“Who is my neighbor?”

Luke 10:25-37

Life lessons are wonderful and sometimes very costly, even painful, and we have all had our share of them with age.  Jesus’ encounter with a lawyer, brought to mind an encounter I also had with one in Houston, Texas.  We moved into a new neighborhood where the developer and his family had been killed in a helicopter accident, and the silent partner, a savings and loan company became the developer and their actions brought about bankruptcy to the the development.  Only ten houses in a 500-house project were built and three million in bonds at 15% were coming due and with no way to pay, so we looked at being the first municipality in the Houston area to declare bankruptcy.  And that is when a big Law firm offered to do Pro bono work for us.  Let me state it was a bought lesson, never trust a lawyer who calls you and wants to help, they also represented the bond industry and forgot to share small tidbit that with us.

This lawyer also was not honorable, in that his agenda was not to learn but trip-up Jesus.  His question; “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus replied; “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” Now this is going to blow your doors off, the lawyer answered; “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.”  Jesus replied; “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.”

But the poor thing was still wanting to make his case an asked this question; “Who is my neighbor?”  Are you glad he asks that question, for I’ve wrestled with it for much of my life in Christ?  Jesus tells a story we have come to know as the Good Samaritan.  This is that story: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. So likewise, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. And the next day he took out two denarii3 and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’ Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?”  And now the lawyer has the facts and answers; “The one who showed him mercy” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.” 

The answer I have come to understand, and my LORD has made clear it’s whomever I encounter they are my neighbors.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

A need for Spiritual Glasses

Luke 10:23-24

Then turning to the disciples he said privately, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see!  For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.”  Have you ever been in such a hurry to get to your destination that you missed many of the things in between?   What a great picture of many teachers in our churches today.  Have you been in that adult class where they cover six chapters of the Bible in one lesson because they had a time line or destination to reach?  Do you think you might have missed something?

It is helpful to look at Matthew’s gospel and the parable of the sower to understand better what Jesus is telling His disciples, the twelve.  Jesus is answering the question: “Why do you speak to the people in parables?”  Jesus answers in verses 13-15,         “This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. Indeed, in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says:  “You will indeed hear but never understand, and you will indeed see but never perceive.” For this people's heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them.”  Are we living in such a time that Jesus is referring to?

Before the days of big screens at sporting events, many of us sat in the noise bleed section of the stadium and you could see but not clearly.  The prophets and kings saw a Christ in the future, but it was not a clear picture, Jesus was not standing physically in their presence.  So Jesus in Matthew’s account goes on to explain his truth: “But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. For truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.” (Matthew 13:16-17)

The apostle John gives this great insight from Jesus in John 14:19-20, “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.”  What are you seeing and hearing?  My prayer is that each of us will seek our only identity in Christ, for He is the abundant life, and this world needs Jesus!

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Rejoiced in the Holy Spirit

Luke 10:21-24

It seems that I have missed considerable teaching in the Scripture by reading past the messages the Holy Spirit has revealed to us in the Bible.  Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit!  Some how I read past this looking for the real meat, the deeper truth, and folks it does not get much deeper than Jesus being totally God and entirely man, to not once depend on His Godhood but on the Holy Spirit, for all that He did.  I’m talking about His work as a carpenter, picking the twelve disciples, the miracles, and the cross.

So let us listen to Jesus rejoice in the Holy Spirit; “In that same hour he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”  (Luke 10:21-22 ESV)

What happened is the seventy-two have come back and given a report and it seems many of the leaders, the best trained, the ones with PhDs in theology were not open to the men or their message, but the ones society deem as insignificant and children had accepted their message, now this was all part of God’s plan.  You only have to look at 1 Corinthians 1:27 to see this clearly; “But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong;”

What often happens is the message of the cross and the grace that was extended to all people is deemed a religion, and religion always requires service to earn what the Father freely gave.  It’s been stated; Religion is about doing what I can for God, and Christianity is about done, Jesus paid in full for sin, all sin, that’s grace, and all one needs to do to enter into a relationship with Christ is to repent, and believe that God raised Him from the dead, and that’s salvation.

Once that happens you are going to change, your desires and later even your actions, for a new person has moved into your earthsuit.  Now I must share a little information needed to live the life of the Christian, the plan was never for you or I to do this in our own strength.  I hope you understand Jesus never looked to Himself, He looked to the Holy Spirit, and so go and do like wise.  Rejoice that the Holy Spirit lives in you, and that He will guide you into all the truth and knowledge you need each day to live out the hope in the world.  Christ living in you is the hope of a very dark world, let your light shine!

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Where have all the demons gone?

Luke 10:17-20

The prophet Isaiah gave the seventy-two disciples some needed information, and they missed most of it, and the sad news is so have we.  Approximately 700 years before the birth of Jesus Christ Isaiah proclaimed: “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. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.”  (Isaiah 9:6-7 ESV)

You may want to cut them some slack, in that 700 years is a long time, but what about you and me.  As I look at my bookshelf it has 32 Bibles or study helps and yet these 72 disciples were part of something bigger than themselves, and much greater than 99 % of us who claim to be a follower of Christ have experienced.  This was their experience: “The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!”  (Luke 10:17 ESV) These men when under the authority of Jesus healed the sick and cast out demons in the name of Christ, so why do we not see such things in most of our lives?  It’s not complicated, in fact it is simple, the Church, (that is anyone Christ is living in) that Church does not believe in demons anymore, that Church is way too sophisticated to buy into demons, we have given them clinical names and we try to control them with drugs, or we blame them on the society, but never on demons.  Can you contribute the action of Planned Parenthood to anything but demons, would human who are not evil kill children for profit?   Ask this question: When was the last sermon you heard on demon activity in our time, in our culture?

Could it be we need to renew our minds to these truths all found in the New Testament: 1) Jesus Christ has all authority over nature; “And the men marveled, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?”  (Matthew 8:27)  2) Jesus Christ has all authority over the Church; “that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.”  (Ephesians 1:20-23)  3) Jesus Christ has all authority over Heavenly powers; “who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him.” (1Peter 3:22)

The question must be asked; do you live life in such a way as to acknowledge Jesus’ authority over these three things listed above?  Now the rest of the story, do you live in such a manner that you go in the authority of Jesus, as you live each day?  I must confess my head knows these truths to be true, but my mind has not been renewed to the point of acting on some of those truths.

This is what Jesus said to them/to us; “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”  (Luke 10:18-20 ESV)  Jesus is telling them and us that it is more important to know that our name is written in the Lamb’s book of life, in heaven, than to have the demons submit to us in the authority of His name, as awesome as that is.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Rejection

Luke 10:10-16

Life can be cruel, if your dream is to be the greatest football player in the world and you show up in the seventh grade with an earthsuit that is 4’11” and weighs 68 lbs.  It would have helped if that earthsuit was fast but it was not, in fact from a coaches view I was not football material.  Did I tell you my dad played football and he loved the game, if at all possible he was at many of the practices of the Roy Miller Battling Buccaneers.  He was the chairman of the Quarter Back Club; he knew the coaches and many of the players for many years.  I knew my dad loved me but I also knew how much he wanted a son to play the game he loved, and so I grew up feeling rejected at many levels.

It’s about Jr. High or Middle school, as it is called today, that a boy wants girls to notice them, but who do they notice, the football players, not the little kid with the burr haircut and big ears, so once more the feeling of rejection came into my life.  I was not a good student; I was one of those kids that we give labels today, like attention deficit disorder and they say such problems take place in school-aged individuals and often result in poor school performance.  Once more the feeling of rejection came from teachers, who could not help a kid who did not want to be helped.  So what do I choose for a career, sales, and guess what happens to sales people, they get a lot of rejection?

How in the world does my example of rejection tie to Luke 10:10-16?   Life no matter how pure your cause can be filled with rejection, and Jesus as He sends out the 72 is preparing them for that occasion.  My dad would tell us children, never stay in a place where you are not wanted, and Jesus is telling the 72 disciples the same thing, but with a much stronger message. 

This was the message Jesus gave them about such a town; “But whenever you enter a town and they do not receive you, go into its streets and say, ‘Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near.’ I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town.”  (Luke 10:10-12 ESV)  Does it make you wonder what Jesus’ message is to a Nation whose foundation was built on God, a nation like ours; has He wiped off the dust because the kingdom of God has come near to the U.S.A?

It seems clear to me, that we as a people and nation are in trouble for we have failed the test listed in verse 16; “The one who hears you hears me, and the one who rejects you rejects me, and the one who rejects me rejects him who sent me.”  (Luke 10:16 ESV)

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Is not the harvest still plentiful?

Luke 10:1-9

At the time I’m writing this, a friend Mike Smith is leading a small team of people to do the work of Christ in India, it is not a fun trip, it takes forever and once you are there the days are very full.  Jesus is sending out seventy-two men who are followers to go into all the towns and places He is going with this message: “And he said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. Go your way; behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. Carry no moneybag, no knapsack, no sandals, and greet no one on the road. Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace be to this house!’ And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest upon him. But if not, it will return to you. And remain in the same house, eating and drinking what they provide, for the laborer deserves his wages. Do not go from house to house. Whenever you enter a town and they receive you, eat what is set before you. Heal the sick in it and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.”  (Luke 10:2-9 ESV)

Are you aware of the size of the crowds that are following Jesus but by Jesus own words the numbers willing to go out were very small, seventy-two.  A comparison of the numbers who are willing to share their faith to the crowd that shows up at church on Sunday morning, the numbers are very small.  Is not the harvest still plentiful? 

“The study conducted by LifeWay Research found 80 percent of those who attend church one or more times a month, believe they have a personal responsibility to share their faith, but 61 percent have not told another person about how to become a Christian in the previous six months.”

And what were they to do; pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest, they were sent out as lambs in the midst of wolves, they took nothing with them, and I’m not sure why but Jesus told them not to greet anyone on the road.  The roads then and now are not a safe places, and maybe that was the reason.  They had the ability to offer peace to the house they stayed in and to eat and drink what they were given.  They were not to go from house to house, and when entering a town that received them to eat what is placed before them and to heal the sick in it and say, the kingdom of God has come near you.  These seventy-two were not doctors; they were followers of Christ who allowed the Spirit of God to work in and through them. 

They were guys like the ones with Mike Smith who were called to share, pray and minister to those they came in contact with in India, just followers of Jesus, no special gifts, ones who listened and did as they were commanded.  Have you ask the Father to make you His voice in this present darkness, His light?

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

The winds of Darkness

Luke 9:57-62

What it cost me today to follow Christ is so different than in many parts of the world, where those who are followers of Christ are paying a great price, even death.  I’ve seen the sunrise and the sunset on the United States for many years and a new wind is blowing.  It is a wind full of evil, where the norm at all levels is lying lips and deceitful tongues, where integrity is uncommon, and few are seeking the best for their neighbors.   How we got to this point is a study of mankind, for the heart of man is evil, left to its own desires. 

So we find the winds are blowing against anyone in the United States who prays   songs of ascent; “Deliver me, O Lord, from lying lips, from a deceitful tongue.”  (Psalm 120:2)   How about Psalm 121:1-2, “I lift up my eyes to the hills.  From where does my help come?  My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.”  And my fellow followers of the King of kings and LORD of Lords, verse 8 states, “The LORD will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore.”  Now that’s a promise worth putting to memory.

This wind of darkness came when the people of God, the followers of Christ took their eyes off the LORD and placed them on the pleasures of this world.  But the gospel message has not changed it is the only thing that has the power to change a man from the inside out.  Jesus is the hope of the world, and it is time to put on our big boy pants as followers of Christ and put that truth into action.  And it is time for those of us who claim to be a follower of Christ to examine ourselves as instructed in 2 Corinthians 13:5, “Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!”

The apostle Paul gives this counsel in Ephesians 5:15-16, “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.”  The Lord’s will cannot be made clearer than in these verses in Luke 9:59-62,          “To another he said, “Follow me.” But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” And Jesus said to him, “Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” Yet another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home.” Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”  (Luke 9:59-62 ESV)

The wind of darkness has moved into the hearts of many who go by the name Christian, we have looked back and yet Jesus is praying for each of us this prayer; “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.  I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.”

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

“Sons of Thunder”

Luke 9:51-56

What a contrast we have between Jesus and two of His disciples, James and John, who were referred to as the “Sons of Thunder” by Jesus.  Nowhere else in Scripture are they referred to as such, but this we do understand, Jesus is fully aware of our make up and these two as well as their dad, had short fuses.  If they had not met Jesus and His Holy Spirit had not come to live within them, they may have become religious followers of a Rabbi who would have lead them to do harm to anyone who was not in keeping with their values.

Before going forward open and read Luke’s account in verses 51-56, and you find Jesus focused on His Father’s mission and that is Jerusalem and a Cross.  Jesus sends out messengers ahead of him who went to a village of the Samaritans, to make preparations for him.  But the people of that village did not receive him, because He was going to Jerusalem.  So who were the Samaritans?  Got Questions. Org gives this very good answer: “The Samaritans embraced a religion that was a mixture of Judaism and idolatry (2 Kings 17:26-28.  Because the Israelite inhabitants of Samaria had intermarried with the foreigners and adopted their idolatrous religion, Samaritans were generally considered “half-breeds” and were universally despised by the Jews.”

A Jew was not to marry a non-Jew and the reasons were clear; as seen in King Solomon’s life and how the foreign wives brought their customs and gods and not one good thing came out of that.  They were prejudice against any Jew who married outside of the Jewish faith, so when told Jesus was not welcome, it only took a spark to get a fire going, and what did the son of thunder want to do to this village, “Lord do you want us to tell fire to come down from heaven and consume them?”  “But he turned and rebuked them.  And they went on to another village.”

What a distinction of Jesus and the Samaritan woman and the “Sons of Thunder” before the cross, but after Jesus had returned to the Father and the Holy Spirit had come on them, it was a mission of love and service by James and John.

In our time we see distortions in the minds and hearts of people who follow false gods and many are very religious.  This example of the Arab world is foreign to most of us, I found this of interest: “Before I was nine, I had learned the basic canon of Arab life. It was me against my brother; me and my brother against our father; my family against my cousins and the clan; the clan against the tribe; the tribe against the world, and all of us against the infidel.” -- Leon Uris, 'The Haj'

As followers of Christ we must not forget our Lord’s commands; “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matthew 5:43-48)

Contrast:  “Because when we declare 'one nation under God,' the
Christian's God is loving and kind, while Allah is NEVER referred to as
Heavenly father, nor is he ever called love in The Quran's 99 excellent
names.  Islam is not a religion, nor is it a cult. In its fullest form, it is a
complete, total, 100% system of life.”  Dr. Peter Hammond's

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Words like Competition

Luke 9:49-50

These two verses put into the hearts of all who follow Jesus could change the world.  Just two verses, and in them is wisdom and power, in them is unity and peace and blessing to a lost and dying world.  We have often heard that words mean something, and there are words that have no place in the kingdom of God, and His Church.  Words like competition, one group of followers we call them a denomination, you know religious groups that claim to put their trust, hope, and faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross, competing with one another.  And each of these groups does worship a little different, and most believe they have the inside tract on Jesus, it kind of reminds us of the question the disciples were asking: “Who is the Greatest?” 

Maybe it is time to apply this teaching to your denomination, and make sure you include self, for Jesus said: “Whoever receives this child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me. For he who is least among you all is the one who is great.”  (Luke 9:48 ESV)  Are you and your group open to receiving those God has sent, or has your group moved to a new location in order not to have those new neighbors who are of a different color and social status coming into your group.  Folks, it is not a church at this point it’s a club rename it, for it brings shame on the name of Christ.  If that is where you are repent, be broken for you have missed the message of the gospel.  John the apostle states it so clearly:  “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

So Jesus answers the question then and now and before He can take a breath John states, “Master we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he does not follow with us.”  I always revert back to my childhood, the big park down the street, not really a park, it did have swings and a few trees, but it was where we played ball, and down in our cul-de-sac, no one referred to it in that manner, it was the little circle, it was restricted for those who lived around the circle, a place of safety, mom was always close.  You see the Holy Grail was there, the big Mesquite where Tommy Black and I fought the Yankees and the Indians.  That is the attitude of John, you have to be part of our group our circle to do good, but that is not the attitude of Jesus.  For Jesus said: “Do not stop him, for the one who is not against you is for you.”

So that I am not misunderstood, we do have the responsibility to all followers of Christ to do as Priscilla and Aquila did for a Jew named Apollos at Ephesus.  You will find the account in Acts 18:24-28.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Going away Clueless

Luke 9:43-48

Yesterday, we looked at the man in the crowd, you know the dad who had a son with a big health difficulty and Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit and healed the boy.  Christians have grown way too sophisticated to believe in unclean spirits but Jesus did, in fact many of the recorded healings of Jesus were first the removal of the unclean or evil spirit and then the healing.  Something that was consistent with evil or unclean spirits were: they desired to occupy a body; they resisted the will of God; they put desires in the person that brought harm to them, even the tendencies for suicide; they were powerful but not controlled by the person they entered; they acted against God’s desires for the person; they could leave a body and return, and when returning it was stronger; and they are of and under the control of the devil; and they have to obey God.

There are two dangers in this teaching, the first is to go out demon hunting and see them in every illness, and the other is not to believe they are as active today as in the time of Jesus.  It seems that all who witnessed the healing of the young boy were astonished at the majesty of God, and while they were all marveling at everything Jesus was doing, Jesus spoke these words to His disciples: “Let these words sink into your ears: The Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men.”  And what happened next is so like today, I’ve done it and I’m betting you have also, they did not understand what Jesus was saying, and were afraid to ask.  No one wants to be the dumb guys, it’s called flesh, so they, like us, acted like we fully understand, and go away clueless.

Are you ecstatic that in 2015 no one in ministry are asking this question: “Who is the greatest?”  My sarcasm is dripping off this page, for I’ve seen it where one group of Christians feel a new group is infringing on their territory or ministry, are they in the kingdom building, sure, but it is not God’s kingdom but their own.  It is not new, for it is recorded in the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, and it is among the twelve guys whom we later called eleven of them apostles.  But in that it is recorded is anyone in ministry, and we have all been called to ministry, paying attention to the words of Jesus?  I was in full time ministry to the business world as a salesperson; some of you are housewives ministering to family, and neighbors, and the husband and kids.  We have all been called and we all make up the body of Christ and the Bible is very clear that one is not superior to the other.

Jesus has not minced words on this issue of who is the greatest, “If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all.” (Mark 9:35) And in Luke’s account, Jesus takes a child and puts him by his side and says to them, “Whoever receives this child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me. For he who is least among you all is the one who is great.”  (Luke 9:48 ESV)

Our flesh does not like being least, and that is why pride is hated by God, for prides’ kingdom is always self!

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Are you expecting God to meet your needs?

Luke 9:37-43

I’m fearful that I’ve walked past miracles and not given glory to or have been astonished at the majesty of a Holy God.  One morning, at the Christian Business Men’s Committee, a young man named Mitch ask Greg Hood and myself to stay after the meeting, and these are close to his words; “God told me that if you two would lay hands on me and pray for my healing, I would be healed.”  I must confess I was not the one I would have picked, Ken Ryan a mighty man of prayer was with us that morning, I would have picked Ken, but for some reason God gave my name to Mitch.  Mitch had to ware a special sock, a very long sock that put pressure on his artery, and he had been in some pain for a while.  

If I recall, Greg who was my mentor at that time prayed first and then when I prayed touching Mitch, it felt as if something went out of me into him, and as soon as we had finished praying Mitch jumped to his feet and removed that sock, stating, I am healed!   Now I did not go into the healing ministry, to be honest I was then and am still wondering why God would allow one with such small faith to be part of or a witness to Mitch’s healing?

I have little problem placing myself in the audience of the twelve disciples at this time, Jesus had given them authority to do great things in His name when He sent them out in two’s and yet they, like me, had such small faith in a big
God.  Three went up on the mountain with Jesus to pray, but nine were left to meet the needs of the day. This man from the crowd had come to the nine who did not go up on the mountain with Jesus, and they could not help his son.   So as Jesus comes down the next day a great crowd was waiting for Him and once again this dad who needed help for his son called to Jesus and told him the need of his son.

Listen to this dad; “Teacher, I beg you to look at my son, for he is my only child. And behold, a spirit seizes him, and he suddenly cries out. It convulses him so that he foams at the mouth, and shatters him, and will hardly leave him. And I begged your disciples to cast it out, but they could not.”  (Luke 9:38-40 ESV)  Can you hear the heart of this dad, and this is Jesus’ answer, “Jesus answered, “O faithless and twisted generation, how long am I to be with you and bear with you? Bring your son here.” “While he was coming, the demon threw him to the ground and convulsed him. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit and healed the boy, and gave him back to his father. And all were astonished at the majesty of God.” (Luke 9:41-43 ESV)

Are you expecting God to meet your needs, are you astonished at the majesty of God?

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Listen to Him!

Luke 9:28-36

For years my bride of almost 50 years has said, I’m praying this Scripture back to the Father for you.  I have begun to do the same, especially in the Psalm, and today my reading was Psalm 119 and in verse 18, I asked the Father for this: “Open my eyes so that I may contemplate wonderful things from your instruction.”   You also may want to ask the Father for this it is a great gift, and it’s a gift only He can give.

It has been about eight days since Jesus talked with the twelve about giving up their rights and putting Him first in their hearts and minds.  Now this is special, of the twelve Jesus picked three of the twelve are to go with him up on the mountain to pray.  That was a big deal, not sure how the others felt but on a chart of 1-10 and ten being the max, these three are at a12.  I bet you go to a large church and if your pastor or priest asked you to go with him and a couple of guys to pray and seek the Father’s will, you also would have a better understanding of the emotions Peter, James, and John experienced.

Now this is what took place: “And as he was praying, the appearance of his face was altered, and his clothing became dazzling white. And behold, two men were talking with him, Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.”  (Luke 9:29-31 ESV)  Can you place yourself in the story, what are your emotions doing, can you contain them?  You have experienced the transfiguration of Jesus, you’re a witness to Him talking with Moses and Elijah, “who appeared in glory and spoke of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.”  Or would you be doing what Peter, James, and John are doing, sleeping? 

As Paul Harvey would always say; “Now the rest of the story” “Now Peter and those who were with him were heavy with sleep, but when they became fully awake they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. And as the men were parting from him, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah”—not knowing what he said.”  (Luke 9:32-33 ESV)  They were sleeping, and before you get all full of self, think about your own prayer life, it is easy to go to sleep when you are not involved in the conversation, when you are just a witness to someone else’s prayers.  But when fully awake it became their story, they were witnesses of Jesus in all of His glory and the two men who stood with him.

And now it gets dangerous for though Peter’s eyes were fully awake, so was his worldly mind, for at this time Peter did not have the mind of Christ.  So Peter the bold one said without praying, without being still and asking the Father His will, Peter said; “Master, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah”—not knowing what he said.”

“As he was saying these things, a cloud came and overshadowed them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, my Chosen One; listen to him!” And when the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent and told no one in those days anything of what they had seen.” (Luke 9:34-36 ESV)

It is one thing to be chosen, but it is terrifying when one realizes they are in the presence of Holy God.  And God is saying today, this moment, “This is my Son, my Chosen One; listen to him!”

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Allways be Ready

Luke 9:24-27

I have no doubt you recall Jesus saying, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”  (Luke 9:23 ESV)  And in this culture and also the one Jesus found Himself in, people were into self.  But I do believe we live in a culture of self on steroids and this battle of flesh and Spirit is on going in all followers of Christ. 

With that stated shall we move on to the remainder of these verses: “For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?”  (Luke 9:24-25 ESV)  Jim Elliot who in his personnel journal penned; "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose." Elliot was referring to Luke 9:24-25, and had no thought of dying I’m sure at this time, but was willing to bring risk to himself so the Huaorani tribe could hear the words of Jesus.  He along with four other missionaries made contact from their airplane with the tribe and passed down gifts in a basket.  They setup a base a short distance from the Indian village and had contact with a few of the tribe.  One or more of these told the tribe these men had bad intentions and 10 warriors came and killed all of them.   Jim and the others lived out what Jesus had said, and they all gained what they could not lose.

But be wise and listen to this, for in this time of darkness you will have your allegiance to Christ challenged, and it may surprise you where the challenge comes from. “For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.”  (Luke 9:26 ESV)   

As a professional sales person often the enemy who controls (Channel One) the deceptive channel in my mind would feed me thoughts that sure sounded like me, it was a south Texas drawl and it went something like this, “watch out your going to blow this sale, this guy does not want to hear about your faith” and the sad news is often I listen to that channel.  The apostle Peter gives this insight: “But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,” (1 Peter 3:15)

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Who is in Control of your Will?

Luke 9:23

Every great battle, conquest, company, or nation has had a leader who has said follow me, and those who followed were willing to do as commanded.  It is my opinion that this statement from Jesus to the twelve has not seemed compulsory to many who are called Christian in 2015.  As we begin reading verse 23, it’s the first four words we may be reading past, “And he said to all” “All” is defined; the whole of, and that might be confusing if Jesus had not given this statement: “And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”  (Luke 9:23) Anyone, that includes somebodies and nobodies, that includes rich and poor, that includes old folks and young folks, it’s everyone who is a follower of Christ.  We live in the culture of instant gratification and those who go by Christian are not exempt from this culture, we and I’m including me, have a I need, I want, I’m going to get nature that runs head-on into denying oneself.  So how does one follow the leader who states clearly these are the conditions for being a follower of Christ?  And I know you are looking for loopholes, it’s our nature, but it is the old nature, the one that got crucified and it is dead, yet we have learned from both the old nature and the culture how to get our needs met outside of Jesus Christ.

So what is denying self, what is taking up ones cross daily and how does one follow Christ?  For myself, it requires self to be examined and who is the easiest person for me to con, you got it, it is me, so I need accountability to a man who will tell me the truth.  It also is essential for me to understand the way God designed us; what we call our personality, the real me has a mind, emotions, and a will.  You never have made up your mind on anything, but your mind and your emotions have sent information to your will and will say yes or no.  If your will is controlled by self, the Bible calls this flesh, it will war against the Spirit that lives in you. Galatians 5:17, “For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want.”

So our problem lies at the feet of who is in control of our will, for there is a conflict, self likes to look good and even be thought of as top shelf at church, work, and with friends, but it wants to control and Jesus tells all who will come after Him, to deny self and listen to the Spirit, obey and walk with Him.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Are you a seeker of Truth?

Luke 9:18-21

Are you a seeker of truth, have you grown tired of religion and it’s tradition?  In fact, you may be one who is smart enough to know there is a Creator, someone that holds this universe together, but you do not know how to find that one.  I’ve got great news for you, in four verses from the Bible you can find the answer, it is that simple! 

“Now it happened that as he was praying alone, the disciples were with him. And he asked them, “Who do the crowds say that I am?” And they answered, “John the Baptist. But others say, Elijah, and others, that one of the prophets of old has risen.” Then he said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” And Peter answered, “The Christ of God.” And he strictly charged and commanded them to tell this to no one, saying, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.”  (Luke 9:18-22 ESV)

If you are one of those literal people as I seem to be, it appears as if Dr. Luke miss spoke when he stated; “as he was praying alone, the disciples were with him” but my sweet wife explained “Jesus praying alone is the same as you praying on the back porch, and me sitting with my cats in a chair near by,” and she is right.  Jesus being God in the flesh had no need to ask anyone anything, but He did this for you and me, and the twelve.  “Who do the crowds say that I am?”  If you want the answer to that question go to any school of higher learning and ask the professors and I bet you are going to hear a little different answer from the one the disciples and the people of that day.  These are the answers you can expect, a good moral man, a good teacher, historical figure, a Rabbi who acted like a rebel, a guy who claimed to be God, and the list goes on.

A Christian group in Dallas, Texas, called Bluefish did a man on the street interview and these are some of the answers to “Who is Jesus?”

He was a dude that lived back in the day pretty awesome he had a beard.

I don’t know because I don’t really believe in him so I don’t really think anything of him.

Jesus was a man from what I figure.

He probably existed but I don’t believe he was the Son of God or anything.

I think that he is a pretty cool guy he had a peaceful philosophy I think he’s misinterpreted by a lot of people.

Not that much different from the University professor but C.S. Lewis rains on these summations, this is his quote on the subject: “If Jesus was not whom he claimed, then he must be a lunatic, a liar, or worse.”  In his book “Mere Christianity” you can read Lewis going into great detail on the subject of the above statement. 

So the people all gave Jesus a pass on being someone of great importance like John the Baptist or Elijah, but not the Messiah.   Jesus asked the question to the twelve and Jesus has not stopped asking it of all people, “But who do you say that I am?” 

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice