If?

Psalm 102

As one reads verses 1-11, you could say praise God or one might say, I have no clue what the Psalmist is saying, it sounds like a pity party, if the second is your response you would do well to visit Galatians 5:22-23, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things, there is no law.”

If the Spirit of God is in you, then you have this kind of Spirit, for that is who God is Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self-Control.  I did not say you or I use the gift of the Spirit, so often we are allowing the world to mold us, or we are walking in the flesh.  If Christ is your Lord and Redeemer, if you by faith have put on Christ as your life, then you also have chosen to either walk in the Spirit or the flesh.

Many a Christian soldier is taken captive with affliction because they were not taught this one truth, “ I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world, you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”  When a brother or sister in Christ is in a deep depression, they need to understand how to find peace.  Also, it is vital for them like this Psalmist has stated in verses 12-28, that God is enthroned forever.  

Ask the Spirit that lives in you to fill you with the fruits of His Spirit and show mercy, and gentleness to the one that is going through this battle.  Always take them to the Scriptures, verses like Deuteronomy 31:6, ^“Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.”

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

A Vow of Integrity

Psalm 101

David makes a vow of integrity to the Lord, both public and private integrity, and is that what is often missing among so many in our world today.  It’s verse three that got my full attention, “I will not set before my eyes anything that is worthless, I hate the work of those who fall away; it shall not cling to me.”   As I explored this, it seems David is referring to anything or anyone that opposed God or His law.

Integrity seems to be left out of our culture, both in private and public life, when it shows up in the life of a follower of Christ,  one is often laughed at, as was our Vice President.  On the flip side, when a follower of Christ does not have moral integrity it brings shame on the name of our LORD.

Yesterday, I got a survey from my Senator Ted Cruz, a man who is right for Texas and I believe the Nation.  The survey was to get the voter's thoughts on term limits, at least that is what my wife told me before I ask her to file it in the garbage can.  Ted knows how we feel about term limits and also how the majority of voters in the USA would vote if they had a vote.  No, it was not my thoughts he wanted but what they call throwing red meat to the voter to get them fired up.  He can sponsor all kinds of bills on term limits and knows it will never pass.  Why?  Congress has the power to vote themselves raises and benefits, and they are not about to give up that right, or the power and wealth that come from the office.  In my humble opinion, Ted’s survey was a lack of integrity; it’s called manipulating or deceiving.

I’m only 77 years of age and am more ignorant about many things than you. But over those 77 years, I recall few men that have reached the office of President of the United States that kept the promises they have made, in fact only one, a man that is hated by media and a few in his party; his name is Donald J. Trump.  

When I began to write about integrity, these were not the thoughts I had in mind, in fact, I’ve said enough about politicians, for they are only Band-Aids for real problems that only looking to God can change.  That is the heart of the people.

Verse seven, “No one who practices deceit shall dwell in my house; no one who utters lies shall continue before my eyes.”  Shall we explore other places in Scripture where the Holy Spirit has spoken on lying and liars, such as Proverbs 12:22, “Lying lips are an abomination to the LORD, But those who deal faithfully are His delight.”  Colossians 3:9-10, “Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices, and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.”  This is a woe is me verse, and I always must do as 2 Corinthians 13:5 instructs me to, examine myself!

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

What a blessing, the ability reason

Psalm 100

“Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth!   Serve the Lord with gladness!
Come into his presence with singing!  Know that the Lord, he is God!  It is he, who made us, and we are his; we are his people and the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise!  Give thanks to him; bless his name!  For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.”

God, to my knowledge, never made humans robots, but in each person gave them the ability to think.  I know that statement is getting harder to prove, especially when we look to the Congress of the United States of America.  So, if one is not born without brain damage, they have been given the ability to think, and to reason, and out of that always comes making a choice.  Another factor is also at play and its emotions, and they are compelling in each of our lives.  If you ignore them, they will bring disaster into your ability to live the Christ-life.  We are instructed in Scripture to walk by faith and not by feelings, and my friend Bill Gillham taught this concept –All knowledge is the outgrowth of obedience.   Everything else is just information.  Also, this concept-Never looks to your emotions as the leading barometer of spiritual reality.

Now let’s go back and ponder on what Psalm 100 is telling us; do you recall Jesus entering Jerusalem and the Pharisees in the crowd coming to Jesus with this complaint about what the many disciples were saying.  You will find it in Luke 19:37-40, “As he was drawing near—already on the way down the Mount of Olives—the whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen, saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.”  

Many who attend a building we refer to as a Church, proclaim to the walls and everyone inside those walls Jesus Christ is Lord, but when the Church leaves the building are we not often more like the Pharisees than we are willing to admit?

So the next question; are you His, are you a member of the Family of God?  Once again, a concept from Bill, “Birth always determines identity.  All you have to do to go to hell is show up on the planet as a descendant of Adam.”  So having a new birth, not by flesh and blood but by the Spirit of God is required.  So you may want to explore these verses, Romans 6:6, Galatians 2:20, and you become a new creation in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17).   All that have entered by God’s grace into faith in the finished work of the Cross are saints, and yet because of choice we choose to sin, but it should break our hearts.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

An Awe of God

Psalm 99:1-5

"The LORD reigns; let the peoples tremble!  He sits enthroned upon the cherubim; let the earthquake!  The LORD is great in Zion; he is exalted over all the peoples.
Let them praise your great and awesome name!  Holy is he!  The King in his might loves justice, You have established equity; you have executed justice and righteousness in Jacob.  Exalt the LORD our God; worship at his footstool!  Holy is he!"

The first five verses spoke to me and brought about these questions; does your nation have a reverence, an awe of God?   If you're not sure about the word "awe” let me share from the dictionary, "mixture of wonder and dread" or reverential worship, or even frightening.  What about the State or community and what about the Church you are affiliated with?  When people understand who God is only a fool would not live in awe of Him.

The sad truth is I live in such a place, it’s called the land of the free and the home of the brave, it’s the United States of America, it's Texas, it is New Braunfels, and it's the community where I live.  I hope it is obvious I did not include Oakwood Church in New Braunfels; the staff and the Church have a reverence and awe of God.  I did not say all the ones on the membership role do, for many of them have been AWOL for years.

Many that go by the name Christian have no fear of God, for they have no understanding of who He is or His Son, much less the Holy Spirit. Let's begin with some of God’s commandments the easy ones first; give a tithe to support the ministry of your Church.  Now you may be of the mindset, a tithe is Old Testament law, and you are not under the law, you live by God's grace.   A great quote from Randy Alicorn; "Being under grace does not mean living by lower standards than the law. Christ systematically addressed such issues as murder, adultery, and the taking of oaths and made it clear that his standards were much higher than those of the Pharisees (Matthew 5:17–48). He never lowered the bar. He always raised it. But he also empowers us by his grace to jump higher than the law demands." Randy states that God owns all you have been given, so 10% is at best a starting point.  CDF Capital provides these statistics for 2018, only 5% of people who attend a local Church give a tithe, and this statistic from LifeWay Research that in Protestant churches more than half saw fewer than ten people become new Christians in the past 12 months.

Tithing or giving as the Holy Spirit leads you that is easy, but what about this commandment found in Matthew 28:19-20, "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
 "If you love me, you will keep my commandments.  And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you."(Matthew 14:15-17)  Not my words, but Jesus Christ’s, and the question is for all of us, do we love Him, are we full of religious words, much like the Pharisees of Jesus time?

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Nowhere can one find entitlement in Scripture

Psalm 98

“Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things; his right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him.  The Lord has made his salvation known and revealed his righteousness to the nations.  He has remembered his love and his faithfulness to Israel; all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.”

Nowhere can one find entitlement in Scripture unless we are referring to hell, and let’s not mince words, eternal punishment.  Yes, all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23)  The salvation that King David is referring to in these first three verses of this Psalm are not an entitlement, nor can it be earned.  We live at a time where from childhood people are taught they are entitled to almost everything, even what someone else has worked and sacrificed to acquire.  It’s a setup by the evil one, and designed to fail, so who would do such a horrible thing to humans, the answer is found in John 10:10.

John 10:10, not only gives us information about who our real enemy is but also gives information about where to run for help.  The Spirit that lives in all who have found peace and joy in this world will find rest for their soul in Jesus.  Shall we look to the words of Jesus found in John 3:16-21,  “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁷ For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. ¹⁸ Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. ¹⁹ And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. ²⁰ For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. ²¹ But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”

Grace is not an entitlement, and not earned, it is a gift from God, it is a heart transplant, found in Ezekiel 36:26, “And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.”   We call this act of God regeneration, and it is a secret act of God by which He imparts new spiritual life to a dead heart.  A heart that has always had it needs met, outside of Christ.

Have you experienced this grace?  Do you have a heart that sings a new song to the Lord?  If not, you have been given enough information in this paper to do so, and Scripture teaches that today is the day of Salvation.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

-- 

The Key to understanding Scripture

Psalm 97

When you read a Psalm, do you ask the Spirit of God who lives in you if you have invited Him into your life by faith?   Do you look to Jesus as God’s only Son, who is the only way to the Father?  If not, you cannot understand what the Scripture is saying.  That’s not my words but Scripture, shall we explore?  You will find that in1 Corinthians 2:14, ^“The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit.”  That’s bad news, but it is not fake news, it is truth.  The good news is, that once a person has entered into Christ by faith, they receive the Spirit of God as stated in 1 Corinthians 2:12, ^“What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us.”  

Shall we begin with “I am crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me?” (Galatians 2:20)  Then look at (Ephesians 3:17) “That Christ may make His home in your hearts through faith.”  

We must understand that before digging into the Psalms, which are both hymns and prayers to God.  It is written in poetry languages and covers God’s relationship and activity  in the lives of His people and their response to them.  What is so teachable to me is found in verse 2b, “righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne.”  God’s not like you or me; He is holy and always just.  We find that He only is God; all other gods are from the minds of men.

 Verse six states that we have all looked at the heavens, and they proclaim God’s righteousness, and we all have seen His glory.  The apostle Paul also states this truth in Romans 1:18-21, “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.  For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them.  For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.  For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.” 

And shall we end as Psalm 97 does with these words of instruction; “Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous, and give thanks to his holy name!” 

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Ascribe to the Lord the glory due His name

Psalm 96:7-13

“Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the peoples, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength!  Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; bring an offering, and come into his courts!  Worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness; tremble before him, all the earth!  Say among the nations, “The Lord reigns! Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved; he will judge the peoples with equity.”  Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; let the sea roar, and all that fills it; let the field exult, and everything in it!  Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy before the Lord, for he comes, for he comes to judge the earth.  He will judge the world in righteousness, and the peoples in his faithfulness.”

Do you, do I ascribe to the Lord the glory due to His name?  Or have we bought into the culture and look more to seeing friends than coming to worship a Holy God, who is all-sufficient, all-knowing and Created all that is or will be.  I’m often guilty of going through the music part of worship, before tuning into the message that our Father gave the Pastor.  I must confess, worship can happen almost anywhere, and yet God has instructed us to assemble together for worship, I need to prepare my heart before going, that my focus is centered on coming with the desire to worship.

Jesus has promised to come back to Planet Earth, not as a baby this time, no He is coming back as a warrior and King.  I hope you read and give much thought to this verse;  “The Lord reigns! Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved; he will judge the peoples with equity.”   Now I’ve got some great news the world is not going to be blown away by man or bombs, in that it’s going to have millions of people living on it when Jesus returns and rules for 1000 years.  Yes, it is going to be very livable and if that’s not right, then God’s Word has no value to anyone, it comes back to do you believe in man or God?

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Standing before the Judge

Psalm 96:1-6

 “Oh sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth!  Sing to the Lord, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day.  Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples!  For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; he is to be feared above all gods.  For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols, but the Lord made the heavens.  Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.” 

I often wonder, yes, even imagine, standing before the Judge, the Father, Holy God, in heaven. Knowing how much of His word I’ve read and not lived up to.  Let me be quick to state that I have some understanding of Romans 8:1. God’s grace and the blood of Jesus Christ cover​s​ my many sins. “There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”  And the day I stand before the Judge, there will not be condemnation and no separation, for I am an heir with Christ.  If you are in Christ 2 Corinthians 5:17, tells us you are a New Creation, (even though you do not always feel or act like it.)  And if that’s not enough what about 2 Corinthians 5:21, we are becoming the righteousness of God (you can’t get more righteous than this.)  Yes, your true identity is in Christ, and Ephesian 1:7 makes clear we are redeemed and forgiven.

But I do recall that as a child I wanted to please my dad, I longed to hear Bobby you were great at catching that ball, are did the yard better than I could, or maybe, Bobby it makes us proud when you do what we ask.  But that was not who my dad was, but it sure what my Father in heaven is.  He so enjoys the new song of His children. When I was doing a lot of driving in my business life, I would sing a song that I made up just thinking about God’s love for me.  He's Holy and merciful and loves to see us being like His Son, Jesus when we encounter our families, friends, neighbors, and those who even want to do us harm.

I hope that each of us parks here, and gives thought to verses 5-6, “For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols, but the Lord made the heavens.  Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.”

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

I Wonder

Psalm 95

“Oh come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!  Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!  For the Lord is a great God and a great King above all gods.  In his hand are the depths of the earth; the heights of the mountains are his also.  The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land.  Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker!  For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand.  Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah, as on the day at Massah in the wilderness, when your fathers put me to the test and put me to the proof, though they had seen my work.  For forty years, I loathed that generation and said, “They are a people who go astray in their heart, and they have not known my ways.” Therefore I swore in my wrath, “They shall not enter my rest.”

I wonder how many who attend church services are in denial about their relationship with Jesus Christ.  My reasoning for saying this was supported by a book, I read from Craig Groeschel titled “The Christian Atheist” now that sounds like an oxymoron, but it goes on to state; 

“Believing in God but Living as if He Doesn’t Exist.”  

With that, shall we move on to the verses in bold, and we find God’s chosen people getting their needs met outside of God’s commands and desires for His people.  Many of us who are followers of Christ also at time lean to our own understanding, (depend on self and not Christ.)   When the people of Israel followed Moses into a wilderness, God showed them He would protect them and supply their needs, and I’m sure they were happy God allowed Moses to be used to part the Red Sea, and keep them from being slain, and to freedom, but they had a short memory.  I’m wondering do we also have a concise recall of what God has done and is doing in our lives?  But they wanted what they wanted and were always complaining, never thankful just a significant pain.  It proves that the old is forever new, for are we not living in that culture, and has it not crept into the Church?

The group that left Egypt with the exception of Caleb and Joshua was never allowed into Canaan, (the Promised Land).  I often wonder what an ungrateful attitude has cost us, followers of Christ?  This is the bottom line; “Today if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.”

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Who will rise up against the Wicked?

Psalm 94: 16-23

“Who will rise up for me against the wicked?  Who will take a stand for me against evildoers?   Unless the Lord had given me help, I would soon have dwelt in the silence of death.  When I said, “My foot is slipping,” your unfailing love, Lord, supported me.  When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy.  Can a corrupt throne be allied with you—a throne that brings on misery by its decrees?  The wicked band together against the righteous and condemn the innocent to death.  But the Lord has become my fortress, and my God the rock in whom I take refuge.  He will repay them for their sins and destroy them for their wickedness; the Lord, our God, will destroy them.”

Do you ever have a conversation with yourself?  I was so encouraged to read these verses above and see I was not the only one that asks myself questions, and like David knew the answer to the question.  But often when I’m caught in the web of lies and deceit of this world, and yes even allow my emotions to guide me and not the Lord, I ask such questions.  

It seems of late that I’m doing it daily, asking this question; “Who will rise up for me against the wicked?  Who will take a stand for me against evildoers? 

 And if you looked at my inbox on the computer, you would understand I’m not alone.  At almost every turn, we see that the United States has a double standard about Justus.  If you lie to the FBI, they will put you in jail.  Ask Martha Steward or many others, but if you are of rank or leadership in the FBI, you have the ok to lie under oath and break the laws you hold others to.  If you are a so-so Hollywood person and break the law like the clown that claimed he was attacked by Trump supporters; you walk out of the court a free person, but you better not try it or it’s pokey time (jail time) for you.  Here is another that is not talked about, a man with no wealth when he comes into the presidential office, but now has the funds to buy two homes, the latest only cost 14 million, where did they steal that much money?  There are so many in our Congress who are millionaires, yet were almost broke when they entered the office, is the pay that good, why are they not investigated?

The answer is simple, their office is for sale to the highest bidder!  So what can the righteous do?  I’m going to define how I’m using righteous, the person, no matter the color of skin, who loves God, loves their family, goes to work each day and supports their family and gives to support causes that help others and their church.  They are not perfect, but they earn what they have and understand that God is the source of all that is good, and like King David, depend on Him to bring justice on the wicked.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Not receiving disciplines from God

Proverbs 94:8-15

“Understand, O dullest of the people!  Fools, when will you be wise?  He who planted the ear, does he not hear?  He who formed the eye, does he not see?
He who disciplines the nations, does he not rebuke?  He who teaches man knowledge—the Lord—knows the thoughts of man that they are but a breath.   Blessed is the man whom you discipline, O Lord, and whom you teach out of your law, to give him rest from days of trouble until a pit is dug for the wicked.  For the Lord will not forsake his people; he will not abandon his heritage; for justice will return to the righteous, and all the upright in heart will follow it.”

As a follower of Christ, if you have never received disciplines, it does not mean God is pleased with you; in fact, it may be your ladder is on the wrong wall.  Turn with me to Hebrews 12:5-8, “And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons?  “My son do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him.  For the Lord disciplines, the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.”

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.”

If you are active in your church attendance and may even teach or preach, give a tithe, but have never received any discipline from the Lord, you need to find a time to reread the verses above and then go to 2 Corinthians 13:5, “Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test? “  

My story will be different from most; that is unless you grew up in a small Baptist Church and never heard much about love and forgiveness, but only condemnation and fear of God.  To my knowledge, they never spoke of the Holy Spirit that would come to live in you and you in Him.  No, it was always the Holy Ghost and was not the subject discussed often, we were never taught that the Holy Spirit would be our Helper and correct us when we were tempted to take the wrong path.  

I also saw a lot of inconsistencies in the way people lived and what was being taught in the sermons but even as a young boy I never doubted God, or what the Scripture said about Jesus, His birth or death.  But foolishly I walked to the front of that little church and joined because I was embarrassed by an older man that meant well when He asked me if I was a Christian in front of my buddies.  I was 27 before I ask Christ to take over the management of my life, and I had a lot of unlearning to do.  The Holy Spirit would talk to me and also sent me men who had a walk with the Lord to guide me into truth.  Today I still examine myself to make sure I am listening to the Spirit of God and more often than I want to admit, I’ve been on the wrong path.  I must say it is not fun to receive discipline, but I always remember God loves those He disciplines and that He disciplines all that are His.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

The Lord Reigns

Psalm 93

“The Lord reigns; he is robed in majesty; the Lord is robed; he has put on strength as his belt. Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved.
Your throne is established from of old; you are from everlasting.  The floods have lifted up, O Lord, the floods have lifted up their voice; the floods lift up their roaring.  Mightier than the thunders of many waters, mightier than the waves of the sea, the Lord on high is mighty!  Your decrees are very trustworthy; holiness befits your house, O Lord, forevermore.”

In the English Standard Version, Psalm 93 is titled “The Lord Reigns” and once more that is an absolute.  I was on a gondola in Telluride Colorado, going up to the village to do a little shopping and visit with my grandson John Mark, and we had a gentleman who asks where we came from.  We shared the area of Texas and told him John Mark was the main reason we had come to Telluride, and that he was a student at MSU in Bozeman.  He shared that his son had been a student in engineering and now was a professor at MSU.  He told us he also was academic and was in Telluride for the mushroom convention.  Then he began to educate us about our planet and that researchers now knew Mars was a dead planet as were all the others, but they were sure that earth was living.  Then he began to tell us all about mushrooms and what they are discovering and was talking about much that went over my head.  Then he said the mushroom had been on the earth for at least 3.6 Billion and went on to tell us more about the planet earth.  At this point, I injected that it sure sounds as if this was by design and if so it must have a designer, much like a watch has to have a designer to make it work.  He said something like yes, many have come to that point of view; yes, it does have a designer

I so wanted to share that if he had time, I could introduce him to the Designer, and we were at the top, and he was off to the mushroom convention.  This I know, the plethora of people we saw in Telluride who were attending the mushroom convention were different, and I do believe if I had a goat and told them it was a miracle worker, within thirty minutes it would have had many followers.

I know; “Your decrees are very trustworthy; holiness befits your house, O Lord, forevermore.”  Ps. 93:5

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

O Most High

Psalm 92

My words though many or few will never come close to those found in Psalm 92, so a wise person will ponder what is being said.  “It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praises to your name, O Most High; to declare your steadfast love in the morning, and your faithfulness by night, to the music of the lute and the harp, to the melody of the lyre.  For you, O Lord, have made me glad by your work; at the works of your hands, I sing for joy.  How great are your works, O Lord! Your thoughts are very deep!” 

The Psalmist was very wise for he searched the deep thoughts of the Lord, and Isaiah the prophet gives us this word from God in chapter 55:8-9, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.  For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” 

Each of us who claims to follow Jesus would be wise to pay attention to verses 6-9, “The stupid man cannot know; the fool cannot understand this: that though the wicked sprout like grass and all evildoers flourish, they are doomed to destruction forever; but you, O Lord, are on high forever.  For behold, your enemies, O Lord, for behold, your enemies shall perish; all evildoers shall be scattered.”  You may be looking for me to define stupid or even wicked for you, but let’s look for God’s definition of such men; Proverbs 1:7, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.”   With the limited ability that I’ve been given, I believe that people will be foolish, and it seems many of them end up in the Congress of the United States of America.  We who know God and are known by God as His children should be praying for such people.  For it is stated that all the enemies of God shall perish, even though the evildoers seem to flourish, all life on planet earth is like a vapor and eternity is endless.

Jesus did not come to rescue good people, but He did come to seek and save the lost like you and me, and He has set us free from the control of sin.  If you forgot Jesus makes it clear no one good but God.  When I read verses 14-15, it brings a smile to my face and joy fills my heart and I claim that promise.  “They still bear fruit in old age; they are ever full of sap and green, to declare that the Lord is upright; he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.”

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Where is your Refuge?

Psalm 91

Where is your refuge, is it a secure place, no matter what happens where is your trust, and to whom do you turn when things go from bad to worse?  Many of you will be quick to say God, but what god?  For many it is not the God that the Psalmist is referring to in Psalm 91, verse two makes that very clear.  “I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”   So one must ask where does my trust comes from?  Do I put my hope in self, my ability to solve problems, my job, or the company I’m part of?  Or is your trust in government, its ability to provide for you and protect you?  What about your wealth, you know the stuff you have and the material things like houses and wealth you acquired?

I've often put trust in so many of the little gods, and you know the ones that cannot hear nor see, the ones that are here today and gone tomorrow.  But not the Psalmist, his fortress and refuge were in God whom he found peace and rest.  He had an understanding of what Jesus told us many years later; the world and its desires are passing away, but He has overcome the world.  He also understood these words of Jesus found in John 10:9-10, “I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture.  The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy.  I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”

The Psalmist uses figurative language like the snare of the fowler; to describe the thief Jesus is telling us about and how God covers you under His wings like a mother hen does her chicks from the birds of prey.  He also knew his value to God, when he said ten thousand on your right side might fall, but it will not happen to you, but you will see the recompense of the wicked.  

Listen to the promise made to the one that holds fast to the Lord.  Psalm 91:14-16, “Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.  He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him.  With long life, I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.”

One must ask this question if they are honest with themselves; can the God I’m putting my trust in making such a promise and come through with it?

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Your Days or Numbered

Psalm 90:1-12

“Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations.  Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting, you are God.  You return man to dust and say, “Return, O children of man!”  For a thousand years in your sight are but as yesterday when it is past, or as a watch in the night.  You sweep them away as with a flood; they are like a dream, like grass that is renewed in the morning: in the morning it flourishes and is renewed; in the evening it fades and withers. For we are brought to an end by your anger; by your wrath we are dismayed.  You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your presence.  For all our days pass away under your wrath; we bring our years to an end like a sigh.  The years of our life are seventy, or even by reason of strength eighty; yet their span is but toil and trouble; they are soon gone, and we fly away.  Who considers the power of your anger, and your wrath according to the fear of you?  So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.”

I put a foot-note in my Bible that Psalm 90 is the oldest, and its title is “A prayer of Moses,” it is not known if Moses wrote it or that the poem reflects a Mosaic perspective.  But all in all, that’s the only information and does not affect how you are going to live your life on planet earth.

As one gives thought to where your dwelling place is, it is not where your heart and soul find rest.  Moses has stated God is their dwelling place, it is only in God that they find rest for their souls.  We live in a time where each day someone is working hard trying to prove there is no God, how unlike this Psalmist who not only knew God, but also knew that He formed mankind out of dust and to dust our bodies will return, but not our souls.  He understood God has no timeline, but all people do have a timeline and God has numbered our days.  You may be like Jan and me, eating most of the time only what is good for us, exercising three or four times a week, hoping to live a more productive life, but it does not change the day God has picked for life on planet earth to end.  Please do not come to our funeral and talk about us in the past, for our souls are very much alive.

Verse twelve, “So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.”  What a prayer, it’s one I hope I begin to pray for myself, and with it Psalm 86:11, “Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth; unite my heart to fear your name.”  In that you have no understanding, if today is your last day on Planet Earth, why not live as if it could be?  Why not cry out to a loving Father for wisdom, so you act wisely and not foolish?  For with wisdom you can receive the Lord’s ways, and wisdom will guide your steps as it leads you down the path of truth.  Wisdom will also give you a healthy fear and awe of a Holy God.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice