Live out your beliefs

Luke 17:1-4

It matters what you believe, and it matters how you live out your beliefs, for your beliefs are on the stage of this world and your audience is big, enormous!  It consists of your family, teachers, friends, everyone in your business life, church life, neighbors, people who you drive past each day and shop in the same stores with, and then the ones you never see.  The unseen we are told are the angels of heaven who watch to see how we use this freedom of choice, and others like cosmic powers who are over this present darkness, and the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 

My dad would often say: “A word to the wise is sufficient,” the apostle Paul gives us a wise word in his letter to the Ephesians chapter 6:10, “Finally be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.”  Have you wondered, how can one do this?  It will not happen in your strength, but in the Lord and in the strength of His might.  And verse 11 tells us the devil is scheming to mess-up your life, and you and I must put on this armor of God to stand against the devil’s schemes.  Now remember the battle is taking place in your soul, and the soul is defined as your mind, will, and emotions, it is a spiritual battle, and it is a battle you can win, in the strength of Jesus’ might, never in your own strength.

So how do we fight this battle?  You must guard your heart, for Proverbs 4:23, gives us this counsel: “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”  Doctor Luke tells us in Luke 6:45, “A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.”

Jesus had the following to say to his disciples, and as a follower of Christ to you and me,  “Temptations to sin are sure to come, but woe to the one through whom they come! It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were cast into the sea than that he should cause one of these little ones to sin. Pay attention to yourselves!” (Luke 17:1-3a ESV)  You do not want to be the source of causing a young believer or seeker to sin, pay close attention to your heart, for it is clear that what comes out of the mouth, is what is stored up in your heart.

As one who has sinned and fallen short, who has willfully broken the commands of our loving Father, as one who has by the grace and mercy of our Father in heaven been abundantly pardoned, please listen to the words of Jesus: “Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him, and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.” (Luke 17:3-4)

Steve Peace who teaches our adult class on Sunday has said many times “That to not forgive someone, is the same as drinking poison and expecting the other person to die.”  And let me close with this word from Jesus, “For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.  But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.”  (Matthew 6:14-15)

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Paying Taxes

Luke 20:19-26

A person who tells you they enjoy paying taxes is often the one who has found a loophole and one such person is Warren Buffett whose personal worth is reported at $72.7 Billion at age 84.  “It is an odd twist that a company controlled by Mr. Buffett — perhaps the most outspoken businessman in the country supports raising taxes on the “mega-rich” — is now in a dispute with the government over his company’s paying too little in taxes.” (The New York Times)  If you trust the New York Times, Mr. Buffett may be a good example of others who are mega-rich with this exception, since 2002 the IRS has been trying to collect back taxes his companies owe in the amount of 366 million in taxes and penalties, and he is saying publicly that he and others like him should pay higher taxes.  It seems to one who is uneducated in such matters, as if Mr. Buffett is speaking out of both sides of his mouth, and would be wise to pay before speaking. 

Taxes are not a new thing, and not enjoying paying taxes is sure not novel to our time.  Do you recall the scribes and the chief priest sought to lay hands on Jesus but they feared the people.  Dr. Luke gives this report: “So they watched him and sent spies, who pretended to be sincere, that they might catch him in something he said, so as to deliver him up to the authority and jurisdiction of the governor. So they asked him, “Teacher, we know that you speak and teach rightly, and show no partiality, but truly teach the way of God. Is it lawful for us to give tribute to Caesar, or not?”  (Luke 20:20-22 ESV)  What a great question, they are under Roman rule and the Jewish people and these religious guys hate  tax collectors and they have a problem, they cannot touch Jesus, but the Roman IRS and even Caesar’s boys will take Jesus down in a heartbeat if he tells them not to pay taxes.

It seems our current administration and a few others in the past have used the IRS to bring down its perceived enemies, maybe they did not read the full parable of paying taxes to Caesar?  So how did Jesus deal with this crafty trap?  Jesus said to them; “Show me a denarius. Whose likeness and inscription does it have?” They said, “Caesar's.” He said to them, “Then render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's.”  (Luke 20:24-25 ESV)

When Jan and I moved to Spring, Texas, we had never heard of a “MUD District,” it is a special-purpose district that sells bonds to put in public utilities such as water, waste collection/management, and roads for the district residents.  Ours was MUD 19 and it had debt of 3 Million at 15% and our developer and his family were killed in a helicopter accident, after building only 10 homes.  I got a good deal, or at least I believed it was at the time; only to find out we would need to choose bankruptcy as a district.  We had a lot of help from one of the most powerful law firms in Houston who told us they would do Pro Bono to help us out.  What they did not tell us was they worked for the bond groups.  They assured us if we voted to double our taxes we as homeowners would never have to pay and the district would not go into bankruptcy.  We did and when the taxes were not paid we were hit with a fine and penalties.  Needing good counsel, I asked to visit with our elders at our church and I will never forget Bro. Moss came in and did not listen to one word I said, He said Bob I’ve got a meeting to go to, so pay your taxes, or did he say; “Then render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's.”   I’m not sure, but he left and went to his meeting and I paid my taxes with penalties, and learned another bought lesson.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Whom do you Identify with?

Luke 16:19-31

Most of my readers have read the story of the rich man and Lazarus, and you will recall these words from Jesus: “There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man's table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores. The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried, and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side.” (Luke 16:19-23)

Most of us do not identify with the poor man who is laying at the rich man’s gate covered with sores, so by default we must enter the story as the rich man, and this rich guy had the latest in technology, the best and newest clothing, and his chariot is the coolest in the neighborhood, but it bothers him when he leaves the gate for there is this poor guy, someone called him Lazarus, and all he is asking for is the stuff we throw in the garbage can after each meal. 

We do not understand the poor guy, he has got sores and no telling what else, he is dirty and he smells real bad, and I know it sounds bad but someone, maybe the government needs to move these kind of people out of our sight, it would make life so much better if they were not at the intersections begging for my crumbs.

I’ve been that rich man and it breaks the heart of God when we have contempt and not mercy, when we act as the religious Pharisee and not as Christ.  For it has been stated correctly, when one looks down on another they cannot see the Father or His love.  Isaiah has a good word for each of us rich, religious acting Pharisees; “Seek the Lord while he may be found, call upon him while he is near, let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.” (Isaiah 55:6-7)  I’ve found that anytime I’ve felt superior to another, my thoughts and eyes are out of focus.

Now the rich guy who lived in the nice home and had the best of the best, never needed anything while on planet earth, finds life does not end with the grave, and these are Jesus’ words; “The rich man also died and was buried, and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. And he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.”  How can we stop and ponder on what Jesus has just said, the guy in hell, he is in torment, and in anguish in the flames.  I know your priest or pastor, teacher, guy next door, told you God is good and never would send anyone, maybe Hitler, no, not even Hitler to Hell.  So who are you going to trust, Jesus the Creator, or some person who is created like yourself?

I find it of interest that the rich guy in hell can see Lazarus but Lazarus is not part of the conversation, so it sure seems Lazarus has no knowledge of this exchange between Abraham and the rich man.  Verse 26 states this fact; “And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.”  It is an eternal hell and the rich man chose by his acts of “I did it my way” to reject God’s plan for his own.

So the rich man asked Abraham to send Lazarus back to warn his five brothers so they would not end up in such a place, and this was the reply, please listen for these are the words of our LORD: “But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ And he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.’”

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Marriage from Heaven's view

April 30, 2015

Luke 16:18

Marriage from Heaven’s view is anyone asking God what His thoughts are on the nine men and women giving thought to change the origin of marriage?  I wonder if the Supreme Court Justices will consider what God has said about marriage?  And if God has spoken on a subject, does any manmade court have the authority to overrule God?  No matter what title they hold; are they not created by their Creator God and they will answer to Him?

It matters not who carries the argument before the Supreme Court Justices, or anyone else, if they will not accept this one fact, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” you and I have wasted our breath and time with a view based on Scripture, for they do not have Scripture as absolute.

It was reported that justice Anthony M. Kennedy, ask a great question; what authority does this court have to change the guidelines on origin of marriage, in that from the beginning it has always been between one man and one woman?  My answer to that question is you can do whatever the nine of you want, but you have no authority to change what God has established, but when has that slowed down the foolishness of mankind?

So let me be foolish and share heaven’s view on marriage: “then the LORD God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature. And the LORD God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and there he put the man whom he had formed.”

(Genesis 2:7-8)  If you are still with me, he put this man in the garden to work, wow!  Now, how many of you were not expecting that, but it can be found in chapter 2:15.  Now to something even more shocking:     “The man gave names to all livestock and to the birds of the heavens and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper fit for him. So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. And the rib that the LORD God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. Then the man said, “This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.”  Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.”(Genesis 2:20-24)

If you read Luke 16:18, you may have wondered where is Bob going?  Many of you are 100% in agreement with my views on the absolutes of Scripture on marriage, and you also believe a family needs a dad and mom to give the children the structure needed to be successful, but the church has not listened to God and has not acted on much of what we are told to do, and divorce in the church is one huge factor.

As my dear friend John Davis often has said to me, when it comes to the Scriptures you can’t have it both round and square, it does not work.  So this is what Jesus has to say on divorce: “Everyone who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery, and he who marries a woman divorced from her husband commits adultery.”  Before you take aim at the Supreme Court Justices, look at the culture in the United States, should not we, who go by the name of Jesus Christ, take some ownership for our part of the reason we are at this point in our history?

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

“It is not my fault,”

Luke 16:14-15

We live in a culture of “it is not my fault,” and it’s not something new.  If you visit Genesis chapter 3 on the fall of mankind, you’re going to get a clear look at the blame game.  Adam blamed God for making Eve and then he blamed Eve.  Eve blamed the serpent and both had some truth to what they were saying, but it was not the full truth, and that is what man has been doing since the beginning.  Andy Stanley had this to say in a message; in the beginning God only had one rule (law) do not eat from that one tree, and Adam and Eve could not keep it so sin entered into the world, so I guess we can blame them for all our troubles.

Sin’s master is Satan, and Jesus tells us what Satan’s game plan is for all mankind and it is to kill, steal, and destroy your life, and as we look at this civilization, it is working well.  One of the devils greatest lies is that you are master of your own life, and no one has authority over you.  You can do as you please and when it comes to money it’s yours to use, and it is ok to place it in a place of worship.

Now that runs contrary to what Jesus is saying: “No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.” (Luke 16:13 ESV)  You may be in good standing in your local church but that does not keep you from falling prey to the deceptive message of the devil, you are in charge and no one has the right to tell you how to spend or keep your coins.  The Pharisees then and the ones you go to church with, and maybe you have bought into the lie from hell, for they wanted the praise of men.  So listen to Luke 16:14, “The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all these things, and they ridiculed him.”  (Luke 16:14 ESV)  Foolish people still may not say but in their heart and minds have this logic, it is mine to do with as I please, I earned it, I worked hard, I’ve got more than I need to last till I die.  Jesus tells a story of such a man, who built bigger barns to hold his wealth, and then said I’m set for the future and God called him a fool and told him that was his last day on earth.

Now these are the words of Jesus to them and to you and to me; “And he said to them, “You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God.”  (Luke 16:15)  Your smart and you have learned what is exalted among men, it’s wealth and the power that comes with it, but wealth and power not under the authority of God becomes a god to the one who looks to it, and that is an abomination in the sight of God.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

How are you managing life

Luke 16:1-13

Brothers and sisters in Christ, it is getting dark in all aspects of this life, the debt is being called in and many in the Church have been molded into this empty culture and are soon to find out the price is much higher than they can or want to pay.  So please ponder these words of Jesus as he tells His disciples about the dishonest manager.

“He also said to the disciples, “There was a rich man who had a manager, and charges were brought to him that this man was wasting his possessions. And he called him and said to him, ‘What is this that I hear about you? Turn in the account of your management, for you can no longer be manager.’ 

This guy sounds like many in our culture, he had few skills, he was not willing to work and he was too proud to beg, so he came up with this plan, and did I say he was also a crook?  So this was the plan: “I have decided what to do, so that when I am removed from management, people may receive me into their houses.’ So, summoning his master's debtors one by one, he said to the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ He said, ‘A hundred measures of oil.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.’ Then he said to another, ‘And how much do you owe?’ He said, ‘A hundred measures of wheat.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill, and write eighty.’

Now pay attention to what the rich man says about his dishonest manager; “The master commended the dishonest manager for his shrewdness. For the sons of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than the sons of light. And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous wealth, so that when it fails they may receive you into the eternal dwellings.”  Now stop and think, where is the unrighteous eternal dwelling?  In Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians it is stated where they will end up; “The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” (2 Thessalonians 2:9-12)  Not a good plan!  For it is clear in Scripture that God is righteous and that evil has no part of Him, Psalms 145:17, states this very clearly, as well as Psalm 97:2.

Jesus gives this summation to the story of the dishonest manager: “One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much. If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches? And if you have not been faithful in that which is another's, who will give you that which is your own? No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.” 

Examine yourself, look in the mirror and ask the Holy Spirit to allow your eyes to see the truth, I must confess I’ve dropped the ball many times, but it is history and I have no desire to be the dishonest manager.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

The Father said come on home

Luke 15:11-32

Do you recall the story Jesus told about the prodigal son?  It goes something like this, a very wealthy man had two sons, the younger of the two wanted more excitement and opportunities than his father was offering, so he said dad give me my half as if you were already deceased, and though I have no doubt it broke his father’s heart, he did as the younger son asked.  Not many days had passed till the younger son took his part of the estate and went on a journey into a far country, and Jesus tells us the youngster squandered his property in reckless living. 

I bet the youngster had a groupie, his face book page full of adoring fans till the money ran out.  Then something he did not anticipate happened, at about the same time his fame and the money ran out, the country began a severe famine.  You would be correct to say the party was over, and the youngster found his best buddies were no longer to be found, and Jesus tells us he was in need of shelter and clothing, so he hired out to one of the citizens of this foreign country to do something a Jewish boy would not think about doing.  He was to care for and feed the pigs, can you grasp his desperation?  At one time back in his father’s house he had servants, and it seems he might have been pampered as the younger of the brothers.

As one who wears the title Christian, what is your take on the story?  Is it not the story of many who go by the title Christian, but they have told the Father, maybe not out loud, but in their hearts and minds, the world has more to offer, or I do not want your authority over me, I want to do it my way, and many have.  In the USA the number of people who claim to attend church and the number that do seem very different, but it looks as if only around 17% of the population ever darken the doors of any Christian church building.

Now there is good news, the younger son woke up dirty, hungry, and very lonely and this thought came into his mind; “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father's hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.”’

(Luke 15:17-19 ESV)  If you have reached the point of understanding, and your way has put you with the swine, maybe it is time to do what this foolish young man did, and confess to your Father that He is a great provider and you will trust Him and be willing to return on His terms.

If you do so you are in for a shock, for the Father has been watching each day for your return, and He is not going to treat you as your actions deserve, but as His son.  This is the rest of the story;           “And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate.” (Luke 15:20-24 ESV)

Now the older brother is a Pharisees in his actions, much like some who forget the grace and mercy the Father has shown to them.  He is not wanting forgiveness, in fact he has no love for his brother, and these are the words of the Father to the older son; “And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.’” (Luke 15:31-32 ESV)

A word to the younger brother, come on home, yes, the older brother is not going to be happy, but that is his problem, leave him to the Father, for the Father has been waiting for your return.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

What are you searching for?

Luke 15: 6-10

How does a person establish value, Jesus is telling the story of a woman who had ten silver coins and if she lost one, Jesus did not say she did, but if she did she would begin the search for the lost coin.  I’m sure at some point you have lost or misplaced something of value and if you are like me you begin the process first in your mind, where was the last place I put the thing of value.

And like the woman in the story you might turn on all the lights in the house so as to see clearly, and then you might sweep the house and the search begins with diligently looking under beds, moving tables, chairs, couches, and going through shelves and drawers in search of whatever the item is that has value.

But in 2015 I wonder how many of you identify with the lost coin, for coins are something many of us put into a dish on a counter and refuse to carry with us, and that is why I ask the question, what is of value to you, something that you would diligently search for?  For some it might be glasses, especially if your sight is dependent on those glasses, for others it might be a wedding ring, a watch that was your grandfather’s, and the list goes on, it’s your list so you add the items that would cause you to not rest until you found them.

In Jesus’ story the woman called in all of her friends and neighbors to rejoice with her over finding the one silver coin that was lost.  It seems that the lost coin had become very public; and maybe she used the social media of her day to get the word out to her friends and neighbors of the value she placed on this silver coin.

No where in the story is Jesus shaming the woman for her diligently seeking the silver coin, but the question must be asked, what do you value?  For all the items listed have some value, but none have eternal value, yet we much like the woman in the story told by Jesus often give them value that is not in keeping with what the angels in heaven rejoice over.  Did you read verse 10, “Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

Jesus understood the value we place on many things, but do we grasp the value God has placed on the lowliest of sinners?  Most of us have in our memory John 3:16, but Church, have you forgotten the teaching of John 3:17, “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”  What we value is where we put our energy, is your energy directed at just one sinner, or are you consumed with seeking more stuff that has no eternal value?

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Often a Pharisee

Luke 15:1-7

Have you ever ask the question: Why does it bother me when folk show-up at church dressed in what I would consider not appropriate?  Could it be we are more like the Pharisees and scribes than we are willing to admit?  As we look into Luke 15:1-7 keep that at the forefront of your mind. 

“Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.”  (Luke 15:1-2 ESV)  I’ve been in that group of Pharisees and scribes more often than I would like to admit.  It brings to my mind a young man named Kevin Carroll who came to Spring Baptist one Sunday morning, he had long unkempt hair, white painter overalls with different shades of paint on them, and the boy was barefooted, and God showed up before any of us Pharisees could approach him.  Now God took on the form of our pastor Harlan Caton, and this is what happened, Harlan welcomed this long hair unkempt young man as if he was of great importance, very special, and he was to the kingdom of God. 

Harlan said loud enough for all of us Pharisees to hear, young man I want you to sit on the front roll each time you are here, I also want you to keep your eyes on me and listen to what God has to say to you, and if anyone has a problem with how you are dressed you pay no attention to them and tell them you are my personal guest.  The rest of the story is Kevin became a dear friend to Jan and I, Kevin came to Christ, his hair got groomed, his dress changed, but that is not the best, his life changed and Kevin became a youth minister, married a beautiful lady and the last time we saw them they had children of their own and were busy in the kingdom of God.

As we look at Jesus’ reply, Kevin was that lost sheep, how many Kevin’s are we passing by each day?       “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.” (Luke 15:4-7 ESV)  When our self-righteousness exceeds Christ mercy and love, we are close to judgment!

It has been my observation that the self-righteous are very often religious, I did not say they were Christ followers, for when self is on the throne of my life or your life there is little room for Christ.  So this word is for each of us who have flesh that wants chapel bells and proper dress, and it matters not if they are filled with demons from hell if they look and act good in the chapel.  “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!”  (2 Corinthians 13:5)

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

How does a Church lose its Salt?

Luke 14:34-35

            “Salt is good, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is of no use either for the soil or for the manure pile. It is thrown away. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

Jesus refers to the church as salt, and what is the church, not a building, not a denomination, but people who by faith have entered into Christ Jesus.  So the question must be asked, how does a church lose its salt?  And the follow-up question must be asked, can it be restored, or is it to be thrown away?

 On Thursday at 6:30 in the morning, Paul Wendell and I have been looking at a book written by my friend T.W. Hunt, “The Mind of Christ” and in doing so the Holy Spirit convicted me of my lack of Scripture memory, and it seemed I was directed to begin in John 14:18-21, I want to share those verses and what I believe they are telling us about our salt being good, or without taste. “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.”  (John 14:18-21 ESV)

No matter where you find yourself today, God desires to have an intimate relationship with you, and first and foremost you need to come clean, you are not in charge, you’ve not redeemed anyone, you need forgiveness, and Jesus is more than willing to meet you at the level of your need and understanding by His grace and He will give you the faith you need to ask Him to come to you.  By that faith you can know that Jesus is in the Father, and you are in Jesus and Jesus is in you, welcome to the Church!

But now comes the messy part, it’s found in John 16:33, "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."  And here is another untidy part we often have not learned or chosen to ignore, “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.” (Galatians 5:17)

The answer to how the Church loses its salty taste is found in, “Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.”  (John 14:121 ESV)  The church has allowed the culture to mold it, and it often teaches a worldly message that is in contrast to God’s commandments.   When one follows Jesus they are not guaranteed health, wealth, friends, or success, in fact Jesus tells us the world will do this; "If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you. "If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you.” (John 15:18-19)  But the Church will stand, for there will always be a few who love Jesus and are willing to die to the world and the flesh and live life as if Jesus tells the truth.  And let me be quick to answer the follow-up question; can a believer or a group of believers called the local church be restored, or is it to be thrown away?  Do what John the Baptist came proclaiming; repent and return to being a follower of Christ and not men, not the worldly wisdom of men who act like they are wiser than our Creator, for His Word is like Him, it changes not, it is the same today as it was yesterday, it is the Truth.

In closing, ponder this verse from Revelations 2:4-5, “But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.”

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Abandon self and renounce your rights

Luke 14:25-33

Before joining the army of the United States of America my older brother Fred, gave me this advice; “Bobby, never volunteer for anything and be quiet and do what you are told.”  Now Fred was not only my older brother, he was the person I looked up to and being a good little brother, I took his counsel.

Now that counsel seemed to work in the army and as I entered the business world it was still great counsel, especially the “be quiet and do what you are told.”  I’ve shared with you that Jan and I was in our twenties when we asked Jesus to forgive us for taking His place of being God, and confessed that we needed His grace and the faith to trust Him for life now and the eternal.

When we joined a Baptist church full of excitement and zeal, Fred’s advice was the furthest thing from my mind, we volunteered for any and everything, and it all felt good.  But it backfired on us, we spent more time at church than in our home, it was work and church, and our beautiful little girl knew the nursery workers very well.  Our marriage suffered, and yet how could that happen, weren’t we following Jesus?

Let me be quick to answer, “NO” we were following the flesh, I especially enjoyed the praise of men, I was not being taught because before sitting and learning how to be a follower of Jesus, I had entered into the role of teaching what I had no spiritual understanding of.  My desire in sharing this in conjunction with Luke 14:25-33 and my prayer is that you will not waste time following men, but will seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.

It may be of help if before reading Luke 14:26 you first read Matthew 10:37, for it is the same as Luke 14:26.  Shall we begin with Matthew 10:37, “Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.”  And doctor Luke uses the very strong word “hate” to make his point; in Luke 14:26, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.”  If you come away with anything other than Jesus’ requirement for being His disciples requires putting Him before all else.

Not many of us who are followers of Christ are willing to abandon self and renounce our rights, to give up control of our desires and hope to meet Jesus’ requirement for being His disciples, so we live life as good followers with little power from the Holy Spirit working in us.
I’ve often wondered why I would have such a battle putting Jesus before all else? It is clear that the world and the desires of my flesh are warring with my spirit, but could it be that you and I have not grasped this truth in John 10:10-11, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”
From the Back Porch,
Bob Rice

You are invited to the Banquet

Luke 14:15-24

You may not identify with the first person to speak in this account, but I do.  Often, I’ve wanted the head guy or gal to know I had some knowledge of what they were saying, in my case it was my flesh needing to act as if I know more than both God and I knew to be true, now I’m not sure about the guy referred to as “one of those who reclined at the table” but after Jesus’ reply he is not reported to have had any more comments.

This is the man’s statement at the table and Jesus’ reply: “When one of those who reclined at table with him heard these things, he said to him, “Blessed is everyone who will eat bread in the kingdom of God!” But he (Jesus) said to him, “A man once gave a great banquet and invited many. And at the time for the banquet he sent his servant to say to those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’ But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it. Please have me excused.’ And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to examine them. Please have me excused.’ And another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’ So the servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house became angry and said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly to the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor and crippled and blind and lame.’ And the servant said, ‘Sir, what you commanded has been done, and still there is room.’ And the master said to the servant, ‘Go out to the highways and hedges and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled. For I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste my banquet.’”  (Luke 14:15-24 ESV)

And that’s how you and I got invited into the banquet hall, not by some work of righteousness on our part, not by any goodness on our part; maybe we need the rest of the story.  The apostle John tells us about how we got invited to the banquet in John 1:9-13, “The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.”

The church is full of cultural Christians, many who by a false message have wrongly believed that all they needed to do was pray a prayer of forgiveness and they would be signed up for the banquet, but that is not what God’s word tells us. It is not a prayer, but faith in the One who gives light to all who come to Him by faith in the finished work of the Cross, and the resurrected Christ who sits at the right hand of the Father.  You have been invited to the banquet, but it’s your choice, will you be like the ones in the story above where you begin to make excuses for why you cannot come?  If so, please listen to these words from Jesus; “For I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste my banquet.”  My dad always said, “A word to the wise is sufficient.”

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice      

Eternal God and Mortal Man

Eternal God and Mortal Man

1.    Psalm 90

a.    God is our refuge in every generation.

b.    From eternity to eternity, You are God.

c.    For in Your sight a thousand years are like yesterday that passes by, like a few hours of the night.

d.    Mankind is like grass that grows in the morning, and by evening it withers and dries up.

e.    We are consumed by God’s anger; terrified by Your wrath.

f.      Our unjust ways are not hidden from You, our secret sins in the light of your presence.

g.    Verses 10-12, “Our lives last seventy years or, if we are strong, eighty years.  Even the best of them are struggle and sorrow;
indeed, they pass quickly and we fly away.  Who understands the power of Your anger?  Your wrath matches the fear that is due You.”
Teach us to number our days carefully so that we may develop wisdom in our hearts.”  

h.    We have earned God’s wrath, but our hearts cry out for Your mercy.

i.      Verse 14, “Satisfy us in the morning with Your faithful love
so that we may shout with joy and be glad all our days.” 

j.      LORD, that we may rejoice as you humble us and verse 16, should be the cry of our hearts: “Let Your work be seen by Your servants, and Your splendor by their children.”

k.    My prayer for you today: “Let the favor of the Lord our God be on us; establish for us the work of our hands—establish the work of our hands!”

As one Mortal Man who was changed by the blood of Jesus Christ, a redeemed man, a man set free from the power of sin, and changed from sinner to saint, not by any act of righteousness on my part, but by the grace of God and the faith He gave me to believe.  These things we confess, all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, and the person who says they have not sinned is a liar and the truth is not in them.

If the blood of Jesus Christ has redeemed you, what is your name, it’s not sinner it is saint.  Yes, you chose to sin, but it should break your heart, and when it is confessed with the right heart attitude to the Father, He remembers it no longer.

The Father calls you many things, His child, His beloved, in fact if you have allowed the enemy to confuse you on your identity, checkout 1 Peter 2:9-10, “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His possession, so that you may proclaim the praises of the One who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.  Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”  Now the choice is yours, a dirty rotten sinner who can’t keep from sinning or a child of the Almighty Father, a member of His family, a saint, because Christ lives in you and you live in Christ.  And remember Jesus tells the truth, and when we act on His word, it is an act of faith.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice