It seemed so disrespectiful

Mark 3:31-35

“And his mother and his brothers came, and standing outside they sent to him and called him. And a crowd was sitting around him, and they said to him, “Your mother and your brothers are outside, seeking you.” And he answered them, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” And looking about at those who sat around him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother.”

I was very young in the faith the first time I gave thought to what Jesus was saying and this seems so disrespectful to His mother and family.  I did say I was young in my new faith, not in my belief that Jesus was the Son of God, not that He was born of a virgin.  But moving from knowledge to a relationship of asking Jesus to forgive me for being the lord of the ring, looking to myself and others and not to Him. 

I was on a new journey of learning and unlearning much of what I took for truth.  I had convictions I had never had in the past, and I often came under the discipline of my Father, and it was not to harm me but to change me into a man who walked upright in the presence of both God and man.  I’m now 76 years of age and understand how little I know about many things, especially the ways of God.

I often hear people talk about a life verse, and I assume they mean a verse that gives direction to their life, if so this is mine.  It's found in Micah 6:8, “He has told you O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” 

Now with that information, one might think Bob is doing great, what a life verse, just to do what God requires of you.  It has not been, and I hope you understand my battle for I also believe it the struggle of all who choose to walk by faith and not feelings.  My largest fight is with me, with pride, and arrogance, wanting you to have a much higher opinion of me than both God and I know to be true.  Next comes the influence of the culture, and the deception of the devil, but it is pride that will keep you from being and meeting the requirements of Micah 6:8.

So how does all I stated above tie into Jesus’ questions: “Who are my mother and my brothers?”  It should be apparent that those who love Jesus and are a follower of Christ must follow Him.  It is becoming clear that I’m a mess, but I’m Jesus’ mess, and in spite of my weak faith He loves me.  It is also becoming clear that the desire of my heart is to do His will, and that makes His answer to the question above include me into His family.   “Here are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother.”

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

He is possessed by Beelzebul

Mark 3:20-30

When it states in the gospel of Mark 3:20 that Jesus went home we believe it is referring to Capernaum.  At this point in Jesus’ ministry so many had heard of what He had done that they wanted to be there to either be healed, have a demon removed from a family member, or to see what is going to happen next.  Now if you’re the priest in charge of the treasury and few are coming to services, you begin to be alarmed.  This new Rabbi is the center of attention and He is not one of your boys, and that always makes religious folks fearful.  They have been the central authority and the only show in town and now someone who is not part of their team is getting all the attention.

In these first verses we see the results of all Jesus’ popularity; “Then he went home, and the crowd gathered again so that they could not even eat. And when his family heard it, they went out to seize him, for they were saying, “He is out of his mind.”  A crowd of people can be very dangerous, and they have expectations and Jesus and His disciples sitting down to a quiet meal is not on their schedule.  Jesus’ family are keepers of the Law and Jewish, and that means they have grown-up under the authority of the priest and it looks as if they are being pressured to get Jesus under control.  Only Mark makes this statement; “He is out of his mind.” 

I’m sure it was not long before the scribes that came from Jerusalem understood the family of Jesus had no authority over Him, for Jesus’ focus was only doing the will of the Father.  (Note: how different it would be if the Church had the same attention to just doing the will of the Father, how different it would be if you and I had that as our only goal.)

So the scribes go to plan B, and that is to attack the messenger of God, that is still the plan both Satan and religion use today.  “And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem were saying, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and “by the prince of demons he casts out the demons.”  Now the religious guys are the ones who are under the control of demons and we are told in Scriptures the demons know that Jesus is the Son of God, but they are saying Jesus is under the control of Satan.

Jesus reply; found in Mark 3:23-30, “And he called them to him and said to them in parables, “How can Satan cast out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but is coming to an end. But no one can enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods unless he first binds the strong man. Then indeed he may plunder his house.

“Truly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the children of man, and whatever blasphemies they utter, but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin”— for they were saying, “He has an unclean spirit.”

Let me close with this statement, neither you nor I can stand in our strength against the powers and schemes of the devil, we need Jesus to do it all for us!

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Could it be?

Mark 3:7-19

In these first five verses, we see Jesus leaving the synagogue after healing the man with the paralyzed hand.  It is essential to recognize the very human part of Jesus, His emotions when they would not answer His question; they were both anger and sorrow.  Angered at how stubborn they were and grieved that those who were the teachers of the Jews were so blind to the Scriptures.  So He leaves that area with His disciples and heads for the sea, and we are told a large crowd follows Him from Galilee to Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, and beyond the Jordan.  It looks like the whole Jewish world was following him.  If you have not read the account in Mark 3:7-12, do so now.

But why was such a large crowd coming from so many areas of the Jewish world, Mark reported they had heard the stories and many came hoping to be healed?  Jesus had given orders for His disciples to have a small boat ready for Him so that the crowd that wanted to touch Him would not crush Him.  How once more we see what takes place when unclean spirits or evil spirits come in contact with Jesus in verses 11-12, “And whenever the unclean spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, “You are the Son of God.” And he strictly ordered them not to make him known.”

As we move into verses 13-19, we see Jesus going up into the mountain and summoned those He wanted, and they came to Him.  It seems like when you read this that more than the twelve were called, but only the twelve were chosen to be His apostles.  Mark gives us their names and the names Jesus gave them, and when Mark comes to Judas Iscariot’s name, he states he is the one who betrayed Him.

Verses 14-19, “And he appointed twelve (whom he also named apostles) so that they might be with him and he might send them out to preach and have authority to cast out demons. He appointed the twelve: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter); James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James (to whom he gave the name Boanerges, that is, Sons of Thunder); Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.”

I’m still amazed that those evil spirits or unclean spirits have disappeared from our culture.  Could it be we are deceived when we see a person on a significant T.V. network making fun of our Vice President because he talks to and hears Jesus talking to Him?  Could it be she is under the authority of an evil spirit, and could it be that when a 19-year-old goes into a school in Florida and kills 19 people that he might also be under the authority of an evil spirit?

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Religion's End Game

Mark 3:1-6

Often I’ve stated that religions endgame is to destroy or kill anyone that they fear or are opposed to them.  The Koran is very different from what Jesus taught, Jesus taught to love your enemies and to pray for them, but the Koran teaches to put them under subjection or kill them.  One is a religion and the other a relationship, in one the leader came and destroyed all who would not submit to his teaching and the other came with this promise in John 10:10b, “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”  They both died, but Jesus rose in three days from the grave and took His rightful place at the right hand of the Father.  It is amazing that one offered life and the other submission or death, yet many have chosen to go with death.  My high school friend, Buddy shared this quote with me from Blaise Pascal, “Men never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they do it from religious conviction.”  I’ve also become a fan of Blaise, and this quote is needed at this point; “In faith, there is enough light for those who want to believe and enough shadows to blind those who don't.”

So with that background let us explore Mark 3:1-6, “Again he entered the synagogue, and a man was there with a withered hand. And they watched Jesus, to see whether he would heal him on the Sabbath so that they might accuse him. And he said to the man with the withered hand, “Come here.” And he said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?” But they were silent. And he looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, and said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was restored. The Pharisees went out and immediately held counsel with the Herodians against him, how to destroy him.”

Religion has rules; lots of rules, and in my youth as a member of small
Baptist churches, it became apparent we had our share of don’ts.  We preached loving your neighbor as yourself, but it was rare when this teenage boy saw it lived out by the members of those small churches.  Have you ever wondered why the world is not knocking down the doors of our Churches, could it be we talk a good story but faith without works is dead, I believe Jesus’ brother James said that.

Well, the Pharisees were professionals at being religious and would have dragged a Baptist to death trying to keep up with all the don’ts and especially about the Sabbath.  So look at this set up on the man with the withered hand, and Jesus’ question to the Pharisees, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?”  It seems like a no-brainer, it is always good to do the right thing and it is always good to save a life.  But when trapped the Pharisees did what religion always does, and it also comes from John 10:10a, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy.”  Religions end game is to destroy or kill anyone that they fear or is opposed to them.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

God's ways are not our Ways nor are His Thoughts

Mark 2:23-28

At the time Jesus walked on planet earth Rome was mighty and had set up men in Judea and Israel that did what they told them to do.  They left the Priest and Temple worshippers alone as long as they submitted to Rome’s authority.  This was a line the Jews and mainly the religious authority wanted to keep, in that they were a governing body and controlled the people.  So anything that might rock that boat was a threat, Jesus was a significant threat, because He was not submissive to the priest, but Jesus was in total submission to His Father.  Jesus had no will of His own, only to do the will of the Father.

Now the Pharisees were a big part of the religious group, they were the leaders and teachers of the law, and they were fearful of any Rabbi that did not conform to the control, customs and traditions of the high priest.  So they shadow Jesus and His disciples.  In Mark 2:23-24, “One Sabbath he was going through the grainfields, and as they made their way, his disciples began to pluck heads of grain. And the Pharisees were saying to him, “Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?”

The following in Mark 2:25-28, is Jesus’ reply. “And he said to them, “Have you never read what David did, when he was in need and was hungry, he and those who were with him: how he entered the house of God, in the time of Abiathar, the high priest, and ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and also gave it to those who were with him?” And he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath.”

The statement of Jesus where He states; “So the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath.”  It is clear Jesus is talking about authority and affirming His status.  It is no different than in John 10:30 when He stated; “I and the Father are one.”

I would not be loving if I did not ask this question, have you come by faith to affirm that statement in your own life?  If so wonderful, but if not be honest with the Lord, and tell Him so, and begin reading in the gospel of John.  At this point,  ask the Holy Spirit to show you the truth.  Jesus is very clear in what He taught, and He states; “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6)  I've been asked if I believe what Jesus said in John 14:6, it is so exclusive!  The answer is yes, Jesus cannot lie, show me any other religion that redeems man from sin by God becoming a man, dying on a cross, rising in three days and now sits at the right hand of God the Father.  You cannot, it is finished, and it is your choice to receive Him as God or reject this love gift and die in your sins.

From the Back Porch,

 Bob Rice

The taste of New Wine

Mark 2:18-22

As a new believer in Christ, my mentor Jack Archer gave me a book and its title was “A Taste of New Wine” by Keith Miller.  I’ve passed that book on to someone else and yet today as I began to read Mark 2:18-22, the title of that book came to mind.  If I recall correctly, it was about Keith’s pilgrimage of faith, and this is not an endorsement but just a thought that came to mind as I looked over these verses.

Now lets explore the question ask of Jesus in verse 18; “Now John's disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. And people came and said to him, “Why do John's disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?”

Never been a time when a group of people has not ask such questions, why can’t Baptist dance or drink, and the answer today is many do.  But in my youth I would ask my mother what is wrong with going to a sock hop at school and her reply was, it leads to other things like drinking and smoking and going to bars, I was twelve.  Now Mom had no clue that my friends Gary, Jimmy and I were already tasting his mom and dad’s brandy and smoking grapevine and then old cigarette butts.  I’m thankful for the brandy, and it made a young man understand that Dr. Pepper was a wonderful thing to drink.

But that question is still asked by many active workers in Church ministry, why are you not doing what we are doing?  It might be helpful if they reread Paul’s teaching on Spiritual gifts in 1 Corinthians 12:4-7.

Listen to Jesus fantastic reply; “And Jesus said to them, “Can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in that day. No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. If he does, the patch tears away from it, the new from the old, and a worse tear is made. And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the wine will burst the skins—and the wine is destroyed, and so are the skins. But new wine is for fresh wineskins.”

All who have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ have entered into Christ, and He has come into them and have received fresh wineskins so to say, in that a new wine or better said, the Holy Spirit of God now indwells us.  The old man is dead, he has been crucified with Christ and no longer lives, but Christ lives in us.  We still have the battle with our flesh, but are not under its control if we allow the Lord to lead us.

So we need to look at the early Church to understand what a body of believers did after Jesus no longer walked this earth, but now He lives in their hearts and minds.  We find significant teaching in Acts 13:1-3; 14:21-23; it is clear that fasting is and should be part of a follower of Christ’s life.  Make sure you do not become a Pharisee in doing so; Jesus said they did it for men to see.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

What is a Christian?

Mark 2:13-17

Follow me was a call to discipleship then and now, but many who go by the name Christian never seem to make that connection.  Much of my younger life in Christ, if you asked me I would have said I’m a Christian, but there came a time I asked what does that mean, the word Christian to others outside and inside the church.  The dictionary defines the word Christian as, professing Christianity or its teachings: the Christian Church.  But that is not what many outside of the church would say; they believe a Christian is more than likely a Republican who is angry and bitter and against almost everything. 

It became clear to me that both the world and many in the church do not have a Biblical understanding of what the word Christian means.  And as I explored, it became clear that it was non-Christians that gave that name to those who were the earlier followers of Christ.  It was around that time, that I dropped the name Christian as who I was and I entered into being a follower of Christ.  When by grace through faith given us by the Father, we ask Jesus to forgive us of the sin of unbelief and we entered into a relationship with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; we came into the family of God.  We get adopted into the family; we are heirs and co-heirs with Christ.

Matthew was just like 99% of us when he got up and followed Christ immediately, and he had little understanding of the fullness of the call Jesus put on his life.  In verses 15-17, we see our Lord having dinner at Levi’s house with his disciples and all the friends of Levi.  One must ask, what kind of friends did Levi have and it is clear they would not be of the religious class in that he was considered by them to be a traitor and a sinner?  We see Jesus and His disciples enjoying a meal with tax collectors and sinners, and this was a big no, no!

Now scribes and the Pharisees were not that different than some people you and I hang out with, very religious in public, now public is the key word but on vacation or home not so much.  I’ve often said, you can’t con a Conner, yet for years I duped myself into believing I was not acting like a Pharisee.  And if a Pharisee today or back then saw a rabbi or teacher doing something like coming out of a bar they instantly condemned them to others.

That is what the Scribes and the Pharisees were doing with Jesus when they ask; “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?”  And this was Jesus’ answer to them, then and now; “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.  I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”  If one lives in a culture as we do in 2018, where from birth on it is someone else’s fault and often God gets the blame for anything bad that happens.  Where good is called bad and evil is called good, and evil and sin are removed from the vocabulary, and everyone does what is right in their own eyes, you have no need for a redeemer, for Jesus.  Jesus came for this reason; “I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.” 

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Finite Mind verse Big God

Mark 2:1-12

I’ve not been on many mission trips, but most of the time they are long days and very rewarding, but when getting back home one looks for some downtime.  As we begin the second chapter of Mark, Jesus is returning to Capernaum and He has been home just a few days when the word gets out that He is back.

It was not reported that the people said he was drained from preaching, healing the sick, and casting out demons, let’s not bother him.  No, that is not the account Mark gives us, go to verse 2, “And many were gathered together, so that there was no more room, not even at the door. And he was preaching the word to them.”  Can you imagine this setting; these town folks invaded the home where Jesus was staying to the extent no one could come or go, and no one else could get in the house.

That’s when four guys showed up, Scripture only tells us it was four men, would you want four friends like these men.  They have a friend who is a paralytic and the four of them picked up his bed and brought him to Jesus, but they had a problem, no one was going to give up their place to let him in to see Jesus.

Now I bet these guys were in sales, the key to being good at selling is persistence, if one knows a door closed they then look for other ways to get to the man, often the buyer is referred as, “the man.”  One thing I know I want friends like these guys, they put action to their faith and were not going to take no for an answer.  This is Mark’s account; “And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. And when they could not get near him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him, and when they had made an opening, they let down the bed on which the paralytic lay. And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”

The religious guys in the room said to themselves, he said what?  No one but God alone can forgive sin, and they were right on, with one small problem, they did not know God or that His Son was in the room with them.  Let’s examine verses 6-12, “Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, “Why does this man speak like that? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” And immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they thus questioned within themselves, said to them, “Why do you question these things in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, take up your bed and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the paralytic— “I say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home.” And he rose and immediately picked up his bed and went out before them all so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!”

How often are we like the scribes, when God shows up and does something that does not fit our religious expectations?   Let me clue you in, no matter what place your finite mind has put the LORD in, He is never going to fit, for He is bigger and grander than one's mind can imagine.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Difficulty in finding Down Time

Mark 1:35-45

Can you imagine the difficulty our President has in having time by himself, and what about Jesus while in His earthsuit on planet earth, someone was always wanting a piece of him?  The answer is a simple yes, and when one stops to explore how He manages time with His Father, it makes our reasons for not doing so very lame.

“And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed. And Simon and those who were with him searched for him, and they found him and said to him, “Everyone is looking for you.” And he said to them, “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out.” And he went throughout all Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons.” (Mark 1:35-39)

Now you believe Jesus is having a hard time going from town to town because of the crowds of people wanting to see Him or get something from Him, but it is going to get much worse.

In verse 40 we find this account, “And a leper came to him, imploring him, and kneeling said to him, “If you will, you can make me clean.”  Before coming to Jesus a crowd was always nearby, this leper was required by law to tell everyone he was unclean.  At that time, there was no cure for leprosy and Jesus was his only hope.  Today and then there was only one cure for sin, and it was then by the blood of a lamb that was pure and without blemish, but had to be repeated each year.  Today it is the same with one exception, Jesus is that lamb, and by the grace of God and through faith in the finished work of Christ on the cross, we're cured of the death penalty of sin.  I forgot something essential, it's not an every year thing, it covers you for now and eternity.

But I’ve always been taken by this man's faith, “If you will, you can make me clean.”  I believe many come to Jesus with a serious request, but without faith, it is impossible to please God.  In verse 41, “Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand and touched him and said to him, “I will; be clean.”

This is one time Mark used the word immediately that it fit very well in the account; “And immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean.”  Jesus also gave the leper, the one He made clean this instruction. “And Jesus sternly charged him and sent him away at once, and said to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, for a proof to them.”  Can you imagine winning a 100 million and them telling you not to share that news with anyone but your pastor? 

The man just had to share what Jesus had done for him, what a contrast to so many who go by the name Christian.  “But he went out and began to talk freely about it, and to spread the news, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter a town, but was out in desolate places, and people were coming to him from every quarter.”

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Not much Downtime

Mark 1:28-34

Mark is always in a hurry to get to the next part of his account, I want you as a reader to notice how often he uses words or terms like “as soon” or “immediately.”  “And immediately he left the synagogue and entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. Now Simon's mother-in-law lay ill with a fever, and immediately they told him about her.”

Now, this verse may mess with some groups belief system that believes Peter never married, but I do not know how one gets a mother-in-law without being married.  The next observation is Peter’s wife must have been supportive of his ministry in 1 Corinthians 9:5-6, “Do we not have the right to take along a believing wife, as do the other apostles and the brothers of the Lord and Cephas?”  We find Jesus renaming Peter in John 1:42 with the Greek word Cephas, meaning stone or rock. 

Let us observe what happen when Jesus was told Peter’s mother-in-law was sick.  “And he came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and the fever left her, and she began to serve them.”  Jesus did not speak to the mother-in-law but took her by the hand, and she was healed.  It is incredible the many ways Jesus used to heal those he came in contact with and is that not significant; otherwise people would have a church with only one way to be healed.

Do you recall when the Scripture states that often Jesus went away to a quiet place to be alone with the Father?  In Luke’s Gospel 5:15-16, we find this account; “But now, even more, the report about him went abroad, and great crowds gathered to hear him and to be healed of their infirmities. But he would withdraw to desolate places and pray.”

“That evening at sundown they brought to him all who were sick or oppressed by demons. And the whole city was gathered together at the door.” (Mark 1:32-33)  Not a lot of downtime for Jesus to rest and spend time with the guys. The whole city has shown up at the door with everyone who is sick or oppressed by demons, and I keep wondering where did all those demons go, could it be to Washington D.C. and the Congress of the United States of America?  Yes, they are there, but they are also in our homes and church schools and local government.  I wonder how long before we are willing to bring them to where Jesus is as did the people of Capernaum?

We will end today with verse 34, “And he healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons. And he would not permit the demons to speak because they knew him.”  Did you notice it says He healed many who were sick and many who were with demons but it does not use the word all anywhere?  He also healed the sick but drove out the demons from those who had them.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Only One Plan

Luke 4:1-13

After reading the Scriptures, these are some insights I believe are being taught, and the first one is that from the beginning God never had two plans.  He gave the Law to expose our need for grace, look at Romans 3:20; “For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight since through the law comes knowledge of sin.”

Chapter four begins in this way; Jesus full of the Holy Spirit: Once more we see an example of Jesus depending on His Father, in the same manner, that you and I must.  And the Holy Spirit was leading into the wilderness, and it was there for forty days and nights He was tempted by the devil.  Now you do not want to go forty days without food and water, but if you could, you would be both hungry and thirsty.  In fact, it would consume your actions and thoughts.  Now the deceiver had a plan for Jesus, and he has a plan for you and I.  The program has always been to get our needs met outside of Christ.

The deceiver is big on the “If” word and especially when it comes to God’s authority.  Doubt leads to fear, and fear leaves no room for faith, and that is what the “IF” is all about, it opens us up to look for a more common-sense way.

The old Serpent has one big problem; he longs to be worshipped it is what got him kicked out of heaven.  He wanted the Son’s place by the Father, but his one problem was he was created by the Son, and could never be God.  The deal Satan made that day with Jesus has been offered to many a person since, and though it looks good for a while, he cannot deliver.

What do we know about the devil is at his creation his name was Lucifer, and his title was chief archangel, and it was pride and evil found in him, wanting his seat in heaven to be equal to God’s.  So when he told Jesus he had been given authority to give it to whoever he desired, we do know that Scripture calls Him the prince of the power of the air in Ephesians 2:2. 

Now we know in Luke 4:13,”When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time.”  What was that opportune time?  I believe it happened often, and that is why Jesus frequently went away to be with the Father for Jesus’ only desire was to obey His Father. 

Let’s say we agree that Satan has the power to make the world bow down and worship whom he gives that power.  He cannot forgive sin; he cannot change the sin desires, not even his own. 

So Satan cannot deliver on His promise of bypassing the Cross-to bring redemption to a lost and dying world.  For it is written, “In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”  God’s plan never changes.  When Adam and Eve sinned, God killed an animal to cover their nakedness.  Nakedness was not sinning till they sin, but it exposed the sin that was in them, for the first time they hid from God.  Why, because they were naked, no because they had disobeyed the Father?  The law required the killing of a lamb, not any old lamb, but a perfect one, good only for a year.  Jesus took care of the sin problem on the cross, and that was the only plan from the beginning.

I also do not believe Satan had any knowledge of the Cross.  If he did, he would not have put in the hearts of men to kill Jesus.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Where did they Go?

Mark 1:23-24

Jesus was in the synagogue teaching when a man with an unclean spirit cried out, “What do You have to do with us, Jesus of Nazarene? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are – the Holy One of God!”  Now anyone with the ability to use his or her thinker must have asked, where did all those unclean spirits go, in that we never hear about people having unclean spirits or evil spirits?  We see evil in all aspects of our world, and we know the results of evil spirits or unclean spirits in our churches, in the homes, and families of so many that have the title of Christian.  Why have we never heard anyone including this writer, address the unclean spirits as Jesus has?

It was not the man that knew who Jesus was but the demon living inside of him, and the Scriptures are very clear about this; looking ahead at Mark 3:11. “And whenever the unclean spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, “You are the Son of God.”  You will also find the same account in Luke 4:41, and Matthew 8:29.

Why do they come to a place of worship, because they have one goal, to kill, steal and destroy your life, your kids, and your family?  Satan knows he has no power to remove you from God’s hand, but his goal is to destroy your testimony of Christ who lives in you. 

If we who follow Christ were aware of these five Scriptures and applied them to our lives, we would stand against Satan and his demons by the power of Christ who lives in us.

1.    “Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil.” (Ephesians 4:26-27)

2.    “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.”  (Ephesians 6:11)

3.    “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” (James 4:7)

4.    “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”  (1Peter 5:8)

5.    “Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.” 1Peter 5:9)

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

As one who had Authority

Mark 1:21-22

Once again we see Mark using words like immediately, or your Bible might say right away, as they enter into Capernaum Jesus entered the synagogue on the Sabbath and began to teach.  How would that look today, what happens if Jesus comes in the flesh to your place of worship, and before the preacher or priest gets to deliver the message, Jesus comes to the platform and opens the Scriptures and begins to preach?  One can only imagine, but I see Him removed from the building with police and deacons all around him.

What was different in the synagogue at Capernaum?  I found this on the teaching in the synagogue at “Sermon Writer” and wanted to share it with you.  “Sabbath worship includes prayer as well as the public reading and exposition of the scriptures. The role of the president of the synagogue is more administrative than pastoral, so he invites qualified laymen to speak. Synagogue rulers would welcome a fresh, promising voice, which explains how Jesus could teach in the synagogue.” 

Do you recall when Jesus cleared the Temple in Matthew 21:13, ‘He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you make it a den of robbers.”  Is your place of worship a house of prayer?  Or does it seem there is always some program that sounds like a great plan to raise money to fund some good intention?  Is it directed at those who never show up to worship or much worse at non-church members?  I get sick to my stomach when I see people begging for money on a street corner to support a ministry.  Or they are sending their youth out to beg non-Church members for money, as if Jesus cannot meet every need that you have.  It is my belief that when we do such things instead of spending time in prayer and asking our Lord to do as promised by the apostle Paul in Philippians 4:19, we bring shame on the name of our God.

Are you astonished at the teaching of Scripture in your place of worship? The people of Capernaum were, and we must ask why and the answer is clear that Jesus taught them as one who had authority and not as the scribes?  Are you sitting under a scribe, or a pastor, or priest that has spent time with the Lord and the message is from the Lord, empowered by the Holy Spirit and you come away overwhelmed?  Does Jesus still show up at your place of worship, or has it become a den of robbers?

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

The meaning of the Call

Mark 1:14-20

What happens when God shows up and calls you to be His follower, as we read verses 16-20, you are going to observe what some fishermen did?  Many today are still hearing this call and doing likewise.  As we explore the Scripture, we see Jesus calling some to stay in the workplace and others to be homemakers, and all to be a fisherman of people.

Now it might be wise to cover verses 14-15, and one must be aware that from the time of Jesus being tempted by Satan and John’s arrest is possibly a year or longer.  But you do recall that Mark likes the word immediately, and his writing holds true to the word.  Mark does not give any space about Jesus’ time of ministry in Galilee and wants to move on the calling of His first disciples.

Looking at verses 16-20, “Passing alongside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” And immediately they left their nets and followed him. And going on a little farther, he saw James the son of Zebedee and John, his brother, who were in their boat mending the nets. And immediately he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants and followed him.”

You may read past this looking for something more profound, I have many times, but slow down and ask the Holy Spirit to give you an understanding of what this call means, and has it happen to you?  Questions that came to my mind were; is this the first time Jesus saw these men, and was it the first time they saw Jesus?  He has been preaching in Galilee for some time, and because Galilee is on the sea, it makes sense that fishing is big business.  One who had grown-up in the marketplace as the son of a carpenter as Jesus had, it seems he would have been drawn to such people.

But the call to follow Jesus will change their lives if these men would have stayed in the fishing industry.  They may have employed a few people for sure and would have fed families with their fish, but would they have changed the hearts of men and women, boys and girls to seek God?  You know the answer, without the Spirit of Christ living in us we are all about taking care of number one.  Now I'm not saying that a follower of Christ does not struggle in those areas, but as we stay in the word and seek the will of the Father over ours, we will be a fisherman of people and see lives eternally changed.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Mark hits the high points

Mark 1:9-13

What a different account from Dr. Luke, Luke goes into great details, but Mark always seems to be the guy who is hitting the high points and moving on.  Picking up the account in Mark 1:9-11, “In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you, I am well pleased.” 

Did only Mark and Jesus hear what was said when the heavens were being torn open and the Spirit descended on Him like a dove?  All three persons of the Trinity are represented at Jesus’ baptism.  Now I’m a dad, and I was a son, these words from the Father to His Son, “You are my beloved Son; with you, I am well pleased,” are words any child longs to hear.  But this is not any Child; this is Jesus the Christ, the Son of the living God.  Jesus, the Son of God who was sent by the Father to become lower than the angels, to come to earth and be a servant, to teach about the kingdom of heaven, and to die for the sins of ALL mankind, to proclaim victory over death and the grave!

It must have been Mark’s personality to be in a hurry, or he liked the word “immediately,” in that he uses it 40 times in writing the Gospel of Mark.  One of the many times the word immediately is used in verse 12, and in verse 13 look at who is ministering to Jesus.  “The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. And he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. And he was with the wild animals, and the angels were ministering to him.”  Often I have to remind myself that Jesus was all God, and also all man, He had flesh, and He got tired, and He laughed and cried, and when cut He bled.  And like you and me He had two voices speaking to Him, one was the Spirit of God, and the other was Satan.  The big difference between you and me is Jesus knew the Father’s voice, and the other that sounded like His human voice but was not able to deceive Him.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

We never done it like this!

Mark 1:4-5

“John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.”

What was the draw to get people to come out into the wilderness to be baptized in the river Jordan, and confess their sins?  These are Jews, and the place of worship is the temple or synagogue, and sin atoned by a blood sacrifice.  So once more I ask, what is happening and how do you think the religious leaders are feeling about this guy named John?  It seems as if his call for a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins was inclusive both the country folks and the urbanites were drawn to this wilderness preacher and baptizer. 

Up to this time, all that had been promised was the blood of a lamb that would cover your sins until the next year, but John seems to be offering something very different.  He was asking them to change directions, to quit sinning and to confess sins, and to follow or obey the commandments of God.  If you turn to Malachi 4:5-6, we see a promise made to the Jewish people.  “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.”  It is my opinion that this scripture is for the second coming of Christ, but John did come in the spirit of Elijah.

John was not only chosen by God but had God’s anointing to introduce His Son into His ministry.  John was different from all the others of his day in both dress and what he ate.  But John’s dress was like Elijah’s, and Mark suggests that John was Elijah.  In Mark 1:7-8, “And he preached, saying, “After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

I have read that the job of untying the strap of a Jewish man’s sandals was set aside for a Gentile slave, and he is making it clear that the One coming is superior to him.  And this may be the first time they have heard the term the Holy Spirit.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Men God has used

January 24, 2018

Mark 1:1-3

Today let us look at these verses from another view.

Have you given thought to some of the men who God has used to share the gospel with the masses in our time?   D. L. Moody, his dad died when he was only four, leaving his mother, Betsey, in charge of raising nine children, all under 13 years.  His mother encouraged all her children to read the Bible and Dwight was faithful, and yet he only had a fifth-grade education.  At seventeen Dwight became a shoe salesman in his uncle's store and at eighteen while attending YMCA and Sunday school classes, he became a Christian. Shortly after that, he moved to Chicago, where he sold shoes and worked toward his goal of amassing a fortune of $100,000. 

But his new faith conflicted with his goal, and he came to understand that helping the poor was a more significant goal.  In 1858 he established a mission Sunday school at North Market Hall in a slum of Chicago. It soon blossomed into a church (from which, six years later the Illinois Street Independent Church was formed, precursor to the now famous Moody Memorial Church). By 1861 he had left his business to concentrate on social and evangelistic work. He drew the children of the German and Scandinavian immigrant underclass to his mission with candy and pony rides, and he drew the adults through evening prayer meetings and English classes. He was convinced, "If you can really make a man believe you love him, you have won him."  (Taken from Christianity Today)

As we have seen in the life of D.L. Moody, we saw in the life of John the Baptist a man who was used significantly by God, because his message had the power of the Holy Spirit and was straight to the point, Jesus Christ is your answer to life, now and eternal life.  John's message in a nutshell; “Someone more powerful than I will come after me.  “I am not worthy” to stoop down and untie the strap of His sandals.  I have baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

How did John get his start in preaching?  It's very simple, John was chosen by God before he was born to be the forerunner of His Son, the Christ.  How did he get into the wilderness ministry is not shared in Scripture, but in that his mother and dad were up in age when he was born it may have been that while he was still young they died, and he grew up in the wilderness.  But there is much in the way of details God has chosen to keep from us, or did he, in this case, we were told 700 years earlier all but his name.

If we look into the gospel of Luke 3:1-3, we get this report. “In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John, the son of Zechariah in the wilderness. And he went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.”

Isaiah, the prophet of God, had this to say around 700 years before John the Baptizer was born.  “As it is written in Isaiah the prophet:

Look, I am sending My messenger ahead of You, who will prepare Your way.
A voice of one crying out in the wilderness:  Prepare the way for the Lord; make His paths straight!”

So our goal as followers of Christ is to share that life only found in a relationship with the living Christ.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice