The selling of a Lie

Psalm 41:1-3

“Blessed is the one who considers the poor In the day of trouble the Lord delivers him; the Lord protects him and keeps him alive; he is called blessed in the land; you do not give him up to the will of his enemies.  The Lord sustains him on his sickbed; in his illness, you restore him to full health.”

One must not forget that God looks at the heart and not the act, so when we give it must be to bless others and not to get back from the Lord.  It is early morning, and I have had a hard time sleeping.  My mind went to a request from Samaritan's Purse; this was the request: Urgent Relief Needed for Venezuelans on the Move.  The people are leaving by the thousands, they are hungry and need help, and as a whole, they are the ones who voted for a socialist government to take from the rich and they were promised so much free stuff.  It sounds a lot like the Democratic socialist that is running for President of the United States of America.

Venezuela was one of the best economies in all of South America, and now it is a disaster.  Yes, often people will give up freedom and rights and buy into a lie when it comes to the promise of someone taking care of you.  My dad taught us that not one thing is a free gift; someone always has to pay for things.  So I hope you and I share that with the younger folks that have been pampered and believe they are entitled, they do not understand the price that was paid in blood for what they take for granted.

But this is the question, does God give me a pass on helping these people from Venezuela because they bought into a lie and I believe it is a choice, so I ask what Jesus would do?  And that’s clear from the verse above, help them in their need, be the hands and feet of Jesus.  As a follower of Christ, I must follow Jesus, and that is what Samaritan's Purse does all over the world in the name of Jesus.

The Scriptures are full of God’s direction to us who are followers of Christ on this subject.  “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.”— Proverbs 31:8-9  “A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.”— Proverbs 11:25  “Whoever oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God.”— Proverbs 14:31 “Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward them for what they have done.”— Proverbs 19:17  “The generous will themselves be blessed, for they share their food with the poor.” (Proverbs 22:9)  “Those who give to the poor will lack nothing, but those who close their eyes to them receive many curses.”— Proverbs 28:27 - That is a small sampling of what God has said about the subject; a wise person will hear and obey.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

God looks at the Heart not the Act

Psalm 41:1-3

“Blessed is the one who considers the poor In the day of trouble the Lord delivers him; the Lord protects him and keeps him alive; he is called blessed in the land; you do not give him up to the will of his enemies.  The Lord sustains him on his sickbed; in his illness, you restore him to full health.”

One must not forget that God looks at the heart and not the act, so when we give it must be to bless others and not to get back from the Lord.  It is early morning and I have had a hard time sleeping.  My mind went to a request from Samaritan's Purse, this was the request: Urgent Relief Needed for Venezuelans on the Move.  The people are leaving by the thousands, they are hungry and need help, and as a whole, they are the ones who vote for a socialist government to take from the rich and they were promised so much free stuff.  Sounds a lot like the Democrat socialist who are running for President of the United States of America.

Venezuela was had one of the best economies in all of South America and now it is a disaster.  Yes, often people will give up freedom and rights and buy into a lie when it comes to the promise of someone taking care of you.  My dad taught us that not one thing is a free gift; someone always has to pay for things.  So I hope you and I share that with the younger folks that have been pampered and believe they are entitled, they do not understand the price that has been paid in blood for what they take for granted.

But this is the question, does God give me a pass on helping these people from Venezuela because they have bought into a lie; and I believe it is my choice, but what would Jesus do?  And that’s clear from the verse above, help them in their need, be the hands and feet of Jesus.  As a follower of Christ, I must follow Jesus, and that is what Samaritan's Purse does all over the world in the name of Jesus.

The Scriptures are full of God’s direction to us who are followers of Christ on this subject.  “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.”— Proverbs 31:8-9  “A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.”— Proverbs 11:25  “Whoever oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God.”— Proverbs 14:31 “Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward them for what they have done.”— Proverbs 19:17  “The generous will themselves be blessed, for they share their food with the poor.” (Proverbs 22:9)  “Those who give to the poor will lack nothing, but those who close their eyes to them receive many curses.”— Proverbs 28:27 - That is a small sampling of what God has said about the subject; a wise person will hear and obey.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

King David a Wise MAN

Psalm 41:4-13

“As for me, I said, “O Lord, be gracious to me; heal me, for I have sinned against you!”   My enemies say of me in malice, “When will he die, and his name perish?”  And when one comes to see me, he utters empty words, while his heart gathers iniquity; when he goes out, he tells it abroad.  All who hate me whisper together about me; they imagine the worst for me.  They say, “A deadly thing is poured out on him; he will not rise again from where he lies.” Even my close friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted his heel against me.  But you, O Lord, be gracious to me, and raise me up, that I may repay them!  By this I know that you delight in me: my enemy will not shout in triumph over me.  But you have upheld me because of my integrity, and set me in your presence forever.   Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting!” Amen and Amen.

King David was a very wise man that made some foolish choices, can you identify with him in that area?  This writer does more than he often would like to admit, my flesh wants you to see me as a smart person who walks in step with the Lord.  You may wonder why I call him wise because Scripture tells us about his many moral failures.  Because any person who comes to an understanding they have broken fellowship with God because of their trying to live life on their own terms, and confesses their sin with a broken and contrite heart, and restores fellowship, that is a wise person.   David was such a man, this writer wants to be wise in the eyes of God, and let the world consider me foolish, I only need the approval of my Lord.

I can only imagine how many people desire the authority of leadership and the power that comes with it when leading a nation.  And along with that desire comes much criticism, and as we see with President Trump many a person would throw a party if he got sick, and that is how evil rains in the heart of so many in our nation as was the case with King David.

We who follow Christ would be wise to stay in the word of God and not allow the world with its fears and hate, its desire, to have us conform to its ways and not God’s.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

“I’ve seen the enemy, and it is me”

Psalm 40:12-17

“For troubles without number surround me; my sins have overtaken me, and I cannot see.  They are more than the hairs of my head, and my heart fails within me.   Be pleased to save me, Lord; come quickly, Lord, to help me.   May all who want to take my life be put to shame and confusion; may all who desire my ruin be turned back in disgrace.   May those who say to me, “Aha! Aha!” be appalled at their shame.  But may all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; may those who long for your saving help always say, “The Lord is great!”   But as for me, I am poor and needy; may the Lord think of me.
You are my help and my deliverer; you are my God, do not delay.”

I’m sure you have heard the phrase; “I’ve seen the enemy, and it is me” how well that applies to King David but does it also take residence in your life and mine.  His sins had overtaken the King, and most of his troubles were because of his sins.  And what about verse 13; is David’s cry any different than ours?  No, we also cry out to the Lord, save us, help me, and then we often try to blame it on those wicked people who are out to get us.

I wonder if God may not be using those who we want to destroy us as tools in His hand to bring us to confession and repentance?  I am well aware of how God does this in my own life when we get full of ourselves, and as a young man in my thirties I almost gave away everything chasing after lust.  But God, how I love those two words, yes, but God sent both the prophets and the enemies into my life to bring me to see sin as God does.

As I watch the current events in our Nation, and I wonder if verse 14-15, is not what is happening to those who hate our President.  “Let those who seek to take my life be disgraced and confounded.  Let those who wish me harm be driven back and humiliated.   Let those who say to me, “Aha, aha!” be horrified because of their shame.” (HCSB)  I am not a prophet or the son of a prophet, but I do know the word of God is active and sharper than any two-edged sword.

As we finish this chapter, David is asking a blessing on all who are a seeker of God, and that they would rejoice and be glad in the LORD.  Do you find joy and love for the God of your salvation?   And like all of us who stumble and fall short of God’s glory, we like the King proclaim; You, oh Lord are our helper and deliver us.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

With the right Heart Attitude

Psalm 40:6-11

“In sacrifice and offering you have not delighted, but you have given me an open ear.  Burnt offering and sin offering you have not required. Then I said, “Behold, I have come; in the scroll of the book it is written of me: I delight to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart.” I have told the glad news of deliverance in the great congregation; behold, I have not restrained my lips, as you know, O Lord.  I have not hidden your deliverance within my heart; I have spoken of your faithfulness and your salvation; I have not concealed your steadfast love and your faithfulness from the great congregation.  As for you, O Lord, you will not restrain your mercy from me; your steadfast love and your faithfulness will ever preserve me!”

Often as one studies the Scriptures, it requires focus and a desire to obey what the Lord is instructing His people or children to do.  When the Psalmist states in sacrifice and offering you have not delighted, one must ask why?  For it is apparent that God established livestock, the best male without blemish for a blood offering in Leviticus chapter one.  And in Hebrews 9:22, “Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.”  Once a person understands they do not meet God’s requirement, and they needed a male without sin or blemish to take their place, and so God sent His only Son, to die for the sins of all people.

We have not yet answered the why question, let’s attempt to the best of my understanding to do that.  Religious people often meet a requirement, God calls for a sacrifice of a male lamb without blemish, but it must be with the right heart attitude.  God’ looks at the heart and not at the action, this not only has to do with sacrifices but also with those who go by the name Christian giving a tithe to the Lord.  If you attended a local church, and are taught the truth, you must support that ministry, but it must be with a right heart attitude.  You will find the answer to “why” 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.”

Let’s be real clear, all other ministry outside of the church is not a tithe; it’s an offering of how the Lord has blessed you, if you’re a doctor or Lawyer and give free service to someone in need, you have given a gift, but it is not a tithe, and God is clear the local church is where the tithe must go, but not out of reluctance or compulsion.  If you are in a local church and the word of God is not preached; why are you still there?

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Jesus stepped into our Timeline

April 23, 2019

Psalm 40:1-5

“I waited patiently for the Lord; he inclined to me and heard my cry.  He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure.  He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God.  Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the Lord.   Blessed is the man who makes the Lord his trust, who does not turn to the proud, to those who go astray after a lie!  You have multiplied, O Lord my God, your wondrous deeds, and your thoughts toward us; none can compare with you!  I will proclaim and tell of them, yet they are more than can be told.”

God who lives outside of time has no timeline and is not in keeping with our will, and desires.  Often we the undisciplined Church; want it now; we do not know how to wait on the Lord.  Unlike David, the pride of life and the desires of the world gods and have removed any thought of the rescue the mission of the Cross, and the blood offering that paid for all who would receive Jesus as Lord.

May I suggest the necessity of the courses on “My needs as a sinner & God Provision.” Where were you when God gave you the faith needed to seek confession and repentance?  Are you one of the many who have made a god who approves of all your thoughts and actions, then I got some bad news? He not the God of the Scriptures.  I often go back to 2 Corinthians 13:5, “Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? —unless indeed you fail to meet the test!”  Often, I had to do so for I am a mess, and have always been a poor test taker.  But each time I’ve examined my self, I had to agree with Isaiah the prophet.  Do you recall his words from Isaiah 6:5, “Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.”  

And each time a loving Father reminds me of a meeting I had with him in Victoria, Texas at a hotel room, where I passed the only test that matters.

So as David has done in this Psalm, my prayer is God will use this to turn your heart back to Him, the only source of joy and peace.  “You have multiplied, O Lord my God, your wondrous deeds, and your thoughts toward us; none can compare with you!  I will proclaim and tell of them, yet they are more than can be told.”

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

I will follow Jesus no matter the cost

Psalm 39:8-13

I meet with a younger man than myself on most Mondays, and you do not have to be very young to be younger than me.   This morning after checking on his family and his workplace where he ministers in the role of a general manager at a car dealership, Paul said, let me share Job 42:1-5 with you this morning.  It reads this way; “I know that you can do all things; no purpose of yours can be thwarted.  You asked, Who is this that obscures my plans without knowledge?’  Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know.  “You said, ‘Listen now, and I will speak; I will question you, and you shall answer me.’ My ears had heard of you, but now my eyes have seen you.” 

 I asked this question, what did you take away from these verses?  Paul answered, it’s about having a close fellowship with the Lord, if I move away from Jesus, I will not only not see His hand working in my life, but I will not hear His voice.  And let me add that was not the way Paul said it, but it is what I recall was the essence of his reply.  I remember saying something like God is so big, and His ways and thoughts are so much higher than mine, often I would be wise to  by faith to just listen to Him speaking.  But we both concluded, it is dangerous to speak about God without knowledge, but it is beautiful to seek His face with this heart attitude, I will follow Jesus no matter the cost.

To me, that is in keeping with the verses, from Psalm 39, that we are exploring today in verse eight, a desire to be free from all our sins, and the psalmist to escape the attacks of the wicked.  In verse nine, we find David not trying to defend himself against his many sins, so he keeps a check on his mouth before God.

In verse ten, we find Psalmist asking to remove the discipline from him for often, God uses the people of this world to bring one of His children to an understanding of sin in their lives.  David feared God’s discipline and we find in verse 11, why he is afraid that God will remove the things that are dear to him, almost as an after thought David states, all humanity is but a mere breath, and God gives or takes away.

I believe that if we understand verse 12, we are moving in the right direction; David is saying I’m just passing through this world, heaven is my home, and God has his attention.  David is not only aware of the sin in his life but has confessed, like Job, your ways are not mine, for what counsel can a breath say to the One that gives them breath?

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice 

Keeping Silent - Passing on the Blessing

Psalm 39:1-5

“I said, “I will watch my ways and keep my tongue from sin; I will put a muzzle on my mouth while in the presence of the wicked.”  So I remained utterly silent, not even saying anything good.  But my anguish increased; my heart grew hot within me.  While I meditated, the fire burned; then I spoke with my tongue:  “Show me, Lord, my life’s end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting my life is.  You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you. Everyone is but a breath, even those who seem secure.”

I am told that the Psalmist is upset with God for allowing the wicked to prosper, and he was keeping silent to keep from sinning.  Well, guess what, we live around such people who have no fear of God and many like________, and the _______ who believe they have hidden their evil actions. (You fill in the name)  I understand what this Psalmist is telling us, it is not easy to keep your tongue from speaking the names of such evil people.  And as his emotions ran wild, then he ask the Lord to show him the end of his life and the number of days he had left.  Not sure if God did that, but this I do know he came to this conclusion; “Everyone is but a breath, even those who seem secure.”

Psalm 39: 6

“Surely a man goes about as a shadow!  Surely for nothing, they are in turmoil; man heaps up wealth and does not know who will gather!”  It matters not the profession, many a person has achieved great human accomplishments, and yet few are remembered by name to the public at large.  Many a person has sacrificed and toiled long hours to leave wealth to a family or child, only to have it wasted in a few short years. I believe it was Albert Einstein who said this, "Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”

One who follows the teaching of Scripture has this counsel; “A good man leaves an inheritance to his grandchildren, but the sinner's wealth is stored up for the righteous.”  (Proverbs 13:22)  Jan and I are leaving what God has given us to    our family, also to organizations that are being faithful to help the under resourced people of this world and share Jesus’ gospel with them.  To the best of our knowledge, we have been committed to the Lord and He has provided; our prayer is that these organizations and our family will also be faithful.  But, we will not care for we will have finished our race, and will be in the presence of our Redeemer Jesus Christ.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

The Discipline of Christian's

Psalm 38

Our actions have consequences and wrong actions for a follower of Christ will show us past and present sins, and we need to ask for forgiveness from a Holy God.   As followers of Christ, we have something David did not enjoy, and that is the Holy Spirit of God taking residence in our bodies.  That means He will lead us in righteous living, in seeking after the good and not evil, but it is a matter of our will, and it requires a disciplined life to walk in the Spirit and not follow the desires of the flesh. 

David was no different than us, in that as King he had wealth and power and most of the time he did good and not harm, but when he messed up, he brought on himself the discipline of God.  Verse 1-8 states, the following; “O Lord, rebuke me not in your anger, nor discipline me in your wrath!  For your arrows have sunk into me, and your hand has come down on me. There is no soundness in my flesh because of your indignation; there is no health in my bones because of my sin. For my iniquities have gone over my head like a heavy burden, they are too heavy for me. My wounds stink and fester because of my foolishness; I am utterly bowed down and prostrate; all the day I go about mourning.  For my sides are filled with burning, and there is no soundness in my flesh.  I am feeble and crushed; I groan because of the tumult of my heart.”

What should you and I take away from this?  Sin brings about discipline from a Holy God, but unlike David, we have the Cross and it is clear, God took His full anger and wrath out on His Son.  God is just and loving He would not take it out on us for Christ took all our punishment.  But as we look at discipline, it’s never enjoyable, not for a parent, nor the child, but it is necessary to raise a godly child.

Shall we look at Hebrews 12:7-11, and it is my observation that I live in a nation that has abandoned the teaching of discipline, parents no longer as a whole discipline for in doing so they might warp the child’s self-esteem.   And as a nation, we are reaping what we sowed, children that have never known how to live under discipline in any area of life, feel they need a government that will give them everything.  Without training, we have crippled a generation of young people in all areas of life, work is a bad word and capitalism is greed.  Who is teaching this?  People who have never known anything but the fruits of capitalism and live in a nation where everyone can have success.

I will end this with these words from Hebrews 12:7-11,  ^“It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline?   If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons.  Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us, and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? ¹⁰ For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness.   For the moment, all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.”

Note: Parents should never discipline a child when they are angry, but model the Father’s example and make sure the discipline brings about true repentance.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Will your goodness achive God's grace?

Psalm 37:35-40

“I have seen a wicked and ruthless man flourishing like a luxuriant native tree, but he soon passed away and was no more; though I looked for him, he could not be found.  Consider the blameless, observe the upright; a future awaits those who seek peace.  But all sinners will be destroyed; there will be no future for the wicked.  The salvation of the righteous comes from the Lord; he is their stronghold in time of trouble.  The Lord helps them and delivers them; he delivers them from the wicked and saves them because they take refuge in him.”

As we conclude chapter 37, these thoughts filled my mind; we all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.  You will find that in Romans 3:23-25a, ^“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, ²⁴ and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. ²⁵ God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement,^[a] through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith.”  Many have bought the lie that your goodness will achieve God’s grace, but Scripture is unequivocal on this point.  The great prophet Isaiah had this word to each of us from God; “All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind, our sins sweep us away.” (Isaiah 64:6)

The apostle Paul gives this insight on how to attain faith to trust and believe in an unseen God, in Romans 10:17, “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.”  So a wise person would look to Jesus and listen to what He has to say.  Not much is different from the times when Jesus walked on earth, the religious wanted God on their terms, so they designed Him to fit their mold, so, like the fool, who said there is no God, they missed grace.  Do you recall Jesus’ answer to a non-question by the Pharisee named Nicodemus? You will find this in John 3:3, “Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” It is later in chapter 3 of John we read verse 16-17, “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.  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” 

A fool will never receive this life-changing message from Jesus, for they have established in their hearts there is no God.  Many a church member also will miss the faith to believe for they have decided to have a God of their making, and one that almost worships them for their goodness. 

But the good news is God is into redemption and all who come to Him by faith believing that Jesus was raised from the dead, overcame death and the grave, defeated sin, you will find the way in Romans 10:9-10.  You may want to read Luke 21:25-28, it is Jesus telling us about His second coming and our redemption.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Does God see you as righteous?

Psalm 37:23-34

As I read this morning, these selected verses spoke into my life, let me share a few with my thoughts.  Verses 23-24, “The Lord makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him; though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand.”  Have you considered what it means to delight in God?  Let us examine what it means to delight in God, do you find joy and satisfaction in your life because you are in step with His will?  Do you have a deep appreciation for God’s character, His attributes, and His many blessings?  Over many years of desiring to be a follower of Christ or a Micah 6:8 man, I believe the Lord has refined my mind and will to want His will, and I do delight in Him.  I am not saying in any way I’ve arrived, but my heart's desire is to finish strong.  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?”

Wow, verses 25-31, also give us guidelines to not lean on our understanding, for the thoughts and ways of God often make no sense to mankind.  It helps me to always go back to what I make in my shop, the wood may not like my design, and if it could talk to me it might say so, but wood cannot speak and I’m in charge.  That’s my relationship with the Father, I’m the created, and He is the Creator, and unlike my handling of the wood, His design is always best.  Verses 25-26, I witness, and it has been true in my life.  “I was young, and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread. They are always generous and lend freely; their children will be a blessing.”  (Note: It only disgraces the Father, when churches and people who claim to be followers of Christ, go begging to a non-believer for funds to do what they believe is God’s work.)

And let’s end today with verse 34, “Wait for the Lord and keep his way, and he will exalt you to inherit the land; you will look on when the wicked are cut off.”  Most of us are uncomfortable about waiting; we need it now or sooner, but that is not the way of God, we learn much from waiting.  Many of us have garages with stuff to good to give or throw away, and some rent storage rooms to keep all their stuff in that is no longer used and may never have been needed.  Why, because they could not wait for God to provide it or for the funds.  Many have become enslaved to credit card debt, and live lives in fear of losing it all. 

So ponder on this; are you delighting in God, are you waiting for him, are you walking in righteousness?  I’m not asking if you’re a good person in your opinion, no the question is; does God see you as righteous? 

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

The wicked will not finish well

Psalm 37:10-22

I sure hope you are reading these verses; it does not sound like the wicked will finish well.  In verse ten, we have this “In just a little while, the wicked will be no more.”  Verse 12, “The wicked plots against the righteous” and verse 13, gives this insight; “but the Lord laughs at the wicked, for he sees that his day is coming.” 

You may find it of interest that the wicked in verses 14-15, tell us the following; “The wicked draw the sword and bend their bows to bring down the poor and needy, to slay those whose way is upright; their sword shall enter their own heart, and their bows shall be broken.”

But there is also a message to the person who desires to please God and live in right standing with God.  Guard your heart against being envious of wrongdoers, they seem to get by with and even flourish, but stop and give thought to verses 16-19. “Better is the little that the righteous has than the abundance of many wicked.  For the arms of the wicked shall be broken, but the Lord upholds the righteous.  The Lord knows the days of the blameless, and their heritage will remain forever; they are not put to shame in evil times; in the days of famine, they have abundance.”

As I pen this paper, my thoughts went to how can a person make sure they are not wicked in God’s economy.  I've grown very fond of the Puritan Prayers found in the “Valley of Vision,” and I’m taking this quote from page 284 titled “Privileges.”  “From Calvary’s cross wave upon wave of grace reaches me, deal with my sin, washes me clean, renew my heart, strengthens my will, draws out my affection, kindles a flame in my soul, rules throughout my inner man, consecrates my every thought, word, work, teaches me thy immeasurable love.  How great are my privileges in Christ Jesus!”

For 26 years of my life, I was a religious Baptist but did not walk in the grace that comes from the cross. Till one night in a hotel room knowing that I was living life outside of Christ’s authority, I picked up a hotel Bible and read in the book of Romans 10:9-10, the following; and became a new person in Christ.  By the faith that God gave me, I bowed my knee to His authority and entered into His grace.  I am now a son of the Father, and Jesus calls me friend, many times I’ve allowed sin to break that fellowship, but it did not break my newfound relationship with the Father, the Son, and His Holy Spirit.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Do not Fret

Psalm 37:1-9

“Do not fret because of those who are evil or be envious of those who do wrong; for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away.  Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.  Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.  Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will do this:  He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun.  Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.  Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret—it leads only to evil.  For those who are evil will be destroyed, but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land.”

Do not fret because of those who are evil, but we do, and it is not because we are envious of those who do wrong.  No, it is often we are sick of seeing the very rich, the Hollywood crowd, and the Congress of the United States not being held to the same requirements as others.  Over many years our school systems have not taught American history and the Declaration of Independence or the Constitution of the United States of America.  We have raised up a generation of people who have no understanding of why we are a free people with these rights that give us free speech, the right to travel, to worship and to excel, by the gifts God has given us.  Do not be deceived; many in our Congress would like to take each of those rights from you and are working to do so.

That is why Psalm 37 is so essential for every follower of Christ to ponder on, for we are told fretting only leads to evil.  So what should one do, recall verse two, they will soon fade like the grass.  Verses 3-9, are great counsel; Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.  Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.  Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will do this:  He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun.  Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.  Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret—it leads only to evil.  For those who are evil will be destroyed, but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land.”

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

The Fountain of Life

April 12, 2019

Psalm 36: 5-12

As you begin reading verse five, I hope you experience joy and peace that fills my pea picking heart this morning.  Ponder on these verses; “Your steadfast love, O Lord, extends to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds. Your righteousness is like the mountains of God; your judgments are like the great deep; man and beast you save, O Lord.  How precious is your steadfast love, O God! The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings.  They feast on the abundance of your house, and you give them drink from the river of your delights.  For with you is the fountain of life; in your light do we see light.  Oh, continue your steadfast love to those who know you, and your righteousness to the upright of heart!”

As I was reading Psalm 139:7-12, and I will share verse 7, as David asks this question of the LORD.  “Where shall I go from your spirit?  Or where shall I flee from your presence?”   In the verses that follow David answers his questions.  Is it not wonderful that God has no limits?   The Scriptures tell us that it rains on both the just and the unjust, and the same is true when it comes to taking refuge under the dominant hand of our God.  Both good and evil feast on the abundance of what God gives a nation, but only those who are drawn by the Holy Spirit and by the truth found in the Bible will humble themselves before a Holy God and confess their need of our Lord Jesus Christ.

John 3:16, makes it very clear that Jesus did not go to the cross and take the sins of a select group, or color, but for all mankind, that is the offer, and that is your choice.  Verse 9, “ For with you is the fountain of life; in your light do we see light.”  Wow, reread it, life is more than being born once, it’s the second birth that brings you joy and peace in the middle of a fallen world that is opposed to all that is good and holy.  Do you recall the Pharisee named Nicodemus, and his comment to Jesus?  You will find the account in John 3:1-15, and Jesus told him something all people need to hear.  “Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

No matter what religion Mom and Dad are, no matter how often you go to church and do good deeds for others, God tells us apart from Jesus, your acts are like filthy rags in His sight.  But today, your reading this and today you have enough information to choose to bow a knee to Jesus Christ and confess that you have been trying to live life under your control.

As we close, being a follower of Christ does not make us perfect, I also have often prayed verse 11, “Let not the foot of arrogance come upon me, nor the hand of the wicked drive me away.”  It is later than you think today is your day of Salvation.  Make the right choice!

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice