The Model for picking Leaders

January 9, 2015

Luke 6:12-16

You are looking for a few men to lead your mission, and at your disposal are the personnel files of everyone on planet earth.  With our super computers and other resources this is not that far out of reach, but when Jesus walked on planet earth there were no such resources.  But Jesus being the Son of God knew about something greater than super computers, He was about prayer.

Jesus knew that His Father was Omnipotent; had all authority and power, was Omnipresent; always present everywhere, and was Omniscient; all knowing.  So before making any decision and especially about His mission, He never lost sight of His mission statement, it’s found in so many parts of the Bible, such as Luke 19:10, “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”  You may wonder, when did God the Father come up with such a plan, maybe after Adam and Eve sinned, and you would be so wrong?  For God put the plan to redeem mankind together before He ever created the world we call earth.  This mission is about Jesus, the LORD of LORD’s and the King of kings who stepped out of being worshipped and took on flesh, so that you and I could grasp a small part of God’s love for us.  In Paul’s letter to the church in Ephesus we find this insight; “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him.”  (Ephesians 1:3-4 ESV)

We find Jesus going to the mountain to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to His Father.  Where else would anyone go but to the source of all power, all knowledge, who is and was and always will be present, when picking the men who would implement your plan.  I am often amazed how I’ve navigated life, made major decisions without going to the Father who is so willing to listen and guide me.  Do you recall what Jesus told us in John 16:7, “Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.”  The Holy Spirit is our helper, but unless we go to a quiet place and spend time with Him, we will not have the resources Jesus had.

It is the morning, after spending the night in prayer with the Father, and Jesus is going to pick twelve men out of the entire Jewish nation to be His disciples.  Now you talk about your super computers, the Father did not miss one subject, not one candidate, they were all considered and most of them were market place men.  Not one was from the religious group, from a worldview this plan did not have a prayer, but from heaven ‘s view it was going to change the world, and it has.

My prayer is that if you see yourself as religious you examine yourself, for Christ did not call religious men to follow Him, but men who would enter into a relationship with Him.  I also pray you will drop the title of your denomination and tell the world around you that you’re a follower of Christ.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Mankind has a Need Problem

Luke 6:6-11

I am overcome with the reality that mankind is like God in one aspect God is the same today as He was yesterday, and man is the same way, but God is pure, good, perfect and holy.  Mankind is as sinful today as they were yesterday.  I do not advocate reading or watching too much news of the day, but the most casual reader understands mankind is not improving.  So as it was in the time of Jesus walking on planet earth, it will be so today when it comes to the hearts and minds of people.

With that backdrop we will examine these verses from Dr. Luke beginning with, “On another Sabbath, he (Jesus) entered the synagogue and was teaching, and a man was there whose right hand was withered.”  Luke being a doctor has paid attention to details like the man’s right hand, and he also is noticing who is paying attention to what Jesus is doing.  Who do you expect to see at worship?  People of like mind, men in this case, for the women were not allowed to worship with the men.  And for sure the Pharisees and scribes for they were the teachers and the rule keepers of the traditions of the synagogue.

Now do you recall how we began?  Man has not changed, and I can tell you when I examine myself that I find the Pharisee always ready to bring to my mind what is proper, he tells me, that is not the way church should be done.  The Pharisee in me wants to have rules about how others should live and what they should and should not wear to the church building on Sunday.  If I listen to him, and I have at times, and I bet you have too, we lose the mind of Christ, we lose our joy, and we lose our kingdom mindset.

Pharisees are always watching for the rule breakers, and they are very judgmental, did I mention they are very religious, much like the young man we find in the book of Acts, the one addressed as Saul, later to meet Jesus on the road to Damascus and have his name changed to Paul the apostle of Jesus Christ.  I have no doubt Paul, the follower of Christ, always had that Pharisee come to his mind, but he did what you and I must also do, Paul renewed his mind daily in fellowship with the Lord.

Picking up the story in verse seven, “And the scribes and the Pharisees watched him, to see whether he would heal on the Sabbath, so that they might find a reason to accuse him.”   I hope you have read this far because it’s going to get very interesting.  “But he knew their thoughts, and he said to the man with the withered hand, “Come and stand here.” And he rose and stood there. And Jesus said to them, “I ask you, is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to destroy it?” And after looking around at them all he said to him, “Stretch out your hand.” And he did so, and his hand was restored. But they were filled with fury and discussed with one another what they might do to Jesus.”

A Pharisee then and now is one very religious person, and one should not forget religion’s end game is always death.  They care more about rules and traditions than God or man, so watch out for the Pharisee who is always close, and remember one can fall under the power of his appetite, and without the mind of Christ will gratify his appetite.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

God Says - Man Says

God Says – Man Says

Who would have thought I would experience such a time as this, a time of great technology and of great darkness in the hearts of mankind, a time of disregard for what God has stated clearly in His written word.

It is the day after the Supreme Court of the U.S.A. has entered into conflict a second time, in my lifetime, with God’s law, first it was the taking of a child’s life for any reason, and now it is marriage.  And it should be very clear that any court that has no regard for the law of God would not have any regard for the laws of man.

It was 4:45 A.M. when I awoke and my heart and mind were full of what God has said in the Manufacturers Hand Book on living life on planet earth, as apposed to what the highest court in the land has said.  Jesus has said; “So have no fear of them, for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” (Matthew 10:26-28)

My reference in presenting this case is the Bible, and we will begin in Genesis chapter one, verse one, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”  In Romans 1:18-25, God has addressed those who have a problem with His total authority over all mankind and that includes 10 judges of what is called the Supreme Court.  And verse 27 of chapter one states, “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.”  Now it may have been awhile since you read Genesis chapter one, it’s all about God and how he saw that man needed a partner and how God put Adam to sleep and took a rib from him and made a woman.  And God established the definition of marriage in verse 24-25; “Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.”

Darkness is just the absence of light, and it is time to share the truth with this present darkness, it is wake-up time for the Church.  Romans 1:26-32 does not leave any doubt about what God has stated on homosexual behavior, and our Supreme Court has joined those God is talking about in verse 32, “Though they know God’s decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.”

This paper will be considered by many to be hate-speech, but there is not any hate in my heart, only a deep burden for what is coming on the United States because of the actions of 10 people.  I am not an alarmist but it is my belief that priest and preachers who refuse and even churches will be persecuted if they refuse to be part of this shameful act.  But take heart for Jesus has stated; “This will be your opportunity to bear witness. Settle it therefore in your minds not to meditate beforehand how to answer, for I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which none of your adversaries will be able to withstand or contradict. You will be delivered up even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and some of you they will put to death. You will be hated by all for my name's sake. But not a hair of your head will perish. By your endurance you will gain your lives.”  (Luke 21:13-19 ESV) 

In light of my past Experiences, my Current circumstances, and my future hope and dreams what’s the Wise thing to do? (Andy Stanley)  I will follow Jesus!

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Rules and Customs of Men

Luke 6:1-5

Dr. Luke tells us it is a Sabbath day, Jesus and his disciples are going through the grain fields.  I hope you are asking what is Jesus doing on the Sabbath in grain fields, why is He not at the Synagogue?   Has He already been to the synagogue and it is late and His disciples are very hungry?  Good questions, I like the fact you are not just reading past these verses but are engaging your minds and yet the Holy Spirit did not put it in Luke’s heart to give us those facts, but it is all right to ask.

I found it of interest that they did not stop and do dinner but because they were hungry they plucked and ate some heads of grain, rubbing them in their hands, according to Dr. Luke.  The question in my mind is this, why are the Pharisees walking in the grain fields on the Sabbath?  They had laws about how far they could walk on the Sabbath, and it began with the Law of Moses given to the Jewish people who were leaving Egypt, and they had to gather their bread from heaven daily.  This was the law,  ^“See! The Lord has given you the Sabbath; therefore on the sixth day he gives you bread for two days. Remain each of you in his place; let no one go out of his place on the seventh day.”  So the people rested on the seventh day.” (Exodus 16:29-30)  It took some time in fact, years before the religious leaders found ways to increase the distance one could walk.  First, it was 2000 cubits now a cubit is about 18 inches, and they based this on Joshua 3:4-5.  But by the time of Jesus they were very good at extending the rules or the distance.  They would put food or water or some possession at the 2000 cubits the day or week before, and by doing so consider it their residence, now they could go 4000 cubits and then it made sense to be able to also return home. (These thoughts came from bible-history.com)

It seems clear that the Pharisees were not searching for truth, so they must have been looking for any reason or way to expose this new Rabbi, the one called Jesus.  So when they saw the disciples eating the grain they ask this question of Jesus; “Why are you doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath?  That is cutting to the chase, it is hitting the nail on the head; Jesus knows the rules, and He is also aware of the add-on’s the ones that put burdens on its followers.  Now in 2015 we do not do such things or do we, and the answer is yes we do.  Baptists not so much today, but in the past no dancing, no adult beverages, Church of Christ taught that only the people who attended and were baptized in their waters were going to heaven, and the Catholics had to eat fish on Friday or they were in big trouble.  Yes, religion is still in the rule keeping business.

Jesus is teaching the Sabbath is made for man and not man for the Sabbath; “And he said to them, “The Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.”  Now you will find this term in Daniel 7:13, it is a messianic title and the Pharisees were well aware of this.  So Jesus is telling them, I am Messiah, the one who instituted the Sabbath, and He had all rights to take exception to how the day was observed.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Jesus’ “Mission Statement”

Luke 5:33-39

The statement Jesus made to the religious big shots did not set well, especially verse 32, “I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.”  In our culture we like a “mission statement” we have them in most businesses, in most churches and even in families.  A “Mission Statement’ explains our purpose, our goals and this could be called Jesus’ “Mission Statement” but it was also His “Vision Statement” of what the church will be called to do.

The Pharisees and teachers of the Law were not into sinners but into outward performance, looking good, being seen, doing well by their standards.   Do you recall the story Jesus told about the Good Samaritan, how the priest and Levite passed by this man who had been robbed and beaten and left half dead?  It makes you wonder if a crowd of people had been with the priest or Levite would they have stopped, at that time for many religion was built on looking good to man.

So it’s just a guess on my part that these Pharisees were looking for any reason to belittle this new teacher, the one named Jesus.  So the Pharisees and teachers of the Law said; “The disciples of John fast often and offer prayers, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees, but yours eat and drink.”  It’s an I got you question, they are not interested in searching for truth, they are trying to expose this new teacher, John’s disciples and ours are spiritual, but your guys are just looking for a good time.  We should never forget what we hear from Blaise Pascal, “Men never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they do it from a religious conviction.”  These were men of high standing, teachers, but they were not in search of truth, but disciples of their laws and tradition, listen to how Jesus answers.

And Jesus said to them, “Can you make wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in those days.” He also told them a parable: “No one tears a piece from a new garment and puts it on an old garment. If he does, he will tear the new, and the piece from the new will not match the old. And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the new wine will burst the skins and it will be spilled, and the skins will be destroyed. But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins. And no one after drinking old wine desires new, for he says, ‘The old is good.’”

One thing to remember about religious people is they build on doing things for God; the Pharisees and their disciples had a schedule of fasting.  They fasted twice weekly on the Day of Atonement and four times a year to remember the destruction of Jerusalem, plus any other time it seemed appropriate.  A follower of Jesus Christ actions come from what Jesus has done for them?  Christianity is not now, nor has it ever been a religion, it is a relationship with the living Christ.  That does not mean that Christians have not done evil and selfish things, but this I can say with 100% conviction, a person who is in the word, listening to the Holy Spirit, and obedient to the teachings of Christ will not do evil but good.  My Study Bible HCSB on page 1743 in the foot notes 5:36-37, “On the heels of the controversy about fasting, Jesus illustrated the point that His message was radical (the new) and could not serve as a patch for the existing form of Judaism (the old garment).

One more point needs to be made, it’s much easier to stay in the old and familiar than to by faith do as Abram later to be called Abraham, or Simon later to become Peter the apostle of our LORD.  Galatians 5:16, tells us how to be a follower of Christ; “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.”  Now it is important to state, walking by the Spirit will not always feel right, but it is not about how it feels, but checking the Scriptures to make sure you are walking in truth.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

But sinners to repentance

Luke 5:27-31

I do not know of anyone who has anything but distain for a politician who is a crook, no matter what party they are in.  And in the U.S. Congress and Senate both parties have had their share of men and women with no integrity, looking only for personal gain.  With that said, you have a wonderful picture of the tax collector of Jesus’ time.

They were not known for having integrity, many were Jews that worked for the Romans gathering taxes and their pay in large part was whatever they could get above what Rome required.  They were not that different than the ones we put in our state Congress that have come up with all kinds of fees, not taxes, so they can have more to spend on projects to get more votes and stay in power.  The difference in the two groups is difficult to distinguish.  Now the Jewish people saw the tax collectors in the time of Jesus as turncoats, and they were hated and despised.

So when this very popular, new teacher named Jesus saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax booth, He said to him, “Follow me.”  Dr. Luke tells us he did, this is the account; “And leaving everything he rose and followed him.” (Luke 5:28) 

I’m not sure what the crowd is thinking, maybe they are wondering why is he asking this guy and not one of the highly respected Pharisees from Jerusalem to follow Him, but the crowd is silent, and so are the teachers of the Law and the Pharisees until Levi throws a big dinner in Jesus honor.  And whom would a tax collector invite to his party, not any of the religious guys, they would not be seen within a block of a tax collector?  So who is on the invite list: tax collectors, sinners, of course lawyers, bankers, chariot salesmen, politicians, and the publicans?  Not much has changed over time.

Now I must say this for the Pharisees and teachers of the Law, there is no way you will find them at this party, but in that they are very religious, they expect all others to be like them, and if you are not, if you do not keep the laws of man, they or their system was designed for others to live under, you are now the enemy.  Dr. Luke gives this account; “And the Pharisees and their scribes grumbled at his disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” (Luke 5:30)

We are not told if Jesus overheard them or if one of the disciples came to Jesus asking how do we reply to these religious men?  Put yourself in the disciples place, they were not all that excited about having anything to do with a scumbag tax collector, so this was Jesus’ answer to each of us, for we all have a little Pharisee in us.  “And Jesus answered them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.”

I am so glad Jesus came to call sinners to repentance, for I was a sinner and I’m still learning that sin is now a choice, and I have made a lot of bad choices.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Faithful Friends

Luke 5:17-26

“On one of those days, as he was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there, who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was with him to heal.”

The Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there, and they had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem, why?  Was Jesus that different from the other Rabbi’s?  The answer is yes, for it was reported far and wide how the people were astonished at His teaching, because His word possessed authority.  His words had authority over sickness and evil spirits, none of the men who came that day to see for themselves had ever been accused of their words having authority over demons and the sick.

But these men were not the only ones there, they were in the house but outside was the crowd, and down the road coming to the house were some men bringing a man who was paralyzed to Jesus, they believed in their hearts that Jesus would make him well.  But they had a big problem the crowd was blocking the door, and the windows, and they could not get to Jesus.  How often the crowd in my life and I bet in yours has blocked your encounter with Jesus, and often we turn back from the calling God has put into our hearts and mind.

This is Dr. Luke’s account; “And behold, some men were bringing on a bed a man who was paralyzed, and they were seeking to bring him in and lay him before Jesus, but finding no way to bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down with his bed through the tiles into the midst before Jesus. And when he saw their faith, he said, “Man, your sins are forgiven you.” 

It has all been good up to now, I have no doubt some of the Pharisees and teachers of the Law are envied and maybe somewhat jealous of Jesus as a new teacher and healer, but to forgive sin, now it is clear only God can forgive sin.  You better listen to these Pharisees and teachers of the Law, only God can forgive sin, no Priest, not Billy Graham, only God.

This is the report in Luke 5:21-26, “And the scribes and the Pharisees began to question, saying, “Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” When Jesus perceived their thoughts, he answered them, “Why do you question in your hearts? Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the man who was paralyzed—“I say to you, rise, pick up your bed and go home.” And immediately he rose up before them and picked up what he had been lying on and went home, glorifying God. And amazement seized them all, and they glorified God and were filled with awe, saying, “We have seen extraordinary things today.”

These thoughts fill my mind, God has not changed, He is the same today as He was yesterday, and man has not changed, mankind is as wicked and arrogant to day as it ever was, the crowd is still in place, always looking for a tortilla with a picture of Jesus or Mary on it, I call that tortilla faith, it wont take you very far, but what about the faith of these referred to as “some men” their faith changed a paralytics life, in fact it was their faith that God used to glorify Himself.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

The Unclean - the Untouchables

Luke 5:12-16

Faith comes in many ways, but it is most prevalent in times of great need.  To be a leper in the day Jesus walked the earth was a great need.  This was required of them; “Anyone with such a defiling disease must wear torn clothes, let their hair be unkempt, cover the lower part of their face and cry out, ‘Unclean! Unclean!’ As long as they have the disease they remain unclean. They must live alone; they must live outside the camp.

Dr. Luke gives this account, Jesus is in one of the cities, and “there came a man full of leprosy.  And when he saw Jesus, he fell on his face and begged him, “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.”  (Luke 5:12)  Now it sounds like this guy was eaten up with leprosy, and he ignored or forgot the procedures the Lord had given to Moses found in Leviticus 13.  There is no doubt he knew them, in fact it is not conceivable to believe for years this man Dr. Luke refers to as a leper had been yelling out to all those who he came near, I’m unclean.  And to this date no one was able to help him, and maybe no one had ever even tried.

But the leper must have heard of Jesus, and if you would do the impossible and put yourself in the lepers place, what would you do if you had encountered this man, the one people are saying can heal the sick and cast out evil spirits?  I’m not sure about you, but this I’m sure of I would do anything to be clean, to be able to see my family, be with my wife and children, go to the synagogue and to the market place, to be touched and be seen as a human once more.

Now Jesus did something so amazing, this man had not been touched since the day the priest told him he was unclean, and Jesus touched him.  Now that alone was a wonderful act, but it did not stop there, Jesus said to the leper, “I am willing; be clean.”  And six months later after doing penance he was healed; wrong, so wrong, we are told in verse 13b, “And immediately the leprosy left him.”  But that is not the end of the story, Jesus charged him to tell no one but “go and show yourself to the priest, and make an offering for your cleansing, as Moses commanded, for a proof to them.”  This man is restored, he is well, he is clean, but Jesus has him obey the Law of Moses and do as it instructed. 
It is hard to keep that kind of event quiet and the word got out and people came from all over looking for Jesus to heal them or someone they loved.  Dr. Luke implies the crowds were getting very large, and Jesus often would withdraw to a desolate place and pray.  Jesus was not using His being God, but as a man He was going to the Father for the power to do things we refer to as miracles, and yes they were miracles.

I struggle in many areas of my life with Christ, often I’m fearful of the ones our world has branded unclean or untouchable, and the reason why is always a lack of withdrawing to a desolate place to talk with the Father about how He wants me to be light in this world.  How are you doing with the unclean and the untouchables?

From The Back Porch,
Bob Rice

Faith in Action

Luke 5:1-11

At the writing of this paper, I’ve been asked by my pastor, along with about 3000 others in our church family, to read “A Resilient Life” by Gordon MacDonald.  Today we will be looking at some fishermen who had been fishing all night without catching anything, now that is resiliency.  I enjoy catching fish, and my friend Joe Whitehouse has often said, “Bob it is called fishing not catching,” Joe is a resilient fisherman much like these men, and Jesus is going to ask them to try once more after they had cleaned their nets. 

Doctor Luke is giving us insight into the first disciples Jesus called to be His followers; they were fishermen and they were partners.  We know they had two boats and the partnership consisted of three men, Simon, James and John.  Doctor Luke tells us how Jesus was teaching by the lake of Gennesaret and the crowd was pressing in on Him to hear the word of God.  I’m not a preacher but I have no doubt that gets the blood moving when a preacher sees his audience not wanting to miss out on what God has to say to them.

We are told Jesus saw two boats by the lake and the fishermen were out of them, washing their nets.  Now picture this, you have been in that boat all night long, you’ve caught nothing worth bringing to shore and maybe you are listening to this Rabbi while cleaning your net, with one goal, clean the net, get some grub and go to bed.  And Jesus gets into one of the boats, it is Simon’s and this is where it gets interesting, for Simon has many options. 

Option number one, sure Jesus steps into my boat these people are going to push you into the lake.  Option two; I let you into the boat, but I’m not about to push away from the dock.  Option three; you’re asking me to let down these clean nets after fishing all night with nothing to show for it.  But Simon chose to obey the request, and Doctor Luke tells us about Jesus’ request; “And when he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.”  (Luke 5:4 ESV)  I’m not sure I’ve ever really seen that, Jesus was not fishing His goal has always been catching.  This was Simon’s reply, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.”  (Luke 5:5 ESV)

What a world changer that kind of response is when the LORD speaks to us, can you grasp what is happening, it’s not about clean nets, or catching fish, it was Simon’s job interview, and Jesus often comes to us with the same offer, will you let me in your life, will you do what I ask, will you follow Simon’s example?  And this is the report of what took place; “And when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking. They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish that they had taken, and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.” And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him.  (Luke 5:6-11 ESV)  Now that is faith in action, or you might say it’s a resilient life.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

           

God used Curiosity

Luke 4:42-44

As one who is a follower, and that term is conclusive of myself, for from a child I’ve been following someone or something.  At first, it was mother, then my brother and sister, and as I grew it became the kids at the big park down the street, and about Jr. high it was Tyrone.  In high school it was whoever was popular and as you can see I was an easy target for a world system that has plans to get it needs met outside of God’s authority.  For many years I tried to be religious enough to fit in with those whom I went to church with, and yet, not to allow myself to be molded by its teaching, in James letter to Jewish Christians in chapter 1 verse 8, he nails people like me.  These are his words; “Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.”

But the good news is that people like me can also be influenced by people of faith, and one day a man who I looked up to ask me to go to a Bible study, now make no mistake I was not open to a Bible study, but was very curious as to why my barber would go to one.  And that was the first time someone had ask me to go or be part of something that I associated with going to church, so I went out of curiosity.  It was at a Holiday Inn that served a buffet lunch and of all the men attending only one was a preacher.  Now this was very interesting, I was not asked to sign up, they did not take a roll, and I was not invited to the preacher’s church, they did not even take an offering.   It was my very first experience with men who were all messed up, but had began to follow Jesus and were seeking in the Bible ways to do that.  It was almost six months before I came to this understanding, these men with clay feet had a relationship with the Christ I was only informed about; they were followers of Jesus and I was a follower of the world system, I was unstable in all my ways.  The good news is one night in Victoria, Texas, I opened a hotel Bible and read Romans 10:9, and by the faith God gave me and the grace He extended to me, I became a follower of Christ.

We read yesterday about Jesus going to Capernaum and teaching in the synagogue and healing the man with the demon and then He went to dinner with Simon and healed his mother-in-law and how the crowd showed up with the sick at Simon’s door and Jesus healed them.  It is now the next morning, and as it became daylight Jesus departs to a desolate place, this will become something Jesus will do often, finding time to be alone with His Father.  And the people found him and they were not willing to let Him go. 

I’ve been a member of that group of people, we would refer to them as a church, they had found the Messiah, or maybe just the doctor who could keep them well.  They were not interested in their neighbors, much less the world, they were far from being a kingdom minded people.  So Jesus had this to say to them and to us; “I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns as well; for I was sent for this purpose.”

Jan and I are part of a kingdom minded church at Oakwood in New Braunfels, Texas, it has a slogan it lives by, intentionally engaging others with the love of Jesus Christ in the New Braunfels area and all over the world.  We are encouraged to go outside of the neighborhoods, our businesses, with our families and as a body of followers of Christ, we use the talents and resources God has entrusted to us for engaging others with the love that Jesus has shown to each of us. 

For years I was a member of local churches that did not grasp the kingdom was much bigger than that local body, they were good people, loved Jesus, but the world system had a heavy influence on how they functioned.  Sometimes they seem to be competing with others of like mind that followed Jesus.

Pastor Larry York of Crossroads in the Woodlands was used of God to show Jan and I what a kingdom minded church looks like and the joy of giving as a body of believers to the world outside the doors of the church.  My prayer is that you will intentionally engage others with the love of Jesus Christ.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Whoose Interest are you looking out for?

Luke 4:38-41

If you had been an early follower of Jesus, a person we often refer to as a disciple, you might have gotten a little tired of the crowds who flocked to Him.  Now I have no doubt they were excited when people came to Him to get their needs met, but you also wanted some down time, one on one with the One you had chosen to follow. 

Today Simon ask Jesus to have lunch after synagogue and yet at his own home there is someone in need of help from the Master, it is Simon’s mother-in-law who is suffering from a high fever.  Most of us have experienced a high fever, it shuts you down, you ache and hurt all over and the last thing you want is dinner guest.  So Jesus did what you and I would do, He asked if they had seen a doctor and did they have any Bayer aspirin; wrong He went to her and while standing over her rebuked the fever and doctor Luke shares with us that she got up immediately and began to serve them.

I have no doubt Simon’s mother-in-law is without fever, she is doing what she loves serving and having such an important house guest, she may be wondering what will all my friends and neighbors be thinking?  And Simon, come on you have been in Simon’s shoes, your alone with the one everyone wants a piece of, it is quiet and now you are looking forward to a long evening, just talking.

But that is not going to happen, you look out the window the sun is setting and it seems the whole town has come to your door.  So much for a quiet evening, enjoying a cup of tea with Jesus, for the crowd was not coming to hear Jesus teach they were coming to bring anyone they could find who had a sickness. 

We church folks seem to always want consistency, and I bet Simon was thinking, this should only take a few minutes Jesus will do as He did to my mother-in-law and stand over them and rebuke whatever needs rebuking and we’re back to our tea.  (Now if you are Baptist, do not read this: it was probably wine.)  But that is not how it went down, Jesus laid His hands on each one of them, I’m sure Simon is thinking, this is not what I had planned for the evening, why not the mother-in-law approach?

Some who were brought to Jesus with sickness, the sickness was not of this nature but of the enemy, it was demons coming out of them.  And once more this writer wonders where have all the demons gone?  Did these people at Simon’s door know they were bringing people with demons to Jesus, or had they invented some title for what God calls a demon?

This we know, the demons knew Jesus and as they were coming out, many were shouting and saying, “You are the Son of God!”  But He rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew He was the Messiah.” (Luke 4:41)  As a Simon, it is easy to look forward to our wants and desires and be totally out of the will of God.  Scripture does not give us insight into Simon’s mind, but it does give you insight into this writer’s thinker and maybe just maybe into your own, are you looking for what is best for others, or for your selfish desires?

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Is the one you are following, following Jesus

Luke 4:31-37

If you are one of the 30% in the Untied States who attends a Christian church you are blessed, but that is where the percentages get distorted for it would be very hard to establish if the priest or preacher-teacher is a man under the control of the Spirit of God.  The Scriptures tell us to examine and study the Bible to make sure what one is saying is correct.  Jesus has these words about false prophets and teachers in Matthew 7: 15-16, “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.  You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles?  So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit.” As a follower of Christ it is a wise person who goes back to the Scriptures to examine what is coming from the lips of anyone who stands in front of them as a teacher/preacher.  It is also a wise person who allows the Scriptures to shape their heart and mind.  Jesus also tells of a time to come and some of the signs of the closing of the age are found in Matthew 24.

Now when the people of Jesus’ home town rejected Him He went down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and was teaching on the Sabbath, and they were astonished at His teaching, for His word possessed authority.  The prophet Isaiah shares these words from the LORD; “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return there without watering the earth and making it bear and sprout, and furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater; so will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; it will not return to Me empty, without accomplishing what I desire, and without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.”  (Isaiah 55:10-11)

On that day a man was in the synagogue with the spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out with a loud voice, “Ha! What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth?  Have you come to destroy us?  I know who you are-the Holy One of God.”  A footnote may be needed at this point, the demon knew without question who Jesus was, but the crowd, the witnesses were clueless.  Back to Luke 4:35, “But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent and come out of him!” And when the demon had thrown him down in their midst, he came out of him, having done him no harm.” 

I am always amazed that in our culture, a cruel civilization where life is taken so easily and babies are killed out of convenience, and little girls and boys are used as objects of sexual lust, and women are seen as objects to fulfill the lust of some deprived mind.  We call this lack of education, poverty, sickness, but not evil, not demon spirits living in the ones who act and prosper in this present darkness.  And let me share one more insight, the dude with the unclean spirit of a demon was in the church building and he may have been well respected for his wealth, his family, his teaching, but he was in the synagogue, and a demon does not come to worship God.

A wise man once told me, a word to the wise is sufficient, and believing you are wise we are going to look at Doctor Luke’s writing in Acts 17:11, “Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.”  My prayer for you and for myself is that we will also be as wise as the Bereans as we follow the teaching in 2 Timothy 2:15, “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.”

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice