The reproof of the Lord

Proverbs 3:11-12

“My son, do not despise the Lord's discipline or be weary of his reproof, for the Lord reproves him whom he loves, as a father the son in whom he delights.”

The apostle Peter is an excellent example of the Lord's discipline, do you recall Jesus telling the disciples about His death and resurrection, and the following is Matthew’s gospel account.  Do you remember the first time Jesus told His disciples about how He must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and the chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised?  Matthew 16:22-23 gives this account; “And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “Far be it from you, Lord!  This shall never happen to you.”  But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan!  You are a hindrance to me.  For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”

What a teachable moment for Peter, and for you and me, Jesus is making it clear to Peter and us that God has given us the authority to set our mind on whatever we choose.  Peter, much like me and maybe you, often set his mind on what Peter wanted and not on what the Spirit wanted.

Proverbs 3:13-18

“Blessed is the one who finds wisdom, and the one who gets understanding for the gain from her is better than gain from silver and her profit better than gold.  She is more precious than jewels, and nothing you desire can compare with her.  Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor.  Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.  She is a tree of life to those who lay hold of her, those who hold her fast are called blessed.”

At this point you may be asking how does one find wisdom?  It begins with a search for truth, do you recall Jesus’ conversation with Pilate in John 18:37-38?  “Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?  Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king.  For this purpose, I was born, and for this purpose, I have come into the world – to bear witness to the truth.  Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.”  Do you recall what Pilate said in verse 38a, “Pilate said to him, “What is truth?”  And today many in power as was Pilate, are as big a fool as he was.  Truth can only be found in God’s word for Proverbs 1:7 tells us that it is the fear of the Lord that opens the door to knowledge, to use knowledge it requires wisdom.

Let me share this testimony from my own experiences, as a very young person my parents taught us that the borrower would be a slave to the lender.  Long before I ask Jesus into my life, I set my mind on this and made a decision not to borrow money.  When Jan and I got married, we were both Baptist, but neither of us had asked Jesus into our lives.  We agreed not to borrow and to only buy what we could pay back in 30 days without interest.  I believe that was wise, but where did it come from; the Scriptures?  After we came to have a personal relationship with Christ we began to understand more truths that God has instructed us about what He had given us and it has served us well, and we are blessed.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Trust is the Foundation

Proverbs 3:1-10

“My son, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments,
 for length of days and years of life and peace they will add to you. Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsakes you; bind them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart.   So you will find favor and good success in the sight of God and man.”

How can we expect the unchurched to forget or obey God’s commandments have you heard this stated?  If one would look into the word of God, you and I call it a Bible, and turn to Romans 1:18-20, our eyes would be open to this as false teaching.  We would be wise to look at to whom God is addressing as sons and the promises made if they obey.  So what is required to be a son of God to be a member of His family?  When Jesus came to earth, He brought the Kingdom of God to earth, and he is the only door to the Father.  Jesus had this to say in John 3:3, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot enter the kingdom of God.”   Jesus also said in John 14:6, Jesus said unto him, I am the way, and the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me.”

^“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.  Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil.  It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones.”

What seems so easy to trust the Lord with all your heart, but for anyone to do so, they must die to all of self, its desires and goals.  When we do so, then it becomes possible to lean not on our own understanding.  What is the promise if we will not be wise in our own eyes and fear the Lord, and turn away from evil; God will make straight paths for us.  But there is more it will also be healing and refreshment to your bones.

Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the first fruits of all your produce; then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine.”

If one would only understand, you are not a self-made person; the Father has given all you have, and you and I have the opportunity to manage what is entrusted to us.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

A need to remove the Noise

Proverbs 1:20-33

The following thirteen verses are a call to wisdom, and it seems wisdom calls out to us in many places, the streets, the marketplace, and entrance of the city gates.  Wisdom even raises her voice, why?  To be heard above the noise, yes noise is a more significant problem than most of us understand.  Most of us like the noise, when we get into our cars, we turn on the radio, when we workout we have a headphone in our ears and at home the T.V. or some kind of noise, for we fear the silence.  In the sixteen hundreds, a very wise man had this to say on the subject; “I have discovered that all human evil comes from this, man's being unable to sit still in a room.” (Blaise Pascal)

In verse 22 we are addressed as simple ones, does that bother you, do you argue with wisdom?  Yes, we tell her we know simple people, but it does not apply to us.  Let’s share these quotes; “There are only two kinds of men: the righteous who think they are sinners and the sinners who think they are righteous.”  

“Truly it is an evil to be full of faults, but it is a still greater evil to be full of them and to be unwilling to recognize them since that is to add the further fault of a voluntary illusion.”  “The greatness of man is great in that he knows himself to be wretched. A tree does not know itself to be wretched.” (Blaise Pascal)

I hope both you and I stop and give thought to being quiet, for in the Scripture we are commanded to do such, in Psalms 46:10, “Be still, and know that I am God.”  We also have the example of Jesus who often got up early before all the others and went to a quiet place to talk with the Father. 

Now give thought to verse 23, “If you turn at my reproof, behold, I will pour out my spirit to you; I will make my words known to you.”  Has God not made it clear that the ball is now in play and in our hands, what will you do with Jesus?  “In faith, there is enough light for those who want to believe and enough shadows to blind those who don't.”  “Jesus is the God whom we can approach without pride and before whom we can humble ourselves without despair.” (Blaise Pascal)

Now the bad news is found in the following verses, beginning with verse 24. “Because I have called and you refused to listen, have stretched out my hand, and no one has heeded, because you have ignored all my counsel and would have none of my reproof, I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when terror strikes you, when terror strikes you like a storm and your calamity comes like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish come upon you. Then they will call upon me, but I will not answer; they will seek me diligently but will not find me.  Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord, would have none of my counsel and despised all my reproof, therefore they shall eat the fruit of their way, and have their fill of their own devices.  For the simple are killed by their turning away, and the complacency of fools destroys them; but whoever listens to me will dwell secure and will be at ease, without dread of disaster.”

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Father knows Best & listen to Mom

May 30, 2018

Proverbs 1:8-19

“Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.  They are a garland to grace your head and a chain to adorn your neck.

My son, if sinful men entice you, do not give in to them.  If they say, “Come along with us; let’s lie in wait for innocent blood, let’s ambush some harmless soul; let’s swallow them alive, like the grave, and whole, like those who go down to the pit; we will get all sorts of valuable things and fill our houses with plunder;
cast lots with us; we will all share the loot”— my son, do not go along with them,
do not set foot on their paths; for their feet rush into evil, they are swift to shed blood.  How useless to spread a net where every bird can see it!  These men lie in wait for their own blood; they ambush only themselves!  Such are the paths of all who go after ill-gotten gain; it takes away the life of those who get it.”

 My parents and especially my mother would often make this statement; “Bobby, choose your friends wisely.”  What she did not understand was I wanted to be with the popular kids, and the popular kids did many things my mother would not have approved?  I have often wonder how different my life would have been if my parents had taken the time to teach me from the Proverbs?  Anyone who tells a young person the dos and the don’ts without the why is going to end up with a rule breaker.

What if, you as a parent, who has time to support school programs, sports and all other kinds of activities would invest the time to teach from the proverbs the why’s?  You would not tell them “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.”  No, you would teach them, by example, of the choices you make the results of those actions.

Then you would show them how sin entices all people, and you will not lie to them by telling them sin is not fun, for it can be a lot of fun for a season.  Therein lies a big problem the enticement of sin, for it, always takes you farther and more profound than you ever imagined.  No one set out to be a drunk; no one's goal was to be a sex predator, nor a drug addict, it all comes from the enticement of sin.

My observation of life and today is very different than in 1950; In the 50’s dad was the breadwinner in most families and went to work each day, and mom was the caregiver and stayed home. Everyone has a distinct job to do in his or her “separate spheres” of public and private life. And in the 1950s, the majority of children were being raised in such “typical” families.  It's reported that today family is only a tiny part of the makeup of family life, and these are the numbers I found.  Today 35 percent of both parent’s work, 23 percent of all children are raised by single moms, and 7 percent live with a parent who cohabits with an unmarried partner.  Also, it is stated that 3% live with a single dad and 3% with grandparents, and I took these numbers from a report by Philip Cohen, a sociologist at the University of Maryland.

How is the new norm working, not so good, for it often has no dad to instruct the child and often the poor mom is just doing good to keep her children in food and clothes, with a roof over their heads.  When both parents work, the kid is often left to make choices they do not have the wisdom to make. So at this point we have abandoned the teaching of Proverbs 1:8-19, and are leaving the young child to get his/her teaching from where, the T.V., or worst and older child that is running from one place to another looking for fun, yes we open the doors for sin and sinners to entice our child. 

We have a large number of children that now are having children, and have never been equipped even to know what the word sin means.  The video games are full of evil, and we wonder why we have children that hurt people and steal even kill, it a set up by the one Jesus calls the thief in John 10:10, Google that verse.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Introduction to Proverbs

Chapter 1:1-7

The Proverbs are divinely inspired, they came from God are true and can be of great benefit.

Solomon the son of King David at a young age became the King of Israel, and was the last King of a united Israel.  When God asked Solomon how he desired to rule Israel, he asked for wisdom, and the Lord not only gave him wisdom, but great wealth.  With his great wisdom Solomon should have also asked for discernment, for his fleshly desires created a lust for many things, including foreign women with their false gods.  Yet Solomon was the wisest man born of an earthly father to live on planet earth.

Chapter 1:1-6

The first six verses lay out for us the purpose of Proverbs and yet without applying verse seven, you will not have much success with acquiring wisdom.  With that said, let us look into the first six verses and then verse seven.

“The proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel: To know wisdom and instruction, to understand words of insight, to receive instruction in wise dealing,
in righteousness, justice, and equity; to give prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the youth— Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance, to understand a proverb and a saying, the words of the wise and their riddles.”

Even if you are not a follower of Christ, and have never opened a Christian Bible, why would you not want to learn from the Proverbs?  Why would you not want to teach your children these insights?  But if you are not going to be a lover of truth then you will not be willing to do verse seven and will remain a fool.  That is not based on what I stated, for I just quoted what God has stated in His Word.  It is found in Psalm 14:1, “The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.”  They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds; there is none who does good.”  You will also see it in Psalm 53:1, “The fool says in his heart, "There is no God." They are corrupt, doing abominable iniquity; there is none who does good.”

Now I know of none who begin this life of reason with the goal of being a fool, but many attain it.  A fool never searches for truth, but many are seekers of authority, power, knowledge, and wealth.  A fool refuses to acknowledge God’s authority over life on planet earth, and that our days have been numbered correctly.

William Shakespeare had this to say on the subject; “A fool thinks himself to be wise but a wise man knows himself to be a fool.”  I also liked these two quotes and I’m not sure where they came from: “A wise man changes his mind, a fool never will.”  A wise man never knows all, only fools know everything.”

My dad always said the old is forever new, and as I read this quote from a man who lived in the 1600’s I know that to be true.  “Truth is so obscure in these times, and falsehood so established, that, unless we love the truth, we cannot know it.”  (Blaise Pascal)  Jesus said; “I am the truth” 

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

The Mocking of Jesus

Mark 15:16-26

Mark does not get into the physical abuse of Jesus as others have in their reporting, but he shows what the mocking of the Roman Military did to the King of Kings.   Mark’s account in verses 16-20,  ^“And the soldiers led him away inside the palace (that is, the governor's headquarters), and they called together the whole battalion.  And they clothed him in a purple cloak, and twisting together a crown of thorns; they put it on him.  And they began to salute him, “Hail, King of the Jews!”  And they were striking his head with a reed and spitting on him and kneeling down in homage to him.  And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the purple cloak and put his own clothes on him. And they led him out to crucify him.”

As a dad, it is impossible with my finite mind to grasp how a Father would allow such a thing to take place when all He had to do was say enough; none of them are worth the pain, the humiliation of My Son, my only Son.  Yes, Michael was ready to kill all who mocked his God, his Creator, as was each angel in heaven, but the Father was silent.  It is simple but beyond the understanding of us mere men, but the apostle John gives us these words Jesus spoke, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

Isaiah seven hundred years earlier gave us this insight; “But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds, we are healed.   All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.”  (Isaiah 53:5-6)  At the time of Isaiah, each year a family had to bring a pure lamb, with no spot or blemish to the priest and then it was killed, and its blood covered their sin for that year, Jesus is the Lamb God promised to cover our sin, a pure lamb and without sin. 

So why do men still reject, still mock Him, you will find that answer in John’s Gospel; “This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.” (John 3:19)

From the Back Porch,

 Bob Rice

Ropes & Bricks will not stop God

Mark 15:1-15

Mark’s account of the Sanhedrin, the chief priest, the elders, and scribes binding Jesus and taking him to Pilate shows the foolishness of religion.  Binding God with ropes can’t keep Him from doing what He is not willing to do!  Yes, it is stupidity!  Religion wants to believe it is in control, and yes I do agree with Blaise Pascal’s quote: “Men never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they do it from religious conviction.”   While Jan and I were in Jerusalem, we went to the east gate, the Muslims have had brick masons close the opening so that when Jesus returns He will not be able to enter through the East Gate.  So once more we see religious men acting like fools as if rope or bricks can keep God from being God.  It is so stupid it makes one wonder how much faith does it take to believe such foolishness?

A note needed at this point; I am a follower of Christ, I am not into religion but a relationship with the living God, who is, and who is to come.  When I was young I was a Baptist, the truth was told about God and His only Son, but I was happy with just being a Baptist, I was not into truth.  But at 27, I began to search for truth, and Jesus says; “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”  And I ask a real live person to forgive my sins and come into my life that is called a relationship.

Pilate saw through these religious guys, he understood they were jealous and feared Jesus, and they wanted him to remove a competitor but Pilate was captivated by this man Jesus, listen to his question: “Are you the King of the Jews?”  And this is Jesus’ reply; “You have said it.”

The chief priests began to accuse Jesus of many things, and Pilate was amazed that not once did Jesus reply or defend Himself.  Pilate would have fit in well with the guys in Washington D.C. in that his goal was to talk big but do nothing.  He had a plan to ask the crowd whom they wanted him to release that was the custom at the festival.  However the crowd was demanding that the Chief Priest  ask for Barabbas, a rebel that had murdered during the rebellion.

So Pilate asked then what should I do with the one you call the King of the Jews, and the crowd shouted, “Crucify Him!”  Picking up Mark’s account in verses 14-15, “And Pilate said to them, “Why? What evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Crucify him.” ¹⁵ So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released for them Barabbas, and having scourged^[a] Jesus he delivered him to be crucified.”

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

A Puritan Prayer from "The Valley of Vision"

The All – good

My God,

Thou hast helped me to see that whatever good be in honor and rejoicing, how good is he who gives them, and can withdraw them; that blessedness does not lie so much in receiving good from and in thee, but in holding forth thy glory and virtue; that is an amazing thing to see Deity in a creature, speaking, acting, filling, shining through it; that nothing is good but thee, that I am near good when I am near thee, that to be like thee is a glorious thing; This is my magnet, my attraction.

Thou art all good in time of peace, my only support in days of trouble, my one sufficiency when life shall end.  Help me to see how good thy will is in all, and even when it crosses mine teach me to be pleased with it.  Grant me to feel thee in fire, and food and every providence, and to see that thy many gifts and creatures are but thy hands and fingers taking hold of me.  Thou bottomless fountain of all good, I give myself to thee out of love, for all I have or own is thine, my goods, family, church, self, to do with as thou wilt, to honor thyself by me, and by all mine. If it be consistent with thy eternal counsels, the purpose of thy grace, and the great ends of thy glory, then bestow upon me the blessings of thy comforts; If not, let me resign myself to thy wiser determinations.

Note: A Puritan prayer taken from page 10-11 of “The Valley of Vision”

May this prayer become your prayer?

Fear in Control

May 17, 2018

Mark 14:66-72

When fear has control of you, the fear of others is a potent tool of the devil; in 2018 we have a fear of getting branded with the title racists.  Now it is of interest a person of color cannot be a racist as stated by the politically correct group, yet anyone with a mind that is working knows that racism is a matter of fear and it found in the hearts of people of all colors.

And that brings us to Mark’s account of Peter sitting in the courtyard of the high priest, where he has followed the crowd that took Jesus with clubs and swords.  How Peter followed at a considerable distance so as not to be associated with Jesus, many a person who claims Christ as Savior is doing the same thing in the workplace, so they can gain favor with man.

It is a cold evening, and the temple police are warming themselves by the fire, and you will never guess who sitting there with them; Peter.  And the next thing that happens is a servant girl comes up to Peter and ask are you one of his disciples?  Now you been at that party and someone says something like why are you not drinking is it because you are now a Christian.  How you answer that question, will you confess that Jesus has changed your desire and wants are will you come up with some lame reason?

Now Mark tells us this servant girl saw Peter again she began saying to those nearby, “This man is one of them!”  Now listen to Mark’s account of what happened next in verses 70-72, “But again he denied it. And after a little while, the bystanders again said to Peter, “Certainly you are one of them, for you are a Galilean.”  But he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, “I do not know this man of whom you speak.”  And immediately the rooster crowed a second time. And Peter remembered how Jesus had said to him, “Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.” And he broke down and wept.

Now Peter did not do so well that night, but after Jesus forgave him and he received the Holy Spirit his fear of men was very small, but his fear of God was great.   You and I have acted like Peter at least once, have you ask the Lord to forgive you?  

Let me share this from Romans 8:31-39, ^“What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?  He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?  Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies.  Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?  As it is written,

“For your sake, we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.  For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

From our Back Yard,

Bob Rice

 

A worthless witness mocks at justice

Proverbs 19:28

“A worthless witness mocks at justice, and the mouth of the wicked devours iniquity.”

How often does one observe a worthless witness mocking justice in 2018, have you watched the actions of the men and women of the Democrat side of the aisle, and now they have acted at the hearing for to elect a judge for the Supreme Court. I expect the people who are being paid in the gallery to do as they are paid to do.  But a person of the U. S. Senate one should expect more than what we have seen, and they are a worthless witness who mocks at justice.

So what counsel does King Solomon give us on this kind of person, worthless witness, shall we examine Proverbs 6:12-15. “A worthless person, a wicked man, goes about with crooked speech, winks with his eyes, signals with his feet, points with his finger, with perverted heart devises evil, continually sowing discord; therefore calamity will come upon him suddenly; in a moment he will be broken beyond healing.”  People who act in this manner are one of two things, ignorant of the ways of God, having no fear of Him. 

Maybe it would be of worth to look at how the word “worthless” is defined; a troublemaker who rebels against all right and godly authority.  Many places in the Scriptures it’s translated as a perverted person such as in Judges 19:22 and wicked in many places as shown in 1 Samuel 2:12.

If you are a follower of Christ, it is going to make you angry when you see such things as we have witnessed in those hearings.  That is not a sin, but it is a choice as what you choose to do, for in the Scriptures you are told it is ok to be angry, it goes on but do not sin.  You will find that in Ephesians 4:26, but keep reading for you also will find the way not to sin if you obey these words in Ephesians 4:29-32.  “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. ³⁰ And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. ³¹ Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. ³² Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”

I often joke when asked about my age, and for many years I’ve lived in denial, in that I'm blessed with both good health and a healthy body.  But age and gravity do catch up, and I’m beginning to come to that reality.  But I have a much more significant problem with denial than with my age, for I often get angry and sin, and in doing so, I grieve the Holy Spirit of God.  I forget how much God has forgiven me and I become the judge of those who act as many on the Democrat side of the aisle have done in the hearing on our next Supreme Court Judge.  Judge not, lest you be judged in the same manner.  ³¹ Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. ³² Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Illegal, Wrong but it was the Plan

May 16, 2018

Mark 14:53-65

What is happening this night is illegal by Jewish law, it was the calling of the Sanhedrin at night with one purpose, to kill Jesus.  But they had a problem; Roman law did not give them the authority to do such a thing.  By Jewish law it required two or even three witnesses telling the same story or account, and that night they all said something different.

It may be of interest that Peter, who ran away after cutting off the high priest servant’s ear, has shown up in the courtyard of the high priest and is warming himself by the fire with the high priest guards.  But it is not what’s happening in the courtyard but inside that has eternal importance, Jesus is silent, because the high priest knows this is all rigged to bring the death sentence, he was blown away that Jesus had not spoken.

Now the high priest you would assume knows scripture, and one would expect that he had read Isaiah 53:7, “He was oppressed, and he was afflicted yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth.” 

So far the plan has not worked, and the high priest has a second question for Jesus, found in Mark 14:61,  ^“But he remained silent and made no answer. Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?”  Have no misunderstanding, all in the room understood the question, are you our Messiah?  This is Jesus reply in verse 62, “And Jesus said, “I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.”

Now we have the opportunity to observe religion at it best; listen to what they said and did.  Verses 63-65,  ^“And the high priest tore his garments and said, “What further witnesses do we need? You have heard his blasphemy. What is your decision?” And they all condemned him as deserving death.  And some began to spit on him and to cover his face and to strike him, saying to him, “Prophesy!” And the guards received him with blows.”

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

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 Him into the wilderness, and it was there for forty days and nights he was tempted by the devil.  You do not want to go forty days without food and water, but if you could, you would be both hungry and thirsty and hunger would consume your actions and thoughts.  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 with 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 we know about the devil is at his creation his name was Lucifer, and his title was the chief archangel, and pride and evil was 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 desire, not even his own. 

 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 until they sinned, 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

The Valley of Vision

The Valley of Vision

A Puritan Prayer

Lord, High and Holy, Meek and Lowly,

Thou hast brought me to the valley of vision, where I live in the depths but see thee in the heights; hemmed in by the depths but see thee in the heights; hemmed in by mountains of sin I behold thy glory.

Let me learn by paradox that the way down is up, that to be low is to be high, that to below is to be high, that the broken heart is the healed heart, that the contrite spirit is the rejoicing spirit, that the repenting soul is the victorious soul, that to have nothing is to possess all, that to bear the cross is to wear the crown, that to give is to receive, that the valley is the place of vision.

Lord, in the daytime stars can be seen from the deepest wells, and the deepest the well the brighter thy stars shine; Let me find thy light in my darkness, thy life in my death, thy joy in my sorrow, thy grace in my sin, thy riches in my poverty thy glory in my valley.

From the book “The Valley of Vision

The Puritan knew how to pray scriptural truths and we all can learn from them.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Who would I be in the Story

Mark 14:43-51

As we stated before, Mark is all about how quick things happen and is taken with the word immediately.  Picking up Mark’s account in verses 43-47;  ^“And immediately, while he was still speaking, Judas came, one of the twelve, and with him a crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders. ⁴⁴ Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “The one I will kiss is the man. Seize him and lead him away under guard.” ⁴⁵ And when he came, he went up to him at once and said, “Rabbi!” And he kissed him. ⁴⁶ And they laid hands on him and seized him. ⁴⁷ But one of those who stood by drew his sword and struck the servant ^[b] of the high priest and cut off his ear.” 

I’ve heard a man say in adult Bible Study that he was mad at God for allowing evil to happen to little children and good people.  I have no doubt he put himself with the good people, as did Judas, and those from the office of the chief priests and the scribes and elders.  This is the same God who loves you and me so much that He asked His Son, His only Son to become lower than the angels and take on human form and die for the sin of all people.  Evil people like Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, and the worst of the group Mao Zedong.  Jesus paid the price for all sin, and these three and all of mankind are included in that list.  The Father took His full wrath out on His Son; the Scripture tells us He paid our price in full.  It is a foolish person who would be angry with one who bought them out of a death sentence to eternal Hellfire.

This is the fantastic thing, Judas and the crowd with clubs and swords believed they were in charge.  Let us wonder for a moment about what Michael the Ark angel was doing as he watched Jesus taken.  I can only imagine, but this may be close to it, with sword drawn he is saying Father may I destroy those evil people.  You see they were not in charge, nor are you when you rebel against God’s authority, just because you want your will.

Now we hear from Jesus in Mark 14:48-49,  ^“And Jesus said to them, “Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs to capture me?  Day after day I was with you in the temple teaching, and you did not seize me. But let the Scriptures be fulfilled.”   Peter steps-up with a sword and missed the servant of the high priest’s head but got an ear, what happened next was amazing he turned tail and ran with the others.  Was it because Jesus picked up the ear and put it back in place, or was it fear, all we know is they ran?  But one young man in a linen cloth that is like our undergarment was still following when they seized him.  We're told he left the linen cloth and ran away naked.

Ask this question to the person in the mirror, which one would be me Judas, no way, what about the crowd, the young man, or maybe the disciples?  We all would have been in one of these rolls.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

PS.  One wonders if the lawyer that spoke up in class so angry at God for all the wrong done to people and children would have put God on trial for allowing His Son, His only Son to die for his sins?  I do not believe he was that foolish.