The Removal of the Church

May 3, 2108

Mark 13:24-37

“But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.  And then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory.  And then he will send out the angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.”

Much is written about God’s elect, and I believe Jesus was not referring to the Church, for the Church was a mystery at the time Jesus was giving this message.  The church was a mystery until the Holy Spirit came to live in the followers of Christ at Pentecost.  Harlan Caton had this to say about the Church; “It must be clearly stated that the Church is a new and separate body called out for a special purpose and period of time.”  A new thing had happened, Jesus Christ had come to live in one body, the Body of Christ, of which He is the Head, and we are the members.  You can find that in 1 Corinthians 12:13,27; Ephesians 1:22, 23; 5:22,30,32 and Colossians 1:18.  (Taken from page 109 “The Second Coming of Jesus Christ).

We do not find the Church in the Old Testament but we do see the Tribulation.  In Deuteronomy 4:29-31 we have Moses telling the people who are coming out of Egypt what will take place in the future of Israel.  “But from there you will seek the Lord your God, and you will find him, if you search after him with all your heart and with all your soul. ³⁰ When you are in tribulation, and all these things come upon you in the latter days, you will return to the Lord your God and obey his voice. For the Lord, your God is a merciful God. He will not leave you or destroy you or forget the covenant with your fathers that he swore to them.”

But to get a better picture of that history, you will need to go back to Deut. 4:23 and begin there.  Moses tells the people that after many generations they will have forgotten the God who brought them out of captivity and worship gods of stone and wood, gods that cannot see or speak.  And He will judge them and scatter them between the nations and destroy many of them.  And then God reveals to them through Moses about the great tribulation. 

The one thing that is of utmost importance in the Parable of the Fig Tree is verse 31, “Heaven and earth will pass away,” but My word will never pass away.”  Only God can make such a claim.

“But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.  Be on guard, keep awake.  For you do not know when the time will come.  It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his servants in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to stay awake.  Therefore stay awake—for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning— lest he come suddenly and find you asleep.  And what I say to you I say to all: Stay awake.” (Mark 13:32-37)

Let me close with a few remarks from Harlan, for I loved that man, he was my pastor, and I believe my first Pastor/teacher of the Scripture.  I was blessed to sit under his teaching for 3 ½ years and I consider him my friend. 

“The Church is to Watch for the imminent return of Christ (I Corinthians 15:51-52; Philippians 3:20; I Thessalonians 1:9-10).  “The believer is to live as though the Rapture could happen any moment.  However, if the Church is to go through the Tribulation, then we would know when the Lord will return.”

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Betrayal

May 4, 2018

Mark 14:1-11

Betrayal is more common than most of us think, and it is done for many reasons, to gain favor with the other group, to get a reward, or to reveal something.  If you think about it, that is why many people do not let others into their lives, it opens the door to be hurt, by someone you trust.

Now the Passover is going to happen in two days and what are these religious leaders planning, to kill Jesus?  But they are unsure of the people, and what they will do, so they hesitated to act.

Jesus is at the house of Simon and was reclining at the table when a woman known as Mary of Bethany pours expensive perfume on his head and it is in John 12:2-3.  The gospel of Mark tells us it is worth about 300 denarii and one denarius was a day’s wage for an ordinary worker.  Now people, maybe disciples and Judas Iscariot were not happy with this act of love.  We know Judas was a thief and would have enjoyed having that money, because He was the treasurer of the twelve disciples.  (Note: Be aware of the person who only cares about how the money is spent at your church)

Listen to what Jesus had to say to those people; “Leave her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a beautiful thing to me.  For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you want, you can do good for them. But you will not always have me.  She has done what she could; she has anointed my body beforehand for burial.   And truly, I say to you, wherever the gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in memory of her.”

Once more Jesus is sharing with both His disciples and a group of people that His death is close.  If you’re a thief and looking forward to your leader becoming the head of state, and He keeps talking about His death, a thief wants to cash in.  And that is what Judas did he went to the high priest and made a deal to sell-out Jesus for 30 silver coins.  From that day on he looked for a way to betray Jesus.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

It's comming to the U.S.A. - Soon very Soon

Mark 13:14-23

Mark is telling us that this is something new and different than anything you have ever experienced.  What He is referring to is the “Great Tribulation,” the Christ understood tribulation.  They had already been cut off from family, kicked out of the temple and socially were seen as cult people, but Mark is saying this is going to be much worse.  Unlike the Church in the USA, these early followers of Christ expected to be hated because of the name of Christ, and they endured faithfully.

This is how he began;  “But when you see the abomination of desolation standing where he ought not to be (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.”  Mark does not give clarity on what he meant by standing where he ought not to be, but Matthew 24:9-14, tells us what leads up to this event.  Let me share;  “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake. And then many will fall away^[a and betray one another and hate one another.  And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray.  And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold.  But the one who endures to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.”

It's apparent to all that it is the time we are living in, we have a significant falling away and hate for the followers of Christ is on the increase.  But for the first time in the history of this world, the gospel of Jesus Christ is reaching the whole world and Jesus has this to share with us in Matthew 24:23-27; “Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There he is!’ do not believe it.  For false Christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.  See, I have told you beforehand. So, if they say to you, ‘Look, he is in the wilderness,’ do not go out. If they say, ‘Look, he is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it.  For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.” 

But one thing that we left out in Matthew’s account is that we are told where this will take place and it is in the temple, Matthew 24:15.  And that is a problem, for the temple is gone, but to my amazement while in Jerusalem visiting the sights, Jan and I were told that everything is in place to rebuild the temple.  We were told it could be back in months; all the items are in place, the priests are trained, and in place, they are waiting for the right time to build it.

Shall we end this with a quote from Jesus found in Mark 13:22-23, “For false Christs and false prophets will arise and perform signs and wonders, to lead astray, if possible, the elect.  But be on guard; I have told you all things beforehand.”

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Pay attentions to the Holy Spirit

Mark 13:9-13

 “But be on your guard, for they will deliver you over to councils, and you will be beaten in synagogues, and you will stand before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them. ¹⁰ And the gospel must first be proclaimed to all nations. ¹¹ And when they bring you to trial and deliver you over, do not be anxious beforehand what you are to say, but say whatever is given you in that hour, for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit. ¹² And brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death. ¹³ And you will be hated by all for my name sake.   But the one who endures to the end will be saved.”

Watch out, be on guard you're going into a meeting, and they are going to ask you to take a job that has no hope of success!  I believe you would be on your guard; you would listen to each word and be leery of all the compliments.  I was the guy walking into that meeting, and it was not a human that told me to be on guard, but the Holy Spirit that lives in me.  What could have been a career-ending move turned out to change my bosses plans.  We did not go on that path at that time because I was on guard and listening to the Holy Spirit and not my flesh.

When Jesus tells us to be on our guard, we better pay attention!  Jesus is talking about what the eleven will experience, and the Sanhedrin was the ruling body of the courts.  Today in the United States of America you need to be on your guard, not being fearful or paranoid, that is the word from Jesus to each of us.  But be alert to a real enemy that hates you and has come to steal, kill and destroy your gospel message.

I have been on planet earth for 76 years and never would I have believed that a person who follows Christ would be charged with a crime because they refused to bake a wedding cake for two people of the same sex.  And not only that, the news media would support such action as just and fair even though the baker was willing to sell them any cake in the place, but would not make a special cake for them. 

Could it be I was ignorant of what Jesus told us in Scripture, in this world we will suffer tribulation?  Or am I like many of my brothers and sisters in Christ who believe we are not going to see such things in the good old USA?  Well, the dam leaks and it is going to bring a flood of persecution, but Jesus has stated be on your guard, but do not allow anxiety to fill your life for we are promised the Holy Spirit will give us the words to speak.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

A Common Question

Mark 13:1-8

Have you ever considered what a good question could produce, often you and I answer questions with such shallow answers, but not Jesus, His response provoked deep thought?  It was a statement by one of the disciples that caused Peter, James, John, and Andrew to ask Jesus a question privately and it is still asked today.  Shall we begin in verses 1&2; “And as he came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher, what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!” ² And Jesus said to him, “Do you see these great buildings? There will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.”

Jesus is not talking about one building but a complex of buildings built over a period of fifty years.  This happened in 70 A.D. by the Romans, and Josephus the Jewish historian tells us that some of the stones were 60 feet long.  So far the most significant one found has been 42 feet long, 11 feet high, and 14 feet deep, weighing over a million pounds.  (Information from HCSB page 1710 in notes)

So what was the question these four disciples wanted an answer to, and why is it still being asked?  Tell us when these things will happen, and the reason we still want the same answer as they did.  Now our scope may have changed, for we are not asking anymore about the temple complex, but we, like them want to know the signs of the end of the age.  It is my understanding Jesus used this earlier destruction of the temple complex to foreshadow the end of time.

The first thing Jesus told them is to watch out for deceivers, O’ how important that message is to a culture like ours, where it has little understanding of the Scriptures and not much about even the history of the last 100 years.  The society we live in can quickly be sold a lie, for seeking truth is not the aim, but the focus is on things and entrainment.  Jesus tells them many will come in Jesus name, proclaiming I am He, and Jesus tells us they will deceive many.  Then we go to verse 7-8; “And when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. This must take place, but the end is not yet. ⁸ For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. These are but the beginning of the birth pains.” 

Many claim to be Christians, but few are a follower of Christ, but tomorrow we will look at the cost of being a disciple or follower of Christ.  Also, we will look into the great tribulation that is coming, and it is coming soon, very soon.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Giving All

Mark 12:41-44

My dad would tell the story of going with a few guys to a small Black Baptist Church when he was a young man and was blown away by the way they took the offering.  He said they passed the buckets and then brought it to the pastor and he counted the money.  And then he told the deacons to lock the doors and pass the buckets again, but after the second count, they still did not have the amount needed, so they passed them once more.  My dad said he and his friends were getting a little concerned that this might keep going for a long time.  So they put some change in the bucket, and after the third offering, the pastor had them open the doors.  That is not what Jesus did, but He did sit and watch who gave what and shared this insight with us.

 ^“ And he sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the offering box. Many rich people put in large sums.  And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny.  And he called his disciples to him and said to them, “Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box.  For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.”

Can you imagine a young Rabbi is sitting watching what goes into the offering box, and the people see and that it is time for the flesh to showoff?  I can only imagine Lew watching Samuel go back into his purse and grab a few more coins and almost count them out as they go into the offering box.  So Samuel who is not to be outdone also goes back for more coins and makes sure he gives more than anyone else has and then looks at the young Rabbi for approval.  But the little widow has only two coins, not worth much, they are copper and not gold or silver, but it is all she has.  It does not bother her that the Rabbi is watching, she may not even have seen him in that she been talking to the Father thanking Him for allowing her to give.  

Now that brings us back to what Jesus said, what about me when have I given out of my poverty, and the answer is never.  But I do have the blessing to give out of my abundance, and not for show, but with a grateful heart, for like the widow I understand I’m blessed when 

I have much or little.  In 2 Corinthians 9:6-7, “The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.  Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Beware of anyine in Leadership that has to be first

Mark 12:35-40

³⁵ And as Jesus taught in the temple, he said, “How can the scribes say that the Christ is the son of David? ³⁶ David himself, in the Holy Spirit, declared, “‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet.”’ ³⁷ David himself calls him Lord. So how is he his son?” And the great throng heard him gladly.

It seems as if the question is still debated, even when the evidence has been clearly laid out.  What is the issue; “Whose Son is the Christ?”  The Scribes were saying the Messiah would come from King David’s lineage and Jesus meets that requirement.  “The scribes identified Messiah as David’s Son, but David identified Messiah as his Lord.   Therefore Messiah was not just a descendant of David. He was David’s Lord.” (Taken from page 1709 notes in HCSB)

We are still sharing what Jesus had to say about the scribes in His day, and I believe it applies as much today.  I think today Jesus would say beware of the pastor who has a special parking place at the church building and where it is known as and called by his name.  Our pastor at Oakwood has a policy that applies to all staff, and they are called to leave the best parking for our members and park at the back of the lot.  He also asked them to be the last in line at a church meal and the last to leave all services unless they have a good reason.  Jesus is not referring to a man like Ray Still in this verse, but a pastor who believes he is the top gun and all others are blessed to be part of his ministry. 

This is what Jesus has to say about this kind of scribe. ³⁸ And in his teaching, he said, “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes and like greetings in the marketplaces ³⁹ and have the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts, ⁴⁰ who devour widows' houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.”

But all of us that are followers of Christ should beware of putting ourselves first that is not the model Christ left us; it is a worldly model, not a Godly model.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

The Impossible Life to Live

Mark 12:28-34

My friend Bill Gillham would often make this statement, “The Christian life is not difficult to live; it is impossible.  Jesus Christ is the only one who has ever really lived the Christian life.  He is the only one who can live it today, and that is exactly what He wants to do – through you” But we all who go by the name of Christian and have the heart to be followers of Christ desire to live that life.  We do many good things; like serving others at our church and even outside of the doors.  We tithe, go on mission trips, and even attend Bible studies, and pray for our staff and members, we are people of faith.  But do you recall the scribes and the Pharisees also did the same, but what was missing in them was whom they were doing it for, and I’m fearful many in the Church have the same motive, to be seen by men?

Mark tells about one scribe that heard the Sadducees disputing with one another, and he understood that Jesus had given them a good answer to the question they ask.  So he asked Jesus this question, “Which commandment is the most important of all?”  Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. ³⁰ And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ ³¹ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

Before we look at the reply shall we look at what a follower of Christ should be?  I am building a woodshop; it requires a lot of my time and thought, it is almost like having a job once more.  But I do not love that woodshop, if it got destroyed I would be sad, but it is not the object of my love, but like my job it is a blessing from my Father, as was my income.  With that said you and I have to be very careful of the grace of our Lord, such as golf, fishing, hunting, sports, and even our children, in how much of our heart they have taken.  For the command is to love God with all your heart, not what is left over.

Now we have been told our soul is our mind, will and personality and Jesus tells us to love God with all our soul, not the little that is left, the more I write about this, Bill Gillhams statement becomes clear to me.  “The Christian life is not difficult to live; it is impossible.  Jesus Christ is the only one who has ever really lived the Christian life.  He is the only one who can live it today, and that is exactly what He wants to do – through you.”

What about your strength, how much is left at the end of the day to give to the Lord, that way it is so important to begin the day with a time enjoying Jesus. He is life and light, so it so important to start the morning with our Lord.

Now the second command is impossible unless He is doing it all for you, for Jesus made it clear that anyone we come in contact with is our neighbor.  ³² And the scribe said to him, “You are right, Teacher. You have truly said that he is one, and there is no other besides him. ³³ And to love him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength, and to love one's neighbor as oneself, is much more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.”  I believe this came from a pure heart, for Jesus looks on the heart and not what happens out of our performance. 

And this was Jesus reply; “And when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And after that no one dared to ask him any more questions.”

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Who are you looking forward to seeing in Heaven?

Mark 12:18-27

Who were the Sadducees?  They were religious guys that did not believe in a life after death, whereas the Pharisees were religious guys that did believe in life after death, both groups were doing all in their power to undermine Jesus’ teachings.

A group of these Sadducees got together and came to Jesus with this question: “Teacher,” they said, “Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, the man must marry the widow and raise up offspring for his brother. ²⁰ Now there were seven brothers. The first one married and died without leaving any children. ²¹ The second one married the widow, but he also died, leaving no child. It was the same with the third. ²² In fact, none of the seven left any children. Last, of all, the woman died too. ²³ At the resurrection whose wife will she be, since the seven were married to her?”

It sounds like a great question, but as we look at Jesus’ answer, we learn it is based on ignorance of the Scriptures.  Its purpose was to trap Jesus, but the Pharisees who asked about paying taxes are going to understand this is not an average man they are talking to.

This is Jesus’ reply; “Jesus replied, “Are you not in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God? ²⁵ When the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven. ²⁶ Now about the dead rising—have you not read in the Book of Moses, in the account of the burning bush, how God said to him, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? ²⁷ He is not the God of the dead, but of the living. You are badly mistaken!”

Now I hope that makes your thinker go to work on some of the foolish things we hear people say when someone has passed from this life into eternity.  Angels are not all knowing, only God is, angels are still learning and marvel at the truths of our great and mighty God.  We may meet Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at some point even our family, but the priority will be to see Jesus and to sit at His feet in worship.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Leaving God behind for What?

Proverbs 15 select verses

“The eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good.” (Proverbs 15:3)  The best of commentaries are the Scriptures, so go with me to Psalm 139:7-12, “Where shall I go from your Spirit?  Or where shall I flee from your presence?  If I ascend to heaven, you are there!  If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!  If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me.  If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night,” even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you.”  We also have this from Jeremiah 23:23-24, “Am I a God at hand, declares the Lord, and not a God far away? ²⁴ Can a man hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him? Declares the Lord. Do I not fill heaven and earth? Declares the Lord.”

Many a person needs to ponder on these verses, yes Heaven and Hell are real places, but one should give thought to this fact, Jesus talks more about hell than He did about heaven.  You have never gotten by with anything, but God has placed the cross, and it is a stumbling block to many but salvation to any who will receive the gift of redemption.   My prayer is that you will come to an understanding that all have sinned and fallen short, we have no claim to God’s love, it cannot be earned, nor is it deserved, it is His love gift to all who come with a broken and contrite heart of repentance.  He longs to forgive each of us!  Neither is it based on wealth, status, or performance; it is grace through the faith God will give to anyone asking.

Proverbs 15:5-6, “A fool despises his father's instruction, but whoever heeds reproof is prudent.  ⁶ In the house of the righteous there is much treasure, but trouble befalls the income of the wicked.”

What happens to a generation of fools?  The latest studies show the millennial would rather be under a socialist type of government than a capitalist.  My sincerest hope is this is not true, and some say about 7 percent would choose communism over the freedom of the United States of America, what has happened?

How did we get to this point, let me share a few thoughts that might give insight to the problem?  Everyone wants to blame the liberal professors, and they may contribute to the problem, but they are not the reason.  Others may blame the education system, and they also may have been a small part of this puzzle, but not the cause.

So who is to blame, it must be the government or the greed of politicians, they play a role, but the root cause is not too much materialism or technology, no it is much more profound.

We the people of the United States of America have grown foolish, we have fashioned God into our mold, and have not bowed our wills to His.  So He has allowed us to go the way of Sodom and Gomorrah and it has been our choice, but a wise man would read how that comes out in the book of Genesis and if I recall it was not good.

Dads are the primary the blame and it matter, not the nationality. The Black family was one of the strongest, they went to Church and watched over and gave guldens to their children and yet where are the Black men today?  Many are the breeder but not a leader of their home, they have chosen the way of foolishness leaving sons and daughters without direction.  What about the white men, are they better dads?  Some are, but many have sold out to materialism, ignoring the ways of God for what they foolishly believe is a better way.

Mothers have chosen to farm out the kids to daycare so that they can have a career and freedom of expression.  Also, let us not forget sports; especially select sports that keep you and your children out of Church and from learning the ways of God.  How foolish of me to talk this way, I must not understand, we mom’s and dads are investing in giving them a better life, one we would have wanted.  And the mom and dad said in their heart; I would move my place at the same level as God.  No, that is what the devil or thief as Jesus called him said, you know the one that came to kill, steal and destroy.

Why anyone would give up the freedom to be free to choose is beyond my understanding.  But I am so grateful to God for loving me and putting me in a home with parents that believed the Bible, and we never had much of this world’s stuff, we were taught to work hard, to save some of our paychecks and to give God a tenth of all He had blessed us with.  Those were the roots of my small success, fear God, love people and forgive as you have been forgiven.

Every day I give thanks for being born in this great land of freedom and opportunity!

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

A lesson on Deception

Mark 12:13-17

Can you remember your first job, your first date, or the first time in a new school? I do and I wanted to be liked in all of those situations.  So we try to impress those who do not know us, and in my case I was always trying to be funny.  It often did not work, and many times it got me into trouble with the ones I should have been trying to impress.  You know teachers and bosses, and often it was not taken in the way I hoped even with the ones I was trying to amaze.

Now as I got older, it was in high school that I began to grasp that funny was not working but everyone wanted to be told how cool sounding they were, even if you thought they were totally opposite.  But as I began my profession in sales, I saw the guys who if the customer was a known Christian they would talk about Jesus and church, and on the next call they would be telling someone a dirty joke if that   worked better.

I recall my boss’s boss asking me to come to a meeting with a person I knew about but had not met and he began by telling the guys how great I was.  It was over the top and he had never said any of this to my face before, my guard went from wow to watch out, something is not right.  After a very uncomfortable time they disclosed what they wanted, and it was for me to take a job introducing other products 3M made into the industrial market. 

That day I went from very wowed to very angry, and I told him I was not interested in the job and began to ask both of them questions they could not answer.  I was surprised when I was not fired, and Mr. Smith came and thanked me for asking questions they did not have the answer for. 

Now Jesus had a big advantage over me, He knew what was in the hearts of these men and that they were trying to set Him up.  But they had a good approach and most of what they said was true.  “Teacher, we know that you are true and do not care about anyone's opinion. For you are not swayed by appearances, but truly teach the way of God. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not? Should we pay them, or should we not?”  Jesus is so amazing, listen to His response; “Why put me to the test? Bring me a denarius and let me look at it.”  And they brought one. And he said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” They said to him, “Caesar's.”  Jesus said to them, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's.” And they marveled at him.”

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

An Ecellent example of Religious Folks

Mark 12:1-12

Jesus called them parables, so what is a parable?  It is a simple story used to illustrate a moral or spiritual lesson.  But often we do not find them to be simple.  In fact, we like the leaders of Jesus’ time often missed the message.  Do you recall Jesus addressing the killing of the prophets in Matthew 23:29-31, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous, saying, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’  Thus you witness against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets.” 

The Pharisees were excellent examples of religious folks and it is easy to be one. Often, I find my flesh wanting others to believe better of me than both God and I know to be true, and when I was a young follower of Christ, I often found myself acting like a religious person and not a follower of Christ.  So that we have no misunderstanding of my definition of a person who is religious, or acting like they are let us look at Matthew 23:2-7.  Jesus gives us a clear picture of what religion looks like in the verses below, “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat, so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach but do not practice.  They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear and lay them on people's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger.  They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long, and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces and being called rabbi by others.”

If you have not read the account in Matthew 12:1-12, it a must for the chief priest and the leaders had just challenged Jesus on His authority.  So He tells them a story of a man who planted a vineyard and put a fence around it, dug a pit for the winepress and built a watchtower.  He leased it out to tenant farmers and went away.  Each time he sent someone to collect the profits they were beaten and sent away or killed.  Then he sent his son and was assured they would treat him with respect, but they killed the son and threw his body out of the vineyard.

And Jesus asks this rhetorical question: “What will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the tenants and give the vineyard to others.  Have you not read this Scripture: “‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone;^[b]1 this was the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?”

Now listen to what Scripture tells us about the chief priest and the religious leaders.   ^“And they were seeking to arrest him but feared the people, for they perceived that he had told the parable against them. So they left him and went away.”

Never forget religions end game is death, it does not tolerate anyone who it sees as a threat.  It was not Romans that killed Jesus but very religious folks.  

“Men never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they do it from religious conviction.” Blaise Pascal

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice 

Where does Authority Come From?

April 20, 2018

Mark 11:27-33

The word authority is still in the English language, it’s the right to command or hold power.  It can be earned, or it may be power given to somebody, and yet in the United States of America it is being challenged in every area of our society.  For a nation to function it must have order and laws and people who will abide by the authority put over them.

How does Jesus’ time at the temple where they are under Roman law and control compare to what is coming clear is taking place in the United States of America?  At the time of Jesus, the high priest were masters of politics, they worked out a deal with the Roman authorities to keep order and control the people if the Romans would honor the temple rules.  But it becomes clear that Rome is doing this to maintain law and to not have a large number of soldiers to keep order.  Anyone who seemed to be a threat was dealt with so that the priest could keep Rome happy.  All Rabbi’s were welcome unless they did not hold to the party line, or if they were taught to follow God’s commandments and not man’s.

So the high priest and the rulers of the Jews stay in power by playing nice with the Romans, we in the USA have a republic form of government, and not an actual democracy.  And we also have an elective form of government with two major parties, and by a vote of the states, we elect our President and Vice President.  To have a republic form of government it often requires the transfer of powers, but what we have found to be accurate, as of late is we have a third group behind the scene undermining our elective form of government. 

So let us deal with, was Jesus trying to undermine the Roman control?  I believe the answer is an obvious, no.  And this became clear when He both paid His taxes and told the Pharisees who were trying to get Him in big trouble with the Romans by asking this question found in Mark 12:14.  Look at how they work to play Jesus in asking this question.  “When they came, they said to Him, "Teacher, we know You are truthful and defer to no one, for You don't show partiality but teach truthfully the way of God. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”  Jesus replied, ^“But, knowing their hypocrisy, he said to them, “Why put me to the test? Bring me a denarius and let me look at it.” ¹⁶ And they brought one. And he said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” They said to him, “Caesar's.” ¹⁷ Jesus said to them, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's.” And they marveled at him.”

Now it is clear the Romans were not upset at Jesus’ response, but the crowd at the inner circle of the high priest office, were agitated.

So Jesus has just messed up a cash cow for the priest by driving out the moneychangers and the sellers of animals but that is not the thing that got them upset.  It was this statement; “Is it not written, My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations?  But you have made it a den of thieves.”  The deeds of the high priest and the group in control were exposed to the light and when that happens, then or now we see the other side coming out challenging authority.  It happened then, and it is happening now; listen to what they wanted to know from Jesus.  “And as he was walking in the temple, the chief priests and the scribes and the elders came to him, ²⁸ and they said to him, “By what authority are you doing these things, or who gave you this authority to do them?” ²⁹ Jesus said to them, “I will ask you one question; answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things. ³⁰ Was the baptism of John from heaven or from man? Answer me.” ³¹ And they discussed it with one another, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ ³² But shall we say, ‘From man’?”—they were afraid of the people, for they all held that John really was a prophet. ³³ So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.” 

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

The Symbolism of the Barren Fig Tree

Mark 11:12-26

A porter at a car auction asked my friend Paul, why did Jesus curse the fig tree?  I listened to Paul tell the story and soon dismissed it until this morning, when it became the text of this paper.  Often the ways of our mighty and holy God are not clear to us mere men who were fashioned in His image.  But that I believe is not true in this case, the fig tree a symbol of Israel and in Hosea 9:10 & 16, we are given this example.  “When I found Israel, it was like finding grapes in the desert; when I saw your ancestors, it was like seeing the early fruit on the fig tree.
But when they came to Baal Peor, they consecrated themselves to that shameful idol and became as vile as the thing they loved.” Now verse 16, “Ephraim is blighted, their root is withered, they yield no fruit.  Even if they bear children, I will slay their cherished offspring.” 

One could take from the account above that Jesus saw Israel as the early fruit, the young buds of the fig tree.   Mark’s account is clear, Jesus was hungry an when he saw the fig tree in the distance full of leaves, yet not the season for ripe fruit, Jesus must have expected the young buds, my study Bible states; “11:13 Jesus spotted a fig tree that bore nothing but leaves.  Even though it was not the season for figs, the leafy tree should have been covered with edible buds.”  I also found it of interest this is Jesus’ last reported miracles and the only one of destruction in the Gospel.  All throughout the O.T., the fig tree was a symbol of Israel.

It seems clear that Mark did not want us to forget that he placed the cleaning of the temple right in the middle of the story.  He wanted us to see the symbolism of the barren fig tree and Israel not barreling good fruit, and God’s judgment on Jerusalem and the temple.  When you and I do not produce good fruit, we should remember that we are not pleasing our Lord.

Now it is the next day and it is early in the morning and Peter sees the fig tree as they are passing by and asks this question.  “Rabbi, look! The fig tree that you cursed has withered.”  Often Jesus’ reply seems out of place, but not this time and it is recorded in verses 22-24, “And Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God.  Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him.  Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”  Faith in a big God is always our victory!

I’m fearful that many a prayer is not heard because of unbelief and not being willing to forgive others.  If after reading this you do not understand it, to be true you need to talk with your pastor or priest.  “And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.”

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice