Unless you Repent

Luke 13:1-5

Jesus is asked about the news of the day, which is about some Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.  Jesus answers, but not in the manner they would have expected.  “And he answered them, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.” (Luke 13:2-5 ESV)

That was the news of the day, the headlines, but it was not what was important, what was important was the need for a sinful people to repent or perish.  The current view at that time was that the Galileans must have done something to bring about God’s judgment, and the same holds true with the eighteen killed when the tower in Siloam fell on them.

Jesus told us we would do things greater than He had done, and our ability to have instant news is sure greater than waiting for a person to walk from one area to another bringing the news of past days or maybe even weeks.  So I took a sampling of the news of this day.

·      An American soldier died Wednesday after an Afghan soldier opened fire at a compound, a U.S. official at the Pentagon told Fox News.

·      The White House argued Tuesday that climate change is hazardous to the public's health, prompting critics of new EPA emission rules to call the argument "scare tactics" that ignore the economic impact of new regulations.

·      Houthi rebels vs. Saudi coalition -- who's winning? For nearly two weeks, Saudi planes have pounded Houthi rebel positions around Yemen, but so far the offensive has forced them neither to retreat nor sue for peace -- and civilians are suffering.

·      Fifteen police officers were killed and five were injured when they were ambushed by suspected gang members in Mexico's Jalisco state, the state attorney general's office said Tuesday.

·      Russian hackers behind the damaging cyber intrusion of the State Department in recent months used that perch to penetrate sensitive parts of the White House computer system, according to U.S. officials briefed on the investigation.

What do you think the message is to all of us, and it matters not where you live.  It is today’s message from Jesus and it has not changed?  “No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.”

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Times of Difficulty

Luke 12:57-59

If we are living in a culture and time as the apostle Paul is addressing in his letter to Timothy in 2 Timothy 3:1-5, (“But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.”)  What would be a common thing among such people; pride and where will pride take you, and the answer is into conflict. 

As a follower of Christ, what two groups seem to get a lot of Jesus’ attention, was it not the religious leaders and the lawyers?  So maybe it’s not all that bad when I confess lawyers get to me when they come on television and tell us they are the answer to all of our problems.  To have a war, you must have someone who feels strongly that they deserve what the person has or that the person has taken something of theirs.  This is the world we live in, we have conflicts and we or the other party becomes the accuser.

These are the words of Jesus to anyone intelligent enough to follow Him, and we know one does not have to believe in Jesus to be His follower, for the twelve gave us a great example of men who lived with Jesus for three years and only believed after His resurrection.  So ponder on these words: “And why do you not judge for yourselves what is right? As you go with your accuser before the magistrate, make an effort to settle with him on the way, lest he drag you to the judge, and the judge hand you over to the officer, and the officer put you in prison. I tell you, you will never get out until you have paid the very last penny.” (Luke 12:57-59 ESV)

Being a person of faith in Jesus Christ does not have a guarantee of no disagreements, in fact it may make you a target of those who hate whom you follow.  A wise person will look at the Scripture and get council from faithful men and women.  It is always good to understand who is behind the struggle, look at Ephesians 6:12, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.”  It is also of great value to understand 2 Corinthians 10:3-5, “For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ.”

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Is Time running out?

Luke 12:54-56

Have you ever been ask by anyone to interpret the time, not the one on your I-phone or the one on your wrist, but the time when Jesus will return?  After 9/11 many were asking is this the end times, are we in the last days, and for two full weekends, on Sunday the buildings we call wrongly the church were full.  (Note: ask this question did Jesus die for a building?  No, for people, all people, and He calls us His church; had to get that off my chest.)   Now back to interpreting time, are we living in the last days?  The answer is sure, today will be the last day for many a person.  But a much better answer is 2 Timothy 3:1-5, “But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.”  If you cannot understand that we are living in a time like this please do not give any advice to anyone.

Jesus is speaking to the crowd, “When you see a cloud rising in the west, you say at once, ‘A shower is coming.’ And so it happens. And when you see the south wind blowing, you say, ‘There will be scorching heat,’ and it happens. You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of earth and sky, but why do you not know how to interpret the present time?

(Luke 12:54-56 ESV)

Jesus is telling them they understand that from the west the Mediterranean Sea will blow up showers, and when the south winds blow it is dry and hot, but at that moment the Messiah is in their presence and they are clueless.  As a follower of Christ Jesus, He has come to indwell your person, your soul, it is made up of your mind, will, and emotions, are you interpreting the present times correctly?

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Letting the Past be the Past

Luke 12:49-53

If you have read my attempt at handling the word of God, it is clear that I am a flawed man with much in my past I’m ashamed of, and yet Philippians 3:13 gives me great encouragement.  “Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead.”  You and I are living in a time that the prophet Isaiah told us would come, “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness; Who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter! Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight!”  (Isaiah 5:20-21)

As we look to verse 49, and remember this is Jesus talking, “I came to cast fire on the earth, and would that it were already kindled.”  We are told that fire symbolizes judgment at the soon return of our LORD.  In verse 50 Jesus is telling His disciples about His death on the cross, “I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how great is my distress until it is accomplished!” 

Verse 51-53 seems off message for Jesus, until you grasp the fullness of His message.  In this present darkness many teach a message of “all is good” if you follow Jesus and send them some cash you will never suffer, you will have money, friends, good health, and if that is not happening it is your fault.  That is not from Jesus, it is a word from the evil one, the one who came to kill, steal, and destroy.  These are Jesus’ words to you and me; “Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. For from now on in one house there will be five divided, three against two and two against three. They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”

Taken on face value that does not sound right, I like the guys who are saying “it’s all good” but it is clear that it is not all good.  Jesus is telling you and me we will not find peace in this world, look at John 16:33, “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”  Many in the church and in the world are looking for peace there; they will never find it, for it can only be found in Christ.  The division which Jesus is referring, occurs when members of a family come to a relationship with Christ, an others in the family who are not in Christ will fight with both words and actions.   Often, a split in the family will take place, and If you find yourself in such a family, take heart your spiritual family of God is more important, and you must run to Jesus with all your cares, for He cares for you.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Zeal without knowledge

Luke 12:41-48

When Jan and I were new in our relationship with Christ there was great zeal especially on my part to do the work of ministry in the lives of teenagers.  We were part of a church and it mattered not what else was going on we were there anytime something was taking place.  Back to my zeal, I was a baby in Christ with a lot of zeal and little knowledge.  Thomas Fuller who lived in the 1600’s had this to say about a person like myself: “Zeal without knowledge is fire without light.”  If you ponder on his words, fire has one task it consumes what it comes in contact with, and Jesus called you and I to be like a city set on a hill, it’s light cannot be hidden.  We in Christ are the light of the world, but the knowledge of Scripture is the light that is required, look at 2 Timothy 3:16-17.

The local church had entrusted a novice to train their children in the ways of God and how to live life on planet earth, shame on them.  But God, first sent a storm to destroy our home so we could hire an out of work preacher named Chris to be our framer and lead carpenter, he was also a Dallas Seminary graduate.  Chris asked if he could sit in on our Bible studies and it was not long before he began to teach.  I do not recall much at this time of Chris’s teaching, but this one thing never left my thoughts; Chris told us often we would be very wise not to study the Scriptures unless we were going to apply them to our lives.  He went on to tell us that God would hold us accountable for all that we learned about His word.

Dr. Luke shares about Peter asking Jesus if being ready for the Savior’s return was a parable for just the twelve or for all?  And then Jesus gives the account of the wise manager and the evil manager, and the uninformed manager, and what will happen to them.  It is the last part of verse 48 I was drawn to: “Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more.”

The Scriptures do not call us to be fire, that is the work of the Holy Spirit as seen at Pentecost, “They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them.” (Acts 2:3)  This act of the Holy Spirit totally changed these men; they became bold and mighty in God’s kingdom.  But God has called each of us who are followers to be light to a world in need of Jesus Christ.  A person without knowledge will believe they can be fire, but it is God who is a consuming fire.  When we are in fellowship with Jesus He puts a fire in our hearts to do His will, as found in Luke 24:32.

I’ve come to look for simple applications in applying the teachings of Christ to what I’m encountering in everyday life.  I believe this is addressed in 2 Timothy 3:16-17 in a worldly way, Joe Whitehouse worked for the same company as I and is one of the most successful salespersons I’ve met.  When investigating his success, it became apparent Joe knew the electrical business, not just the product he was selling and Joe wants the best for 3M and his customer, he is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction and training his customers in what is the best practice.  Now that is of great value to 3M and the customer but it has no eternal value, but when Joe let the light of Christ shine through his life that has eternal value.  We find this about zeal in Proverbs 19:2, “Desire without knowledge is not good, and whoever makes haste with his feet misses his way.”

As follower of Christ we must be ready to give an account, to be that light on the hill, and to put the Bible into our heart and mind, so that our minds can be renewed.  As stated above in 2 Timothy 3:16-17, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.”  Be watchful and ready as the faithful and wise manager Jesus is talking about.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Are you in the Christian army?

Luke 12:35-40

Have you ever investigated the motto or creed of the U.S. Soldier?  “I am an American Soldier.  I am a Warrior and a member of a team.  I serve the people of the United States, and live the Army Values.  I will always place the mission first.  I will never accept defeat.  I will never quit.  I will never leave a fallen comrade.  I am disciplined, physically and mentally tough, trained and proficient in my warrior tasks and battle drills.  I always maintain my arms, my equipment and myself.  I am an expert and I am a professional.  I stand ready to deploy, engage, and destroy, the enemies of the United States of America in close combat.  I am a guardian of freedom and the American way of life.  I am an American Soldier.”

That is a new creed for the army it was adopted around 2003, not the one that was in place when I served.   As we look at Luke 12:35-40, where Jesus is addressing you and me on being ready for action, how do you see yourself, are you in the Christian army?  If so, do you have a creed?  Ponder these words of Jesus; “Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning, and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and knocks. Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will dress himself for service and have them recline at table, and he will come and serve them.  (Luke 12:35-37 ESV)  I bet you were not ready for that the Lord is going to serve those He finds awake and ready.

 Do you see yourself as a Warrior, a member of a team, do you serve others in regards to creeds Jesus has laid out in the Handbook on Life?  Do you as a soldier in Christ’s army know your mission and put it first, are you disciplined physically and mentally by renewing your mind and putting Scripture to memory?  Are you awake and ready at your place of service, and ready to engage the enemy of our Lord?  Are you a guardian of the truth and freedom we have in Christ Jesus?  If the answer is yes, you are on the front lines and ready to serve, but if the answer is no, you have left a hole in the battle lines, and you are the only one who can fill the role of service God has assigned to you.

Our Lord is a warrior, and all who have entered into Him and He in them have entered the Christian army.  If you have doubt about the Lord Jesus being a warrior, turn to Exodus 15:3, “The LORD is a warrior; the LORD is his name.”

Questions come to my mind each time I hear the song “Onward Christian Soldiers, marching as to war.”  When you hear that song, what comes into your mind, what kind of army is this Christian army, is it mighty, and is it victorious, does it have mighty warriors?  And if it is not mighty, if it is not victorious, and if it does not have mighty warriors, what is the reason?

Going back to Luke 12:38-40, “If he comes in the second watch, or in the third, and finds them awake, blessed are those servants! But know this, that if the master of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have left his house to be broken into. You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”  My fellow soldiers, are you ready and awake in your place in the line of battle?

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

A culture that worries about many things

Luke 12:26-34

Yesterday, we looked at the command to each of us who follow Christ and it is not being anxious.  But in my 70 plus years on the planet, it seems apprehension is out of control in our daily lives, we are a culture that worries about many things; employment, family, government, the dollar, the stock market, our retirement, and the list just keeps going.  So these words are from Jesus as we look to the commandment telling us not to be anxious, do you recall yesterday Jesus told us we do not have the ability to add one hour to our lives.   So ponder verse 26 in that Jesus is clear, adding a single hour to your life is a simple thing for God because He has numbered the days and hours of our life. “If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest?”  (Luke 12:26 ESV)

Jesus goes on to remind you and I about the lilies of the field and how God provides them with all they need and likewise the grass of the field and how God is taking care of it although it is here one day and the next is used in a oven, and Jesus asked the question, “how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith!  And do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor be worried. For all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your Father knows that you need them. Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you.”

The gospel according to Matthew in chapter 6:29-34 also covers the subject on being anxious but in verse 33, Jesus said; “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”  Some preach, that Jesus was not preaching to the church, but I believe they are totally off base and that Scripture in no way supports their premise.  When one enters into a personal relationship by grace through faith and not a faith one musters-up, but a faith given by the Father in heaven, something amazing happens.  In Paul’s letters to the Galatians, chapter 2 and verse 20, it is clear Christ enters into you, but you also enter into Christ, His past becomes your past, and His future becomes your future.  “I have been crucified with Christ.  It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.  And the life I how live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” 

If there is any doubt look at the gospel according to John in chapter 17 the High Priestly prayer of Jesus to the Father.  Listen in on Jesus’ conversation with His Father, it is all about you and me, “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.  (John 17:20-23 ESV)

  

The key to seeking God’s kingdom is for the believer to strive to live by Jesus’ standards, and Doctor Luke gives these final words that Jesus spoke to His disciples about being anxious; “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.  (Luke 12:32-34 ESV)

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Christianity for Dummies

Luke 12:22-25

I’m sure it has been written but I ‘ve yet to see it, have you seen the book Christianity for Dummies?  On the first page it should have a chapter that begins with “You are not God” and the second chapter might be titled “Jesus tells the Truth.”  If your not God, and guess what, you are not even close, for you cannot add one day to your life, no matter how much wealth you have, God has made this clear in Job 14:5-6, “A man’s days are numbered. You know the number of his months. He cannot live longer than the time You have set. So now look away from him that he may rest, until he has lived the time set for him like a man paid to work.”

I’m approaching my 73rd birthday and I’ve lived a blessed and healthy life to this point, but it has become reasonably clear that my earthsuit is going slower and the tasks I enjoy like working in the yard and moving dirt and rock is more tiring than it was just a few years ago.  It was also rare in my twenties through my early sixties to give much thought to dying, but now I’ve began to give thought to a subject I have no control over.  First, and foremost I want my bride of 50 years to be cared for and to leave things in order and most of all to finish the race and to finish strong.  I do not dwell on the fact that I like all who have lived before me will some day go back to the dust I was formed from, and as a follower of Christ I try not to be anxious, for I believe Jesus tells the truth.  This is what Jesus said about all who have entered into a relationship with Him, "In My Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. "If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.” (John 14:2-3)

Going back to the (Dummies for Christians) in Luke 12:22-25, Jesus could not be any clearer that we His kids are not to be anxious about anything, but we are, aren’t we?  This is what He said to his disciples,  “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds! And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest?”  (Luke 12:22-26 ESV)  Have you pondered on the value Jesus places on your life?  He loved you so much that He stepped out of the glory of heaven to take on flesh so as to buy you out of the control of sin.  God the Father gave His only Son the authority to become flesh and in all purity to pay a price that no other could pay with His blood He covered sin.

The Scriptures are full of verses about Jesus having authority over life, all life, and it would be easy for Him to add one day to a life, but you and I cannot do this simple task.  That is why I have peace, and I act out in my mind and actions showing that Jesus tells the truth.  My dear friend Carroll Ray Jr. called that living by faith.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Life is not about One's Stuff

Luke 12:13-21

This statement, “The one who ends up with the most toys wins,” exposes the darkness of our culture.  It is a culture built on greed and self, it has not one thing to do with need and it is not confined to those with wealth, for the culture of self and greed is found in the human heart, not in prosperity.  It is not a new problem for Doctor Luke gives this account of Jesus dealing with this issue in Luke 12:13-15,

“Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” But he said to him, “Man, who made me a judge or arbitrator over you?” And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”  (Luke 12:13-15 ESV)  Now that did not play well when Jesus said it, nor does it hit a high note in our culture, and I can prove it with little effort.  You can have a brand new house and only live in it for a few years, then you go to a home show where you are looking at homes way above your price range, and your wanting nature kicks in.  In sales we called this a want creator, a desire for something one does not need but they want it.  Shopping Malls are want creators, so is Cabela's to the sports person, and Golfsmith to the golfer, and  they make one desire something that is not needed or they cannot afford.

Jesus was raining on man’s parade and on the culture of self and greed when He said; “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”  God has not changed, it was true when Jesus said it and it is true today.  Greed is often built on wanting what you did not work for, being jealous of the one who has put their possessions at risk to build and employ others. 

I believe there has never been a time in history where people have put their trust in paper printed on a machine.  That is what we call the dollar that is backed up by promises of people no one believes because they have proven to be untruthful.  Folks, it is a house of cards, and that is not as good as the one the man build on sand and we know that when the storms came it crumbled for lack of a foundation. 

Listen to this parable Jesus told the people: “The land of a rich man produced plentifully, and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.”  I’m fearful that many have that false belief in today’s society, and it’s all based on false dependence of our 401K, retirement pension, and savings or wealth.  It is of the utmost importance to grasp what God had to say to the rich man in the story: “But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”  (Luke 12:20-21 ESV)

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

An on going dialog with His disciples

March 30, 2015

Luke 12:8-12

“And I tell you, everyone who acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man also will acknowledge before the angels of God, but the one who denies me before men will be denied before the angels of God. And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. And when they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not be anxious about how you should defend yourself or what you should say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.”  (Luke 12:8-12 ESV)

As you read the Scripture, it should be clear that this is an on going dialog with His disciples and this writer is taking it in sections to make it manageable.  Over the last few years it has become apparent Jesus has many followers, some who by the faith given to them by the Father entered into a relationship with Jesus and are experiencing the presence of the Holy Spirit and the Father.  Others are as I was for many years, a believer in Jesus, believing He was born of a virgin, is the Son of God, and even that He died on the cross for the sins of the world, but arrogance, pride, and fear of losing control kept me from bowing my knee to His authority.  I was a follower without any relationship with Jesus or the Father.

Such a person finds it hard to acknowledge Jesus before others, often I would hear a person using the name of Jesus in a blasphemous manner, and even then it was very offensive, but at no time would I have said, do you not fear God?  With that said, please keep being a follower, for you will find as you study the word of God that many of the twelve disciples also did not believe, until after Jesus had returned to the Father and the Holy Spirit had come upon them.

 Jesus is telling us not to blaspheme against the Holy Spirit, for it will not be for- given, that should bring fear to one’s soul.  If we turn back to the gospel according to Mark chapter 3:22-30, Jesus is addressing this at the very beginning of His public ministry.  He has just picked twelve guys, not from the scribes or the Pharisees, but nobodies, people like me, a never was, men of no standing in the religious community.  And Jesus gave them authority to cast out demons, now that was a new thing, and the religious king pins were not at all happy with this new Rabbi, the one named Jesus.  So they said; “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and “by the prince of demons he casts out the demons.”

Most followers of Jesus will agree He was God in the flesh, but many are confused when it comes to Jesus always going to the Father for all His needs and actions.  The apostle John gives us this insight, John 5:30; "I can of Myself do nothing.  As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me."  So I believe the sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is giving the devil credit for an act of the Holy Spirit, for it was the Holy Spirit that was doing these miracles through Christ.  You and I must be very careful when we see or hear of miracles, to give thanks to God.

From the Back Porch

Bob Rice

    

Great Value

Luke 12:4-7

Have you heard the term used; that person is afraid of his own shadow?  That could have been said of me for many years.  How does a person like that come across to others; often, they are the first to speak and the last to think?  They have low self-worth but they project a know-it-all attitude; that was where I found myself for many years.  This person is too busy trying to impress others who are also busy trying to influence others that they have no understanding that the ones they are trying to sway are not paying any attention.

I grew-up with a poor understanding of God the Father and I bet you may have also.  I had no understanding of His attributes, such as God is a personal Spirit and I can have intimate fellowship with Him.  God is all-powerful and He can help me with anything.  God is ever-present, and He is always with me; He knows everything, so I can go to Him with all my questions and concerns.  Because God is sovereign I will submit to His authority.  Because God is holy, I will devote my self to Him in service, purity, and worship.  Because God is absolute truth I will believe what He says and live accordingly.  Because God is righteous I will live by his standards, and because God is just He will treat me fairly, even though my feeler at times will not feel as if it is fair.  Because God is love He is unconditionally committed to my well-being.   Because God is merciful He will forgive my sins when I am truthful with Him about them.  Because God is faithful I can always trust Him to keep His promises.  And because God never changes, I have trusted Him with the present and the future, the eternal.  (Thoughts taken from T.W. Hunt)

To have a healthy, vital, growing relationship with God, we must have a realistic picture of who He is.  I believe that is the message in these words from Jesus: “I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do. But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him! Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God. Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows.”  (Luke 12:4-7 ESV)

If you as a follower of Christ have come to an understanding of God’s character and attributes, it becomes very clear you have great worth to your Creator, so “Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows.”   

Now a word to the wise, in view of your past experiences, your current circumstances and your future hope and dreams, what is the wise thing to do with Jesus?

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

It will all be revealed

Luke 12:1-3

Many years ago, I visited a minister in Mexico and when we went to have lunch we came out of the bright noon sun into a very dark restaurant that was filled with people.  But coming from the light into the darkness we were not able to see the people sitting around us, that is until our eyes adjusted to the darkness.  I will never forget the words that came from the missionary’s mouth, “Bob, when we entered you did not see all these people but as you stayed in the darkness your eyes adjusted to the darkness and you saw all the people sitting around us.  Bob, do you understand that’s the same way sin comes into our life, at first it is very dark, but the longer we stay there the lighter it gets.”

Our culture loves darkness, it believes wrongly that the deeds done in darkness will not be exposed, that those deeds will never reach the light of tomorrow.  My grandson who is in the eight-grade told his mother, how young girls were taking a selfie in the nude.  Now for you who do not understand, a selfie: it is a photograph that one has taken of oneself, typically one taken with a smartphone or webcam and uploaded to a social media website.  They believed a few football players would see it, but it went places they never intended and exposed them both now and in the future.  It seems they were not prepared to count the cost of the darkness in their hearts being exposed to the light!

Dr. Luke begins what we call chapter 12 with this insight; “In the meantime, when so many thousands of the people had gathered together that they were trampling one another, he began to say to his disciples first, “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. Therefore whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in private rooms shall be proclaimed on the housetops.”  (Luke 12:1-3 ESV)

I’m always amazed when someone says, we studied that book of the Bible two years ago let’s look to some other part of the Bible, as if they would never acquire any more insight from the book they had read.  I have read this account many times, but today it struck me that thousands of people were coming to hear Jesus, so many that they were trampling one another.  And in the middle of all this Jesus warns against the leaven of the Pharisees.  Now if you’re not a cook it may help to look up the word leaven: the mixing of yeast into flour or something to make it rise or expand.  The word leaven is used in the Bible as a symbol of positive and negative influence.  The Pharisees taught a religion of outward rules and customs, but in private their selfie was a picture of greed and self-seeking, making rules that burdened the rule keepers and putting loads on them they were not able to carry or fulfill.

And like the young girls who exposed themselves in private, Jesus is saying; Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. Therefore whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in private rooms shall be proclaimed on the housetops.” 

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

The "Woe's"

Luke 11:42-44

Are the “Woe’s” listed in Luke 11:42-52, viable for the church of 2015?   As a follower of Christ are you applying Psalms 119:11, “I have stored your word in my heart, so that I might not sin against you.”  If so, you have this treasure stored in your heart and mind; “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.”  (Matthew 24:35)   And it is clear in Matthew 24:35, we find the answer to the “Woe” question, but it is not finding the answer that is key, but our obedience to the answer.

Ask yourself, am I a Pharisee in regard to this “Woe”? “But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and every herb, and neglect justice and the love of God. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others.”  (Luke 11:42 ESV)  I’ve found it easy to give both tithes and gifts and yet often, I have a close relationship with the Pharisee when it comes to the neglect of love to the under resourced of the world.  What about this “Woe”? “Woe to you Pharisees! For you love the best seat in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces. Woe to you! For you are like unmarked graves, and people walk over them without knowing it.”  (Luke 11:43-44 ESV)

I wish there was a sign that all Christians wore that was invisible until our flesh took over and we looked like the pagan world, and then it began to flash for all to see.  It might state; “walking by feelings and not by faith” or “I’m on the throne of my life at this moment.”  This would be the problem for many, it would be on most of the time, for some even at church, and that life brings sadness to the heart of our Father in heaven.  But like the Pharisee, many of us have flesh that wants the best seat, we want to be noticed for all that we have done, and yet Jesus tells us we are like unmarked graves, our lives are not bringing anyone to Christ.

Most of us can identify with the lawyer in verse 45; “One of the lawyers answered him, “Teacher, in saying these things you insult us also.” This is Jesus reply, “Woe to you lawyers also! For you load people with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers. Woe to you! For you build the tombs of the prophets whom your fathers killed. So you are witnesses and you consent to the deeds of your fathers, for they killed them, and you build their tombs. Therefore also the Wisdom of God said, ‘I will send them prophets and apostles, some of whom they will kill and persecute,’ so that the blood of all the prophets, shed from the foundation of the world, may be charged against this generation, from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who perished between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, it will be required of this generation.” (Luke 11:46-51 ESV)

I, like this lawyer, often want the rules to apply to others but when confronted by the Lord it is always a choice, do I bow my knee and agree with the Lord, or do I feel insulted and my pride keeps me in sin?

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice