for small children, and I’m talking about healthy ones, and the culture has little or no patience with the elderly.  A culture, both in and out of the church, too busy with its on schedule to put much thought into the needs of others.

My life verse is Micah 6:8, “He has showed you, O man, what is good.  And what does the LORD require of you?  To act justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?”  God requires mankind to be just, to love mercy, and that means to be kind to all who you encounter, and to walk humbly with God, and does it not go double for the Church?  When we are merciful we act like God, you will find this truth in Luke 6:36, “Be merciful, just as you father is merciful.”  If you keep reading, our Lord is giving us great advice about being merciful and the benefits of those who show mercy.  We can see this ever so clearly in what Jesus goes on to say in verses 37 and 38,  “Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.”  Once more the question I must ask of myself and of you is; do you believe Jesus tells the truth?

“I have always found that mercy bears richer fruits than strict justice.”  Abraham Lincoln

“I am a most noteworthy sinner, but I have cried out to the Lord for grace and mercy, and they have covered me completely.  I have found the sweetest consolation since I made it my whole purpose to enjoy His marvelous Presence.”  Christopher Columbus

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

What are your Thirst?

Matthew 5:6

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.”

It should not require us to proclaim to people who love the Lord that Jesus tells the truth, but I have discovered in my own life the deceiver is one smooth talker, and often I have been tricked by his tactics.   Now if you were the enemy of God, and God had designed you before you rebelled with an I.Q. of shall we say 1000, then you and I will not match-up so well in a debate with the dude, and that is what he is counting on.  Scripture is very clear, he has picked a fight with God, and his desire is to kill, steal, and destroy the thing God loves, and that is you.  For many years I was an easy target of the enemy of my soul, because of my fear and insecurity which made me talk often when I should have been listening, teach when I needed a teacher, and the Lord began to show me I was full of pride which leads to arrogance.  Though I believed in my head Jesus tells the truth, often my life did not model this belief, and the thief Jesus refers to in John 10:10 was stealing from me the ability to live in abundance.

With that said, what are some reasons we do not hunger and thirst for righteousness?  If you are living in the culture of instance gratification, then hungering and thirsting for anything does not come across as a goal we are going to set.  Jesus is aware of the culture, and maybe you and I were in his mind when He told the story of the “Lost coin” for in that story we find what is needed to hunger and thirst for righteousness.  The story is found in Luke 15:8-9, “Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it? And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.”  For a person to walk in righteousness it will not happen without seeking diligently in both prayer and submission to the authority of Scripture, and asking the Holy Spirit to guide you into truth.

Jan and I had the great honor of sitting at the feet of Howard Hendricks at the Billy Graham center called the Cove, on three occasions.   To his friends, he was Howie, or Prof, and he is now experiencing the presence of our Lord, because he left the dying and went to the living.  His son told the story of asking his dad how he sat through sermons that were so poorly prepared, and his dad shared that he had never sat through a uninspiring message for once the Scripture had been given he would begin to search for understanding and before the sermon was finished he had been refreshed.  Howard Hendricks was hungry for the truth, he was a man of the book, and because he thirsted for what was there it not only changed his life but the life of one like me.

In my “HCSB” Study Bible, it states on page1618 the following: “Hunger and thirst are metaphors for a disciple’s fervent desire for righteousness.  The words they will be filled are in the passive voice, indicating righteousness is not something that disciples can achieve by their own efforts.”  The author of the Study Bible goes on in the footnotes to state this: “it is a “divine passive” that describes an act of God.  He alone imparts the righteousness for which disciples hunger and thirst.”  “The righteousness that Jesus demands of us is actually a divine gift given to his followers.”

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

           

100% of the Time

Matthew 5: 5

“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.”

The question must be asked: Do you believe Jesus tells the truth?  Before answering, give some thought to who you believe Jesus is; and if the answer is He was, then you have already established your belief system.  For if He was and you fill in the blank as to what follows that statement, you have established in your heart He is not the I AM.  If He is not the I AM, then you may quote Him, you may attend church and even be a preacher or priest, but you have no knowledge of truth, for truth believes He is, not He was, and He always has been, He cannot lie, He is pure and just, and we can stake our lives now and for eternity in what He has said.

So we have arrived at the fifth verse of Matthew and it is stated above, the “meek” is the subject and the verb is blessed, and Jesus tells us they will inherit the earth.  So let’s define what “meek” looks like: quiet, gentle, easily imposed on, and submissive.  Would I be out of step to state you do not find these personality traits in most of the CEO’s who run the top 500 Companies in the United States of America?  Would I be out of step to state those qualities are not taught in most homes, schools, or even in many churches?  And it could be said meekness is not apparent in the leadership of many churches, nor is it obvious in many who sit in the pews each Sunday.

So the question still remains; “Does Jesus tell the truth?” and my answer is 100% of the time.  So why do we not run to “truth” why do we not choose to be submissive?   Maybe the answer is found in the peeling of an onion, have you ever peeled an onion?  First, you take off the outer skin, its value is to protect, but as it is removed and you begin to peel back the layers, what do you find, onion, only onion.  When someone looks at your life they see skin, if you were trained to be polite, if you were taught manners, then they may conclude you are a meek person, but if they had the ability to peel back the skin and begin to remove the layers of your soul, would they find meekness, or would they find a person who has given an ear to the voice of the enemy of our soul, who has said “meek” does not play well in the world system, so take care of number one, put self first and you will have all the world can give.

If you listen to what my friend Bill calls channel one, the deceptive channel, then you will get the values of the world system, and the junk that comes with it; things like pride, arrogance, self love, anger, hate, and all the fruits of that system.  Now you may get a lot of stuff, like houses, cars, boats, sex, titles, power, but you will not get what the meek attain.  For the person who lives as if Jesus does not tell the truth, will not find peace, joy, and pleasure in submission, to God or man.  Jesus has told us that life is fleeting, it’s like grass that withers in the heat of the day, or a mist that comes in the morning but is gone by noon, but to those who bow down to His authority, who are willing to be meek in acknowledgement, and obedience to the Father, who obey and follow Jesus, they will inherit the earth.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice   

When we come full Circle

Matthew 5:4

            “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”

When my dad passed from this life, I took on the load of caring for mother and I did not have time to be comforted.  I would not allow myself to give thought to what my dad had meant to my life because if I did then I would allow my emotions to go places I thought at the time was not productive.   I was a new believer in a big God, but did not have much heart knowledge of grace, or that Jesus had said to each of us to bring our burdens to him for He cares for us.  If only I would have had a teachable spirit, if only I would have believed Jesus tells the truth, how different the six months following my dad’s death would have been.  Now, I’m learning to run to Jesus because He has said; “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”(Matthew 11:28-30)

It was six months later, in the back yard of mother’s house where I came full circle and allowed the mourning so needed in my life.  That back yard had so many memories of both good and not so good times, but on that day it was a place of mourning.  I had a total breakdown of tears and memories of my dad, I ended the time of mourning in a time of reflection on being the son of Sam Rice, and thanked God He had allowed me to have a dad, one who was not perfect, but who was fair, who worked hard to earn a living and was a God fearing man.

What a blessing it was to transfer all those emotions and grief to my Lord, for this is what I should have learned if I had been teachable: “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:6-7 ESV)

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Are you Poor in spirit?

Matthew 5:1-3

“Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him.  And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”  (Matthew 5:1-3 ESV)

What does “the poor in spirit” mean?  Often in our culture we have a bad connotation of the word poor, as in the under resourced are people getting government assistance.  But is Jesus implying that this is a social class of people who do not have wealth, and I believe the answer is no way, not even close to what he is saying.  Then we must ask what is the meaning of “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven”?

First and foremost is this; “for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” and it is in the present tense, these poor in spirit already have the kingdom of heaven, it is not something they are trying to obtain, not something they are looking forward to.  It might help us to explore the relationship of a child coming to Jesus, to help us grasp the understanding of “the poor in spirit.”  Do you recall Jesus saying the following: “And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 18:2-4 ESV)  The poor in spirit already have the kingdom of heaven, and Jesus tells us we must become like little children to enter the kingdom of heaven, and how do we do that?  “Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” Did you get what Jesus said, it was not how much education or how little, it was not Jew or Gentile, it was not rich or poor, it was “whoever” humbles themselves like a child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

In the Old Testament a person comes to God as one who is needy or poor, who seeks God’s help and depended entirely on Him for their needs, with this exception, they were looking foreword to Christ coming.  These people had a broken and contrite spirit before God.  Jesus is telling us that when we get to the point of understanding we are broken, that we have come short of God’s requirement, that we have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.  That is when we come to the point of depending on God and His grace to buy us out of sins control then we are becoming poor in spirit.

As we look at Matthew 5:4-9, in the days to come we find these verses are in the future tense, but Matthew 5:10 is also in the present tense.  When Jesus came so did the fulfillment of the kingdom of heaven, but verses 4-9 are promises that are yet to be fulfilled.

For anyone to enter the kingdom of God, it requires a death to all that you have, and humility to the point of acknowledging that you are a sinner in need of a Savior.  This is how Jesus put it; “Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (John 3:3 ESV)

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Jesus Calling

Matthew 4:23-25

One of my many challenges at this stage of life is to imagine, yes, the great gift of using the imagination God has given each of us.  As a child I had the ability to envision myself as G.I. Joe, or the Lone Ranger, and when listening to the radio I visualized what each character looked like.  That’s not so easy for me to do at this time in life, but today I’m asking you to place yourself into the story.  Your one of the disciples Jesus has called to follow him, you can be any one of them, how about being Peter, or maybe you prefer Andrew or John, it matters not as long as you place yourself in the story.

From a child you have been taught that Messiah was coming to free his people and you have put to memory the words of Isaiah the great prophet, when he said; “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” (Isaiah 7:14 ESV) You also have a picture in your mind of these words of Isaiah; “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6 ESV)

You may wonder, were they really looking for the Messiah or were they like so many in the Church today who say they believe Jesus is going to return but sure hope it is not today, for they are way too busy to have that happen.  Let’s look at some people who were looking; John the Baptist has been put in prison and he heard about what Jesus was doing and he sent word by his disciples to ask one question of Jesus; “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?”  (Matthew 11:3)  Do you remember the woman of Samaria that Jesus addressed at the well, these were her words; “I know that Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ).  When he comes, he will tell us all things.”  Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am he.” (John 4:25-26)

Jesus has approached you and these were the words that changed your business plan, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” No longer a fisher of fish but a disciple of Messiah with a promise to become a fisher of men.  Now I’m sure you have no real understanding of that call, but if there was doubt it is soon changed to admiration for Jesus is drawing great crowds, teaching in the synagogues, proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing everyone of disease and every affliction.  Over night he is famous, and people from Syria start bringing all the sick and those afflicted with various diseases and pains, those oppressed by demons, epileptics, and paralytics, and he healed them.  And there is no way the few of us can do crowd control; people and I mean great crowds are following us from Galilee and the Decapolis, and from Jerusalem and Judea, and from beyond the Jordan. 

As I reflect on those early days, I’m not sure the crowds understood Jesus’ message of the gospel of the kingdom, in fact, I’m sure I did not have a clear understanding, nor did some of the other disciples.  Many were coming to be free of their sickness, to not be afflicted with disease and pain, but Jesus knew someday, some of us would come to understand the message of the “gospel of the kingdom.”  The long-awaited Messiah was among us, the son of the virgin was healing and preaching, the one that Isaiah had proclaimed as;  “his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”  He was the one that called us, and if you are reading this in 2013, He is the one calling you, and the message has not changed, come and follow me.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Is Jesus still picking the Common?

Matthew 4:18-22

These verses have been preached since they were recorded, and it has often been wondered, “why” would Jesus pick common men, men who made their living fishing, when He could have picked anyone?  I believe that the common, not the elite, the unlearned over the educated, has not been the model that the world or the church has wanted.  I believe that Buell H. Kazee may have hit on the reason in his book “Faith is the Victory.” 

Pastor Kazee, said the following on page 17 of the book listed above: “The glory of Israel among the heathen nations was always a display of what God could do for a people who were His for a possession.  God was always the big attraction.  Israel was merely a people chosen of God as the body of flesh through which He could manifest Himself to the world.  When they trusted in Him and let Him do great things for them, the heathen were impressed and God was glorified.  But the modern church, the body through which and on behalf of which God meant to demonstrate His power to the world and thus attract the lost unto Himself, has substituted its own works for His, and set up, after a world order, a great business institution in an attempt to impress the world.

If God should succeed through our great promotional organizations, He would get little or no credit for it, for, according to the world’s estimate, the set-up we have ought to succeed anyway.  It has all the expertness of the world in it – organization, efficiency, method, psychology, psychiatry, learning, culture, world appeal, and all that it takes to be successful after the wisdom of the flesh.  If it should succeed it would be apparent that we, not God, did it.  All of this is the product of the carnal mind.”

Do you understand how offensive it was to the Jewish leaders that Jesus had not set under one of their great teachers of the day, and who does He pick for disciples; fishermen.  This is Matthew’s account of what happened: “While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Immediately they left their nets and followed him. And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them. Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.” (Matthew 4:18-22 ESV

Is this still happening, men leaving their businesses and following Jesus, and the answer is yes, men and women are still hearing Jesus call out to them; “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”  Let me share with you three examples; one is a RN nurse named Marcia, who God called to leave nursing and become a missionary to Asia with Pioneer Bible translators.  This is her story, she had a passion for nursing and yet as she prayed for God’s will to be done in her life, she felt the call to the Bible-less people of the world, and she followed Jesus.  Now let me tell you about Colin Millar, a very successful businessman who is a man of prayer, and God called him out of the business world to awaken Christians to the power of prayer.  He how leads a ministry called “Igniting Prayer Action,” Colin also heard Jesus saying follow me and he did.  And then Craig Hearn, also a business man who came to know Jesus Christ, who for years supplemented his income by playing his saxophone in local bars in the Houston area.   Craig did much like James and John, after being invited to follow Jesus, dropped his nets (so to speak) and followed Jesus, and now his saxophone, his voice, and his life are at the disposal of the Lord.  Craig’s ministry is called “Burning Hope” and the Lord Jesus is using Craig in many areas of Houston and the world, to show His power. 

“As it is said, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.” (Hebrews 3:15 ESV)

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

A Model most in the business world would not Emulate

Matthew 4:12-17

Have you ever been part of a start-up in a business, or a ministry?  If so, did you look at the statistics of how many succeed, before beginning your new endeavor?  I found in the first year of a new business endeavor, 25% go out of business, and in the first five years 50% are gone, and after ten years in business you only have 29% that are still doing business.  (Taken from Small Business Trends) 

Now when it comes to Ministers and ministries you should find these statistics alarming: Fifteen hundred pastors leave the ministry each month due to moral failure, spiritual burnout, or contention in their churches.  Four thousand new churches begin each year, but over seven thousand churches close.   Eighty percent of seminary and Bible school graduates who enter the ministry will leave the ministry within the first five years.  (Taken from Maranatha Life’s “Life-Line for Pastors”)

In both areas, we can look at the statistics with some questions as to the why, and yet we will leave those to someone who has traveled that road, and are better qualified to respond.  Today, as we are look at Jesus beginning His ministry, it would not be the model most in the business world or those beginning a start-up ministry would emulate. 

John the Baptist, you know the man who introduced Jesus to both the religious and the not so religious people of Jerusalem and all of Judea and all the regions around the Jordan river, has been arrested, Jesus left for the area of Galilee.  And we have this account of Jesus leaving Nazareth and going to live in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali.  Now most new endeavors do not leave the area where they are known, not in the first few months, and to do so without a sponsor is asking for big problems, but then most are not fulfilling prophecy.  The prophet Isaiah had declared 760 years before Jesus showed up on planet earth in an earthsuit the following: “The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles—the people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light, and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death, on them a light has dawned.” (Matthew 4:15-16 ESV) And we have this account from Matthew; “From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Matthew 4:17 ESV)

One of my teachers would tell us to envision heaven being about 19” above the ground, and what Bill was saying was that when you enter into a personal relationship with Christ you are at that moment seated with Christ in heaven, Christ has become your life, and it is Christ doing it all through and for you in your earthsuit.  That is unless you choose to go the religious path and try to do great things for God with your talents, your abilities and your strength, instead of listening and studying and doing, as your Lord is requiring of you.

Maybe we need to listen to the prophet Isaiah, for today, it seems to this writer it is the Church, it is Christians, who are walking in darkness, and yet we have seen a great light.  “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6 ESV)  I love that; “and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”  It is not on your shoulders and it not on mine, it is Jesus’ ministry, and he blessed us to be part of it.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice