A small understanding of our God

Psalm 78:36

Can a man con God, that’s a question that needs not to be pondered?  As we give thought to that question, one must understand God is not like us, He is outside of time, and we are time critters.  Psalm 78:39, “He remembered that they were but flesh, a wind that passes and comes not again may help all of us.”  So, I hope you understand you are not coming back as a flea, or the dog it lives on, so this God that lives outside of time, has made time for us in heaven, we will not need time for we will be eternal, always learning and worshiping our God. 

I’m reading “The Purpose Driven Life” and it begins in this way; “It’s not about you.  The purpose of your life is far greater than your own personal fulfillment, your peace of mind, or even your happiness.  It’s far greater than your family, your career, or even your wildest dreams and ambitions.  If you want to know why you were placed on this planet, you must begin with God.  You were born by his purpose and for his purpose.”

Beginning with God, who is this Creator, and Scripture is clear, He is three in one, a Father, Son, and Spirit.  It may come as a shock to some that God’s Son is the Creator, yes Jesus the one that paid your sin debt, chapter One verses 2-5, “He was in the beginning with God.  All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made.  In him was life, and the life was the light of men.  The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”

God’s attributes, taken from the Internet with thoughts and Scriptures added by this writer:

Omnipresence:  You may check any of these Scriptures to understand that God is everywhere, Deuteronomy 4:39, Psalm 139:7-12, Proverb 15:3, Acts17:26-27 but my favorite is Jeremiah 23:23-24.  “Am I a God at hand, declares the Lord, and not a God far away?  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.”

Wisdom: “Wisdom is the ability to devise perfect ends and to achieve these ends by the most perfect means.” In other words, God makes no mistakes. He is the Father who truly knows best, as Paul explains in Romans 11:33-36, “Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!  How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!  “Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?”  “Who has ever given to God, that God should repay them?”  For from him and through him and for him are all things. To him, be the glory forever! Amen.

Infinitude: God knows no boundaries. He is without measure.  Some Scriptures that tell of this are Job 42:2, Psalm 115:3, Isaiah 43:13, and Matthew 19:26, “But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

Sovereignty: This is “the attribute by which He rules His entire creation.” It is the application of His other attributes of being all-knowing and all-powerful. It makes Him absolutely free to do what He knows to be best. God is in control of everything that happens. Man still has a free will and is responsible for his choices in life.  God is in charge, not Presidents or Kings, nor Dictators, learn from Proverbs 21:1, “The king's heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord; he turns it wherever he will.”  Now look at 1Timothy 1:17, “To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.”
Holiness: This is the attribute that sets God apart from all created beings. It refers to His majesty and His perfect moral purity. There is absolutely no sin or evil thought in God at all.  Leviticus19:2, Moses speaking to the congregation, gave this instruction from God; “You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.”
Trinity: Though the actual word is not used in the Bible, the truth of God, revealing Himself in three persons is included. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are all called God, given worship as God, exist eternally, and are involved in doing things only God could do. Although God reveals Himself in three persons, God is One and cannot be divided. Romans 8:9, “You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact, the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.”Omniscience: “Omniscience means all-knowing. God knows everything, and His knowledge is infinite. It is impossible to hide anything from God. In the Gospel of John16:30, we find the disciples telling this to Jesus; “Now we know that you know all things and do not need anyone to question you; this is why we believe that you came from God.”  
Faithfulness: Everything that God has promised will come to pass. His faithfulness guarantees this fact, and whatever He has said in the Bible about Himself is true. Jesus even said that He is the Truth in John 14:6-7, Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.  If you had known me, you would have known my Father also.  From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”

  This is extremely important for the followers of Jesus because it is on His faithfulness that our hope of eternal life rests. He will honor His promise that our sins will be forgiven and that we will live forever with Him.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Why do we put God to the Test?

Psalm 78:9-35

The Ephraimites were armed and ready for battle but on the day of battle, they were a no show.   One thing you can bet the farm on, God is faithful and a man who is not living under the authority of the Scriptures always is a no show on the day of battle.  We are told the Ephraimites forgot what God had done and was doing, so they did not show up, that’s a dangerous place to find yourself because God has a place for us in the line and no one else is going to take our place.

We have seen Asaph; as he recalls when the water stood firm like a wall and the cloud by day and with a fiery light throughout the night.  He even reminds of God splitting the rock and the water that flowed down like a river.  The people coming out of captivity continued to sin against God, and they demanded the food they craved when we let our flesh and not the Spirit leads us, it’s going to be me first and a lot of griping and demanding.  It can happen to every one of us when we forget who God is and that we are from dust and will return to dust, but our spirit will live forever, with God, or the evil one.

They wanted what they wanted with no thought of what God was doing, not thankful that He was raining down on them the bread of the angels in heaven.  They wanted meat, so he sent quail, and there were so many that they ate till they wanted no more, and God’s anger flared up against them, and He killed some of their best men.  We are told God struck down Israel’s choice of young men and yet they kept on sinning and refused to believe His wonderful works.

You and I are saying I would confess and submit to the will of God, are you doing that at this time?  If not, you are just like them, they learned nothing and God made their day end in futility and their years in sudden disaster.  It was when He killed some of them, that they repented and searched for God, they remembered that God was their Rock, Most High God, their Redeemer.

Why would they put God to the test, why did the elders not lead them in the ways of God?   The same reason many parents today, attend church, act one way on Sundays and live a life with no regard for God during the week and before their children.  It always comes back on the man, God appointed him to lead the family, not the wife, not some Sunday School teacher, it all comes back when the man is not in his role as head of his family, you will reap futility and even disaster.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

The Eraser of the Gospel Message

Psalm 781-8

Ray Still, my pastor has said something like this, there is a device at the exit doors of the Church building that erases all that he has said in the message.  My mentor and friend Carroll Ray Jr. often said, we all have preacher filters that tell us what a preacher is suppose to say, so we dismiss the message as being from him and not from God.  I believe both of them are on to something and it is not anything new, for it’s been happening from the beginning. 

My friend Bill Gillham often taught that we are wired for two Channels.  “Channel One” is a voice that sounds like our voice and it is the deception channel run by the enemy who has come to kill, steal and destroy, and many who go by the name Christian have fallen, a victim.  “Channel Two” is a very soft voice and unlike Channel One, it never tells us we deserve anything, nor does it tell us we have no value or worth, but it does rebuke and correct and encourage a follower of Christ who has entered into a personal relationship with Christ Jesus.  It is key to living in victory for the Holy Spirit has a full understanding of your value to the Father, the price that was paid to redeem you, and the love of the Father for everyone.  He also understands you deserve hell, but God has shown grace and mercy to all who will receive it, those He gave the right to become children of God.

Neither you nor I have pure hearts, our hearts have evil desires, and when we believe we have clean hearts we turn into channel 1, a lie by the enemy of your soul.  Freedom comes when our soul is free from the control of the enemy, but the enemy is going to mess with you until you ask Jesus to do what no one can do, and that is what King David did when he took on the enemies of God and Judah.  I quote Major Ian Thomas, "I can't You never said I could, You can, and you promised You would."

I believe these first eight verses are the reason for our moral decline in the Church, nations, and family, and the reason is fathers have not taught these truths to their children.  I’m sure many a pastor is often discouraged and wants to scream at the people who attend worship but do not train their children in righteousness.  Ponder on these eight verses and ask the Father to forgive you and give you the insights to teach your children and grandchildren the ways of freedom in Christ.

“Give ear, O my people, to my teaching; incline your ears to the words of my mouth!  I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter dark sayings from of old,
things that we have heard and known, that our fathers have told us.  We will not hide them from their children but tell the coming generation the glorious deeds of the Lord, and his might, and the wonders that he has done.  He established a testimony in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers to teach to their children, that the next generation might know them, the children yet unborn, and arise and tell them to their children, so that they should set their hope in God and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments; and that they should not be like their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation whose heart was not steadfast, whose spirit was not faithful to God.”

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

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Living in the Past or Looking to the Future

Psalm 77

I believe many in the Church today have the mentality of Asaph; they remember a time in the past when God was active in their lives.  Like Asaph they wanted to go back to that time,  Asaph’s thoughts were on a time of the parting of the Red Sea and the chosen people of God walking through it on dry ground.  Do you recall the army of Egypt having the water cover them?  Are you still living on what God has done in the past?

If so, let us be reminded of what God has said; “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”  (Jeremiah 29:11)  I will ask you the same question my mentor Ken Ryan asked me often; Bob, do you believe that Scripture and my reply was I’m sure much like you do, yes, and Ken would say if you did you would obey it.  Are you looking for the plan God has for you, if not, why?  Could it be your so involved in the way you want things, you cannot move into the future.

If you are looking for God in the past, He is up to something new in your life, and He is always in the present.  “God is our refuge and strength, a very present^[b help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling.”

If you get this takeaway from Psalm 77, you have won a major victory in your spiritual life; read once more Psalm 77 verses 12-13.  “I will ponder all your work, and meditate on your mighty deeds.  Your way, O God, is holy.  What god is great like our God?”

From the Back Porch, 

Bob Rice

Salem & zion also refers to Jerusalem

Psalm 76

When you see Salem used it's a shortened form of Jerusalem and Zion also refers to Jerusalem.   Let us look at the first few verses of this Psalm; “God is renowned in Judah; in Israel, his name is great. His tent is in Salem, his dwelling place in Zion.”  I understand this to say God's divine presence is in Jerusalem in the Holy of Holies in the temple.  Only a chosen priest was allowed to enter the Holy of Holies, and only on the Day of Atonement for his sins and the sins of the people.  Much is made of the thickness of the veil or curtain that the priest enters on that day, some have said it was (4 inches) thick and others (1 inch) but it is pure speculation, the Bible does not speak to this.  What we know is when Jesus died it was torn into from top to bottom, you will find this account in Mark 15:37-39. 

Hebrews 10:19-20,  ^“Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh.”  The curtain in the Temple was 30 feet high and wide, it was not the thickness that matters, even though it was thick enough so no one could see what was inside, but the tearing from top to bottom was a work of God.  Jesus died for the sins of humankind and it is clear that Jesus is our High Priest and we no longer need anyone but Him to intercede for us but Jesus with the Father.  If you read verse 25 you will understand the importance of developing a habit of believers meeting together for the worship of our great and loving Father.

We see in verse five that the enemies of God soon run out of gas, and it is clear they die in defeat.  As often seen in the Psalm of Asaph, the horses and chariot of Egypt are referred to as the waters that came over the army in the Red Sea.  When God stands in Judgment, no one has a voice but God and in verse nine it is clear that God’s heart is for those who are unjustly treated on earth, should that not also be the desire of our hearts?

“Make vows to the Lord your God and fulfill them; let all the neighboring lands
bring gifts to the One to be feared.  He breaks the spirit of rulers; he is feared by the kings of the earth.”  Be very careful in your vow-making, and God takes no pleasure in vow breakers.  Never forget this is not a suggestion, no it is a command found in Malachi 3:10, “Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the LORD of hosts if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.”

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Do not Destroy

Psalm 75:1-10

“We praise you, God, we praise you, for your Name is near; people tell of your wonderful deeds. You say, “I choose the appointed time; it is I who judge with equity. When the earth and all its people quake, it is I who hold its pillars firm.  To the arrogant I say, ‘Boast no more,’ and to the wicked, ‘Do not lift up your horns. Do not lift your horns against heaven; do not speak so defiantly.’”

No one from the east or the west or from the desert can exalt themselves.  It is God who judges: He brings one down, he exalts another.  In the hand of the Lord is a cup full of foaming wine mixed with spices; he pours it out, and all the wicked of the earth drink it down to its very dregs.

As for me, I will declare this forever; I will sing praise to the God of Jacob, who says, “I will cut off the horns of all the wicked, but the horns of the righteous will be lifted up.”

The Psalm is titled “Do not Destroy,” it may be referring to when David was hiding in a cave from Saul.  Once more, it is a song or Psalm from Asaph, and he begins by giving praise for all that God has done and is doing.  I wonder why Churches do not set aside time to do so, often in our small group on Sundays, we share what God has done for us the past week.  It is a big encouragement to Jan and I each time we share or hear others share about our Father and His faithful love for His children.

God has set a time for every season and each aspect of life on planet earth, and guess what God will never say ops, how did that happen?  He is the Creator of time and life, and He cares for you.  Yes, He has set an appointed time to judge the world, and Scripture is clear that all things are held together by Jesus Christ.  You will find that in Colossians 1:17, “He is before all things, and in him, all things hold together.”  The ones who are so concerned about global warming need to look to the one who created the world, and understands He is in total control.

When the horn is used, it is referring to a symbol of power and is often used in a military context but in this case, it is more about people boasting about the power and wealth they have.  God has disdain for the arrogant and proud, and He will bring discipline to humble us.  God will always do that if you are part of His family and the Scripture is clear if you do not receive discipline, you are not part of the family.

Now the great part and I hope you do this;  As for me, I will declare this forever; I will sing praise to the God of Jacob, who says, “I will cut off the horns of all the wicked, but the horns of the righteous will be lifted up.”

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Freedom comes at a cost

Psalm 74

This morning is a special day to all who love freedom from tyranny when a group of men was willing to give up all for freedom, it is referred to as The Declaration of Independence, adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, the 13 American colonies severed their political connections to Great Britain.  It is a sad time in this great nation when so many have no understanding of the price that has been paid for the freedom we still enjoy.

What about the freedom we have in Christ, no one has ever earned it, Jesus the only Son of God loved us so much that He willingly stepped down from being worshiped and by taking the form of a man, became lower than the angels to redeem all of humankind.  If you were willing to read John’s Gospel chapter one, you would see most of the people, He called His own rejected Him, but those who received Him became sons and daughters of God the Father.

Now you are asking how does that tie into Psalm 74, shall we explore once more Asaph’s words and recall he was one of King David’s chief musicians.  Some believe his name might have come to represent the descendants of those who came out of Babylonian bondage, and that would make this Psalm clearer.  For he is referring to a time of Israel being in captivity in the first eleven verses, and God is not talking with them, no signs or prophets, and God’s enemies scoff and revile His name.  The writer is asking how long, but he forgets that the people are not seeking God they are running after the little gods of this world, much like our day.

In verse 12, he is not only reminding others but also himself, God is his King, and He alone has salvation for His people.  Then he begins to recall all that God has done, like dividing the sea, so his people walked through it on dry land.  Now read and ponder on verses16-17, “Yours is the day, yours also the night; you have established the heavenly lights and the sun. You have fixed all the boundaries of the earth; you have made summer and winter.”  We live in a culture where it is being preached and taught that we only have years to change the weather, one ignorant Congresswoman is telling people we only have 12 years left, but she, like all who are misled by the enemy have no understanding of our great Creator.

In verses 18-23, once more the writer is asking God not to forget the ones who do evil, to come and fight against them and to remember His people and let the poor and needy praise your name.  As we close, shall we address the question are you poor and needy?  I am rich in stuff, but often in the spiritual I am needy, that is why I am a seeker of God.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

An on going battle

Psalm 73:21-28

“When my soul was embittered, when I was pricked in heart, I was brutish and ignorant; I was like a beast toward you.  Nevertheless, I am continually with you;
you hold my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward, you will receive me to glory.”

Often, we read past such Scripture, and we dismiss insight that God desires us to understand, Asaph in the Psalms tells us his feet almost stumbled, he is referring to a battle we all engage in, the flesh fighting the Spirit.  Scripture gives a lot of insight about envy and jealousy, let us look at two important ones, James 3:16, “For where envy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every kind of evil.”  Galatians 5:16-21, “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.  For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.  But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.  Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.”

Many years ago, as I pondered on Psalm 73, I prayed this prayer, expressing the desires of my heart to the Lord.  Dear Jesus, make this my prayer.  When this became the focus of my heart, I no longer desired what anyone else had, and often thank the Lord for blessing my brothers and sisters in Christ, praying they would be wise in their actions, and a good manager of what God has entrusted to them.  Now let me be clear that is one aspect of the flesh I no longer wrestle with, but the list is still long.

“Whom have I in heaven but you?  And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.   My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.  For behold, those who are far from you shall perish; you put an end to everyone who is unfaithful to you.  But for me, it is good to be near God; I have made the Lord God my refuge, that I may tell of all your works.”

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Missing Life, Looking for Happiness

Psalm 73:4-17

If you see the many good neighbors and sad to say even relatives that make no time for God in their daily lives, it seems as if many have everything that this world system calls essential.  It is easy to see how brothers or sisters in Christ who appear never to have the stuff their neighbors or relatives have, could become envious.  When one who follows Christ sees prosperity, and abundance of those who have no place for God and many seem to worship stuff, money, and what money can buy, the enemy will offer alternatives to the worship of God.

Often, as Asaph has noticed in this Psalm, the wicked seem to get by with crimes that would put others in prison, such as many in Washington D.C.  Some of the proudest and most arrogant people are those who have no place in their lives for God or His Son.  You find they have no fear of God and have no trouble blaspheming the name of our God or making little of those who worship Him.  One of the lies that the enemy of our soul tells us is that those who have no place for God live life without trouble, that is just not true!   If you are allowing God's Holy Spirit to lead you, you have something money cannot buy, peace, kindness, and joy, and the best they get are happy when things go right.

Now listen to verse 16-17, “When I tried to understand all this, it troubled me deeply till I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood their final destiny.”  God tells us in Scripture that life on planet earth is like a mist, but eternity is endless.  You would think that folks would give more thought to where they are going to spend eternity?

Verses 18-19, “Surely you place them on slippery ground; you cast them down to ruin.  How suddenly are they destroyed, completely swept away by terrors!”

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

A Politically correct Church will never be Biblically Correct

Psalm 73

A Church that desires to be Politically correct will never be Biblically correct!  I’m going to offer three verses that fly in the face of Political correctness, first is found in the book of James 4:4, “You adulterous people!  Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.”  When we take a Scriptural stand against things that God has condemned, like same-sex marriage, the killing of a child in the womb or when it is born, and the miss use of the under-resourced, we find God’s favor.  When we want to be loved by the world, Scripture is unequivocal we become an enemy of God.  Those are not my thoughts those are God’s and what did Jesus say about such people?

These are the words of Jesus recorded by John the apostle in John 8:44, “You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”  That is not even close to Political correctness, in fact, it made the religious leaders so upset they put together a plan to kill Jesus, they must have forgotten the part of Scripture that instructs against murder.  Many a politician is in that camp, and it is very clear they want to destroy, steal, and even kill those who stand for godliness. 

This is the one that the world and many in the religious community and those Churches that have chosen the approval of the world and become the enemy of God detest, it is found in John 14:6, “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” 

I believe it was essential to share that truth with you before going into Psalm 73, and we will only explore the first three verses.  “Truly God is good to Israel,
to those who are pure in heart.  But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled, my steps had nearly slipped.  For I was envious of the arrogant  when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.”  Rusty Rice, one of our pastors, stated this truth; “Joy is only found in the fruits of the Spirit.  You will not find joy in your feelings.”  Feelings are needy little things, we feel good for a while when we get new stuff, but soon it does not bring happiness, but Joy can be found even in trials of various kinds, if that were not true, it would not be in the Scripture.  When it is all about you, you are living to fulfill the desires of the flesh and not the Spirit we will not find joy and each of us have almost stumbled, so many of us have stumbled. 

That is the bad news but let me close with the good news; God is faithful, loves us and will always forgive and forget our acts of wanting to replace Him in our lives if we come to Him with a broken and contrite heart.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

A talk with the Father about your Children

Psalm 72

“Give the king your justice, O God, and your righteousness to the royal son!  May he judge your people with righteousness, and your poor with justice!   Let the mountains bear prosperity for the people, and the hills, in righteousness!  May he defend the cause of the poor of the people, give deliverance to the children of the needy, and crush the oppressor! May they fear you while the sun endures, and as long as the moon, throughout all generations! May he be like rain that falls on the mown grass, like showers that water the earth!  In his days may the righteous flourish, and peace abound, till the moon be no more!  May he have dominion from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth! May desert tribes bow down before him, and his enemies lick the dust!  May the kings of Tarshish and of the coastlands render him tribute may the kings of Sheba and Seba bring gifts!  May all kings fall down before him, all nations serve him!  For he delivers the needy when he calls, the poor and him who has no helper.  He has pity on the weak and the needy and saves the lives of the needy.  From oppression and violence, he redeems their life, and precious is their blood in his sight.  Long may he live; may gold of Sheba be given to him!
May prayer be made for him continually, and blessings invoked for him all the day!  May there be abundance of grain in the land; on the tops of the mountains may it wave; may its fruit be like Lebanon; and may people blossom in the cities
like the grass of the field!  May his name endure forever, his fame continue as long as the sun!  May people be blessed in him all nations call him blessed!   Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who alone does wondrous things.  Blessed be his glorious name forever; may the whole earth be filled with his glory!  Amen and Amen!  The prayers of David, the son of Jesse, are ended.”

Dad’s, I put all of Psalm 72 up so that you and I would have a model of how to pray for our sons and daughters.  David knew that Solomon was just a boy king and that He would need to look to God for wisdom to be wise and to rule over the people of Israel.   Will you ask the Father to give your children wisdom to walk in integrity before God and man and to be kind and helpful to the under-resourced?  To stand with those in need of justice, to have respect for all people, no matter of color or race.

To ask the Lord to bless them and to not give them more prosperity than they can handle.  To give them the courage to stand against the enemies of God, not only in words but also in action, asking the Lord our Mighty Warrior to fight for them.  That their sons and daughters would seek out godly men and women to be mentors, not looking to the counsel of this evil world system.  That they would have a soft heart, teachable minds to listen and obey the Scriptures and allow the spirit of God to lead them in righteousness.  I’m praying that for my daughter, son-in-law and grandsons, John Mark and Zachery David.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Why do we settled for Less

Psalm 71:17-24

“God, You, have taught me from my youth, and I still proclaim Your wonderful works.  Even when I am old and gray, God, do not abandon me. Then I will proclaim Your power to another generation, Your, strength to all who are to come.  Your righteousness reaches heaven, God, You, who have done great things; God, who is like You?  You caused me to experience many troubles and misfortunes, but You will revive me again.  You will bring me up again, even from the depths of the earth.  You will increase my honor and comfort me once again.  Therefore, I will praise You with a harp for Your faithfulness, my God; I will sing to You with a lyre, Holy One of Israel.  My lips will shout for joy when I sing praise to You because You have redeemed me.  Therefore, my tongue will proclaim Your righteousness all day long, for those who seek my harm will be disgraced and confounded.”

David and I can thank God that He gave us parents that read the Scriptures to us and taught us to worship.  Though my story, as well as your, will be different from anyone else.  My mother faced some big challenges having me, she was not healthy while she was pregnant with me and ended up having a nervous breakdown.  She had two children and a husband to care for, and the doctors told her that if she did not abort me one or both would not leave the hospital.  That did something to Mom, and when I was a small child, she often made it clear I was not wanted and many other things a small child could not understand.  

Let me be clear, she got better and was a good mother and loved her three children, her husband, and her Lord.  She was a wonderful grandmother, but it set me up to believe I was not loved or wanted, and for many years the enemy used this in my life. 

I often wonder why I settled for being a Baptist without a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.   The answer is, I was very foolish believing I must experience what the world had to offer before letting Christ have authority.  I can tell you, and I now wish I had known the joy of having Christ in my life as a small child and learned to trust Him with everything.  My witness is the same as David, Christ is my Redeemer, and I love to give Him praise!

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

MY Continually Hope

Psalm 71:1-16

“Lord, I seek refuge in You; let me never be disgraced.  In Your justice, rescue and deliver me; listen closely to me and save me.  Be a rock of refuge for me,
where I can always go.  Give the command to save me, for You are my rock and fortress.  Deliver me, my God, from the power of the wicked, from the grasp of the unjust and oppressive.  For You are my hope, Lord God, my confidence from my youth.  I have leaned on You from birth; You took me from my mother’s womb.  My praise is always about You.  I have become an ominous sign to many, but You are my strong refuge.  My mouth is full of praise and honor to You all day long.  Don’t discard me in my old age; as my strength fails, do not abandon me.  For my enemies talk about me, and those who spy on me plot together, saying, “God has abandoned him; chase him and catch him, for there is no one to rescue him.”  God, do not be far from me; my God, hurry to help me. May my adversaries be disgraced and destroyed; may those who seek my harm be covered with disgrace and humiliation.  But I will hope continually
and will praise You more and more.  My mouth will tell about Your righteousness
and Your salvation all day long, though I cannot sum them up. I come because of the mighty acts of the Lord God; I will proclaim Your righteousness, Yours alone.”

I’m often asking myself, are you a friend of the World?  It's a useful question and easy to find the answer, if you keep quiet about what you know to be accurate, in fear of what might happen to your so-called positions at work or with your friends James the haft brother of Jesus has a word for you.  “You adulterous people!  Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.”

You and I have to choose, and God gives us the freedom to do so. I agree with King David; God is a rock of refuge for all who are in Christ.  But it is easy to give lip service to God and not your obedience, but if ever there was a time to stand against the enemies of God now is the time. 

It not a new thing to serve the Lord, and stand for Him, Joshua put this before the chosen people coming out of Egypt, and you will find it in Joshua 24:14-15.  “Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord.  But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Poor in Spirit

Psalm 70

“Hasten, O God, to save me; come quickly, Lord, to help me.  May those 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!” turn back because of 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; come quickly to me, O God. You are my help and my deliverer; Lord, do not delay.”

Do you recall the early stages of your life, I sure do, for a while, I wanted to be a cowboy and fight off all the bad guys in the West?  Then around six years of age, I wanted to be a quarterback and always be the one who pulled the game out in the last few minutes to win the game.  I was always the hero, it was all about me, small problem, with both, I did not live in the West, I lived in Texas by the coast, and the only bad guys I knew were made up in my mind.  That takes care of being a cowboy and I needed a horse, not a stick, and a gun, not the wooden one I had made.

The next desire of being a quarterback was also not very realistic in that in the seventh grade the coach would not allow me even to try out for football, I did not meet the height or weight requirement.  I was all of 4’6’ and weighed 60 pounds, and I played tackle football at the park with many of the ones that now we're on the team with no uniform, no helmet, and no pads; I was crushed!

At no time in my life were my desires, or goals to become poor and needy, and I’m willing to bet the farm neither were yours.  In my early childhood, others may have thought of us as under-resourced, and I’m sure we were, but not poor and not needy, but we learned to work hard from an early age to have some spending money.  We never wanted a handout, nor dreamed that someday people would send out “go fund me” letters asking people they did not know to give them money, that would be begging, and we had too much pride to do that then or now.

Now, this is going to backfire in a way after coming into a relationship with Jesus Christ; we are not used to asking anyone, not even God to provide for our needs.  We are too proud to understand that all along even when we were getting our needs met outside of Christ, God was our source, our provider.  When we heard about poor and needy, God was not talking about us,  it must be someone in a foreign country.

Remember I told you it was going to backfire and as I looked to Scripture, I understood, I was poor and needy in my spirit, do you recall these words; “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:3)  Do you remember in Isaiah 66:2 the Lord speaking as Isaiah his prophet spoke these words; “Has not My hand made all these things? And so they came into being, declares the LORD. This is the one I will esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, who trembles at My word.”

So I confessed to the Father, I was a proud and arrogant man, who needed forgiveness, and I now agree with King David, I am poor and needy, but my Father loves me and will meet my every need, and sometimes my wants.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Save me, O God!

June 18, 2019

Psalm 69:1-2

“Save me, O God!  For the waters have come up to my neck.  I sink in deep mire, where there is no foothold; I have come into deep waters, and the flood sweeps over me.”

As I began to read Psalm 69, it reminded me of the time as a teenager hunting for ducks in what was called the Salt Flats or Mud Flats in Corpus Christi, Texas.  My friends and I were having a good day hunting and for some reason, not sure the reason at this stage I may have gone after a duck we shot, I went out in the water.  At first, the bottom was just a little muddy then it was like the bottom fell out and I was up to my waist in mud, and as I tried to get back to my friends the deeper I sank.  I recall I used the shotgun like an oar to help me keep from sinking deeper and one of my friends found a dead limb and walked out in the water till I could reach it and he hauled me out.

At that time, I was a Baptist but had no personal relationship with Jesus Christ, and I was not looking to God for help, no I was counting on Bob and a friend, not Jesus.  But that only gives me a picture of what the Psalmist is referring in the physical but there was a time in my thirties and I had entered into Christ and He had entered into me, I was blessed in so many ways that I became prideful and sin greatly against God.

  

I also prayed but for a while it was all about me, but over about six months, I came to the understanding that many young people and even couples were being affected by my desire to get my needs met outside of Christ, and that when I asked that God would not allow my sinful life to cause others to stumble and forgive me and restore me.

“But as for me, afflicted and in pain—may your salvation, God, protect me.  I will praise God’s name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving.  This will please the Lord more than an ox, more than a bull with its horns and hooves. The poor will see and be glad—you who seek God, may your hearts live!  The Lord hears the needy and does not despise his captive people.  Let heaven and earth praise him, the seas and all that move in them, for God will save Zion and rebuild the cities of Judah. Then people will settle there and possess it; the children of his servants will inherit it, and those who love his name will dwell there.”

The Psalmist understood what many in Church do not, that affliction and pain or because we are living in a world in rebellion against God and His authority.  This reminds me of a godly Lady named Marty, who for about 12 years fought cancer, and  ask if she got angry because she had cancer, her answer was; “why not me.”  As we had the privilege of seeing God do amazing things over many years with this saint, we knew this; Marty was finishing strong.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Our God is a God of Salvation

Psalm 68:19-20, 35

“Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears us up; God is our salvation. Selah
 Our God is a God of salvation, and to God, the Lord, belong deliverances from death.  Awesome is God from his sanctuary; the God of Israel—he is the one who gives power and strength to his people.  Blessed be God!”

Do the gods you worship, such as money, power, sports, government, family, church, or even the Constitution of the United States, bear you up, can they give you life in the now and in eternity?  If not, why do you serve them, when you look to them in times of need, can they come through, do they have the power to raise the dead, to overcome evil, and to give you peace and hope?

For 27 years of my life I got my needs met outside of Christ, I was Baptist, I believe that Jesus was born of a Virgin, the Son of God, and that He died on a cross and that His death and the shedding of blood cover all sin, and that He after three days rose up from the grave and was victorious over death, sin, and the grave.  Now that does not put me in a very good company, for the devil also believes that and trembles.  I did not have a belief problem; I had a sin problem, I wanted to run my own life, and somehow earn my salvation, and therein lies a problem.

That is what many of you are still doing, you're moral, religious, give to help the poor, and even take care of the dogs and cats and other wildlife, that do not have a soul.  You are working hard to be good and do good is a false belief that God is going to give you a pass for not bowing your knee to Jesus, and letting Jesus have His will in your life.  Jesus is very clear on this question, for Thomas asked it.  How do we know the way to heaven and Jesus answered in John 14:6, “Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me.”

There are many little gods, but as verse 35 states, only one true God, He is the God of Israel, but He loves you and wants you to come to Him with empty hands and an open heart, and I’m praying that you discover the peace and joy that are only found in Jesus Christ.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

The Under Resourced - God Heart

Psalm 68

Often, it’s history and other books in the Bible that give us an understanding of what the Psalms are telling us, and that is apparent in the first three verses, we see God as a warrior and his enemy as smoke, easily blown away.

In verse four we see God as riding on the clouds over all His creation, nations like the Canaanites believed in a god they could see, made of stone, they called Baal, and they called him the storm god.

Verse five should be a reminder to the Church that the heart of God is on the weakest and most needy in our communities.  Verse five makes this point; “Father of the fatherless and protector of widows is God in his holy habitation.”  Many little gods of this world, like our government leaders, have made it clear they will provide for the fatherless and the widows, but it comes at a high price, and it was never God’s intent, for are we the Church not His hands and feet, why then are we sitting on them.

In verses 7 and 8, once more it’s recalling the people of Israel, after 400 years of being slaves in Egypt, was led by God in this way, a Cloud by day and a fire by night.  If one did not have any understanding of Scripture, they would wonder what is the Psalmist referring to?  Verses 7,8, “O God, when you went out before your people when you marched through the wilderness, the earth quaked, the heavens poured down rain, before God, the One of Sinai, before God, the God of Israel.”

Do you understand when 2 million people are on the move with sheep and livestock; they need pasture land and crops to feed the livestock.  We know that God had planned this exit from Egypt, and had prepared the ground to do just that by sending the rain.  You can read more about that in verse nine, but we also know that God provided manna each day from heaven to feed His people.

When they reached the land of promise there were crops, they did not plant and houses they did not build to live in, and God had made it clear they were to help the weak, often family that the husband was no longer alive or unable to feed his family.  Let us close today with verses 9-10, “You, God, showered abundant rain;
You revived Your inheritance when it languished.  Your people settled in it; God, you provided for the poor by Your goodness.”

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Notes: I referred to the HCSB to get more clarity. 

Our Identity in Christ

Psalm 67

For many years, Jan and I were a small part of what was known as “Lay Witness Mission” a program of the Methodist, and my mentor Jack Archer was the Southwest director.  Why I’m telling you this is I was raised in a small Baptist Church and never heard anyone end service in this way.  Often in the Methodist and Presbyterian Church, you will listen to this Scripture used to close a service.  You will find it in Psalm 67:1a, “May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us.” That’s a great closing to anything, but that is not all the verse, for rather than a period, it is a comma, and verse two ends the sentence, in this way; “that your way may be known on earth, your saving power among all nations.” 

The problem is unless you finish the verse it’s about you, but it is not, it is about our Lord, His blessing and saving power for all people.  That verse always was a blessing to me and I often wondered why it is not used in the Baptist Church, until I finished the sentence and it became clear, it’s not about me, it is about God.

Verse three and four give us more discernment, “Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you!  Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you, judge the peoples with equity and guide the nations upon earth.”  Verse five and six are also asking and thanking God for His blessing but let’s end with verse seven.

Verse seven, “God shall bless us; let all the ends of the earth fear him!”  After about 60 verses, I quit counting the times fear was used about God, but this I do know that one who has entered into Christ and Christ is living in them should never fear the Father not being true to all of His promises.  The problem often is no understanding of what our Father has promised, such as I will never leave you, I will be with you in your trials and temptations, so we depend on others and not the Lord.  Jesus has told us that the Father knows and takes care of the sparrows and tells us our value is more than a sparrow’s value.  If you are in Christ, do you understand your true identity is in Christ?

As we understand our identity in Christ, we also will have to understand that our Father created time, and you and I were seen, and the number of our days was established before one of them happen.  The cross is outside of the timeline, for before the foundation of the world, God’s plan was determined to send His Son, His only Son, in the form of a man to die for all men, and yet many will reject Him and religiously try to attain God’s forgiveness by their act.  There is a big problem with that, Jesus tells us your acts of goodness apart from Christ are as filthy rags in God's sight.  Do you recall Thomas asking Jesus the way to the Father, and we have Jesus’ reply in John 14:6, “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life? No one comes to the Father except through me.” 

If you are in Christ it is like a two-headed coin, on the one side you are in Christ, and on the other side, Christ is living in you.  My dear friends Bill and Anabel Gilham would often use this concept – “God never allows a problem to come into your life for which He does not already have a solution.”  Let me close with this truth I was taught by those two beautiful saints, who are now basking at the feet of Jesus.  Concept – “It is from the perspective of who you are “in Christ” that you understand your true identity and realize that Christ is your life.”

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice