“Where love is, there God is.”

 Mark 5:24 – 34

 

“And a great crowd followed him and thronged about him.  And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse.   She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment.   For she said, “If I touch even his garments, I will be made well.”   And immediately the flow of blood dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease.  And Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had gone out from him, immediately turned about in the crowd and said, “Who touched my garments?” ³¹ And his disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing around you, and yet you say, ‘Who touched me?’” ³² And he looked around to see who had done it.   But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down before him and told him the whole truth.   And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.”

 

This is a big part of the story that we did not have room for in yesterday’s account of Mark, telling us about Jairus's daughter, but this happens as they were going to Jairus' house.  All we know about this lady is she believes that Jesus was the only answer to a sickness she had for twelve years, and many physicians had practiced their healing powers on her, and taken all of her resources, and she had suffered much under their care.  She did not get better but grew worse each day.

 

Jesus did not claim to be a doctor, he did practice healing, but He healed many people and the lady had heard reports of these accounts.  Listen to her account; “She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment.   For she said, “If I touch even his garments, I will be made well.”   And immediately the flow of blood dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease.”  

 

If you are a seeker of truth it seems this question would have to enter your mind as it did His disciples, many people have touched Jesus in the crowd.  But only this lady did so in faith.  I hope you noticed Jesus had to remove those who had no faith so that faith could do its work with Jairus's daughter.  For unbelief and doubt has no place with faith.  Do you recall John 15:20, “Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’  If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also.”

 

How often have you been in the presence of Jesus and yet did not touch Him with faith?  I’m sure each of us has and yet it was not Jesus we were expecting.  After Hurricane Katrina our church in the Woodlands had a black family join the church, they were from New Orleans and had lost home, business and the man needed a job, his car had been flooded, and I was not aware of what Jesus was doing with our Church Family.  When I got home I wrote the following and sent it to my pastor and friend Larry.

 

 

 

Today I saw Jesus

 

Today I saw Jesus, He was not what I expected, He showed Himself strong in the life of Rocky, He showed Himself in the love of the family of Crossroads and He showed up at the end of our Church service.  At the end of our service, we gave those who desired to follow Jesus the opportunity to do so publicly.   And it was there I saw Jesus; a couple and their young granddaughter came before the Church asking to join, they had lost all their earthly possessions in the floods of New Orleans.

 

 

Our pastor Larry York began to tell us their story and in telling their story, I saw Jesus.  Jesus had put in the hearts of one family to take them in, He had put in the hearts of another family of faith, to buy them a car, and He had put into others members of the family to help find the husband a place of employment; today Jesus showed up at our Church and taught each of us about love.

 

I read this today; “Where love is, there God is.” 

 

From the Back Porch,

 

Bob Rice

 

 

 

 

 

 

Faith must put unbelief outside

 

Mark 5: 21-43

 

Jesus is returning to the Jewish side of the sea of Galilee, it is the western side and has been asked to leave the eastern side by Gentiles, after the healing of a man whose body had been the host of many demons.   

 

Using Mark's favorite word; immediately as they reached the other side a crowd gathered, and a ruler of the synagogue named Jairus fell at Jesus's feet and said, “My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well and live.”  And he went with him.  As Jairus was talking to Jesus some came from the house to report your daughter is dead, do not trouble the Teacher any further.  Now hearing this Jairus was an emotional wreck and Jesus said, “Do not fear, only believe.”  Note from this writer, each and every one of us needs to apply that to our lives, each day, and so how are you in compliance in all the fear being passed on each day of this pandemic?

 

Back to Jairus's daughter, and this is what took place, “They came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and Jesus saw a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly.   And when he had entered, he said to them, “Why are you making a commotion and weeping? The child is not dead but sleeping.”   And they laughed at him. But he put them all outside and took the child's father and mother and those who were with him and went in where the child was.  Taking her by the hand he said to her, “Talitha cumi,” which means, “Little girl, I say to you, arise.”  And immediately the girl got up and began walking (for she was twelve years of age), and they were immediately overcome with amazement.  And he strictly charged them that no one should know this, and told them to give her something to eat.”

 

Anytime you are being led by the Spirit of God as Jesus was, though He was God in the flesh, He did not look to Himself but always to His Father for His power.  If it is God who is telling you to go and do something and you obey, it’s as if Jesus is doing it all through you.  So put the words of Jesus in your mind in John 15:20, “Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours.”  The bottom line is when you and I follow Jesus, the world is going to hate you and make fun of you.  A great example of this is New York City telling Samaritan's Purse responded to COVID-19 and after things were better, that they did not need such people in New York. 

 

When the people laughed at Jesus He put them outside, for where there is doubt and faith will not work together.  Remember these words of Jesus; “Do not fear, only believe.”  

 

From the Back Porch,

 

Bob Rice

 

Have you been doing so?

 Mark 5:14 – 20

 

“The herdsmen fled and told it in the city and in the country. And people came to see what it was that had happened.  And they came to Jesus and saw the demon-possessed man, the one who had had the legion, sitting there, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid.   And those who had seen it described to them what had happened to the demon-possessed man and to the pigs.   And they began to beg Jesus to depart from their region.   As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed with demons begged him that he might be with him.  And he did not permit him but said to him, “Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.”  And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him, and everyone marveled.”

 

If you were the herdsman, and you see a miracle as they have, you’re going to tell others, that is the way we are wired.  Now it seems the whole region showed up to see if what the herdsman was saying is true.  If it happened today CNN would be there giving us an account of what had been reported, and they would have all the experts telling us that Legion clothed and in his right mind was not a miracle, and then they would take an hour to tell how unpopular Jesus was and a Jew that hated pigs and was only there to destroy, not do good.

 

Have you ever been told to stop begging?  Well, Jesus did not do so, when the unclean spirits begged Jesus to allow them to enter the herd of about 2000 pigs, He did.  As stated in the last paper, pigs must be smarter than people for they chose death over having a demon living in them.  Note:  I’ve often warned my two grandsons to not be taken in by a young lady's outer beauty but to look for the beauty of the soul in the lady.

 

Back to begging, the people of the area were much more at peace living with or around demons, but they begged Jesus to leave, because He had authority over the demons, and Jesus does not force them to change their minds, He complies.  

 

The last beggar was Legion, the name the demons gave him, we do not know his name, but we do know that he is now clothed and in his right mind.  What was he begging for? He wanted to be with Jesus, and Jesus said no. “Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.”  “And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him, and everyone marveled.”

 

The sad news is Jesus has told each of us the same thing, go tell how much Jesus has done for you, have you been busy doing so? 

 

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Mark 5: 1 – 13

 

Jesus Heals a Man with a Demon

 

“They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gerasenes.  And when Jesus had stepped out of the boat, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit.   He lived among the tombs. And no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain, for he had often been bound with shackles and chains, but he wrenched the chains apart, and he broke the shackles in pieces. No one had the strength to subdue him.   Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains he was always crying out and cutting himself with stones.   And when he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and fell down before him.   And crying out with a loud voice, he said, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?  I adjure you by God, do not torment me.”  For he was saying to him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!” And Jesus asked him,  He replied, “My name is Legion, for we are many.”   And he begged him earnestly not to send them out of the country.  Now a great herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside, and they begged him, saying, “Send us to the pigs; let us enter them.”   So, he gave them permission. And the unclean spirits came out and entered the pigs; and the herd, numbering about two thousand, rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the sea.

 

I have no doubt that the culture you and I live in would look at this story in a much different way than I hope you do.  Let us return to that thought later, but first let us recall the morning has come: the storm on the sea of Galilee is over and they reach the Gentile side of the sea.  

 

The account and as Mark likes to report, immediately they encounter a strange man, I have no doubt his body odor was not a fragrance you desire, and he had cuts all over his body.  This is somebody's son, grandson, uncle, and cousin, or brother, yet at some time evil spirits have taken control of his body and could have been at first he was intrigued with the dark side.  This we now understand, he is not only an outcast, but he is also one scary dude, no one is safe and those who know him, those who he is kin to have written him off a long time ago.  He has no value to anyone he is a liability.

 

Now back to my first thoughts, what is a man like this valued?  Does the skid row bum, the homeless have value in our thoughts or do we just not think about them.  I hate this kind of soul searching, for I’m often found guilty, I often do dismiss them as having little or no value.

 

When Jesus saw my messed-up life He loved me, when He saw Legion Jesus was already commanding the unclean spirits to come out of him.  Now Jesus disciples admired Jesus, they were drawn to Him, but they were still not sure who He was. The unclean spirit that had control over me, and the ones living in this man who had the same goal to steal, destroy, and kill.  They knew that Jesus was the Messiah, God in flesh, and He had authority over all things.

 

Now as we return to the question of value, 2000 pigs, that’s a lot of bacon, baby back ribs, and porkchops, not to mention the cured hams, it was someone’s full 401K.  Now you may not understand pigs, but they are very smart and way too smart to allow life with an unclean spirit, so they made a choice.

 

The pig or someone’s income, they have value, did Jesus place the value of the man at a much higher value than the pig, the answer is yes, but now the question, where do you put the value?

 

From the Back Porch,

 

Bob Rice

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

What Boat are you in?

 

Mark 4:35 – 41

 

Jesus Calms a Storm

^“On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.”   And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him.   And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat so that the boat was already filling.   He was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. They woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?”   He awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.   He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?”  They were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”

 

In the New Testament  Scriptures Hebrew 4:12, “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart”

 

It is living and active, and the Holy Spirit never stops teaching and correcting and allowing discipline to bring us into an understanding of God’s written word.  So, allow me to share the many times I’ve read Mark 4:35 - 41, it has never been impressed on me that other boats left the shore to cross over with the boat Jesus was in.  This morning I realized the Spirit of the living God was going to show me something new.

 

Now back to the story, Jesus tells those in His boat to cross over to the other side, it is getting dark, and it is bad enough to be in a storm when you can see, but at night it can be a little overwhelming.  The other side seems to be the eastern side and that was the Gentile area.  Other boats were with them and a storm came up, the boat was being filled with water, where was Jesus?  It had been a long day of teaching and he went below to sleep.  

 

What happened to the other boats, are they also filling with water, and does it all seem lost?  We do not know, but logic tells us they also were crying for help.  Why are they not important?  Could it be that Jesus did not tell them to go to the other side, just His disciples?  Could it be Jesus was not in their boat?  Have you been in the boat where all seems lost and realized Jesus has not told you to cross over?  I have, I tried to be part of a ministry, a very good ministry but did not ask God if that was the boat He wanted me in.

 

Have you been in the boat with Jesus and the waves are coming in and you totally forget who is living in you?  Are maybe you are being like the disciples at this point your willing to follow Jesus but have not by faith and the grace that only God can give know without any doubt that God is in your boat?

 

I believe though we are not told by Mark, that they all each experience the storm, and that when Jesus was awoken it is recorded Jesus spoken these words, “Peace! Be still!.”  The disciples in the boat were full of fear, saying, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”

 

The question must be asked, are you in the boat with God's Son, and have you placed your faith in Him?

 

From the Back Porch,

 

Bob Rice

Are you walking in darkness?

 

March 4: 21 – 34

 

 

A Lamp Under a Basket

“ And he said to them, “Is a lamp brought in to be put under a basket, or under a bed, and not on a stand?   For nothing is hidden except to be made manifest; nor is anything secret except to come to light.   If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.”   And he said to them, “Pay attention to what you hear: with the measure you use, it will be measured to you, and still more will be added to you.   For to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.”

I bet your answer is no, but everyone knows that, but do they, how many of your neighbors and people you work with have seen the light of your faith in Christ, maybe each of us needs to pay attention to what Jesus is telling us?  Jesus is the lamp He is often referred to as the light of the world, such as John gospel 8:12b, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”  My dad often said use what you have been given, if not you will lose it.  John Elliott often said, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep gaining that which he cannot lose.”

The Parable of the Seed Growing

^“And he said, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground.   He sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows; he knows not how.  The earth produces by itself, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.   But when the grain is ripe, at once he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”

It is a rainy day in the Texas hill country, something many of us do not take for granted but give thanks to the Father for the rain.  I was a little late on planting all the seed out in my garden, so I’ve watered most days, but today is the day I have been talking to the Father about, the sky opening up with the rain that always brings the seed out of the ground.  Now I still have a job to do after they are up, I need to thin them and keep the weeds out of my garden.  As followers of Christ, we must plant the seeds of faith, tell people what Jesus has done and is doing in our life.  Then, it is important to mentor those young followers of Christ, that we guide them in the truth, for Christ is truth.

The Parable of the Mustard Seed

^“And he said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable shall we use for it?   It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when sown on the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth, yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes larger than all the garden plants and puts out large branches so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.”

^“ With many such parables, he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it.   He did not speak to them without a parable, but privately to his own disciples he explained everything.”

My study Bible wants us to know that the mustard seed is not the smallest of seed today, but must have been in Jesus' time. I’m sure that someone tried to make a point of this, in that it is sad, many do not search the word of God for insight but hope to prove it has errors.  As I look at my story and Jan’s we can only imagine what a hell this life would have been if we had not been given the faith to believe.  If God had not loved us so much that He sent His only Son to a Cross to make restitution for our sins that were many.  He also sent in my case, a barber who had found life in Christ.

 

From the Back Porch,

 

Bob Rice

 

The secret of the Kingdom

 

Mark 4: 10 – 20

 

 ^“And when he was alone, those around him with the twelve asked him about the parables.   And he said to them, “To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside everything is in parables, so that “‘they may indeed see but not perceive, and may indeed hear but not understand, lest they should turn and be forgiven.’”

 And he said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables?   The sower sows the word.   And these are the ones along the path, where the word is sown: when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in them.   And these are the ones sown on rocky ground: the ones who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy.   And they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away.   And others are the ones sown among thorns. They are those who hear the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.   But those that were sown on the good soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.”

 

It is very clear in the Bible that Jesus wishes that none will perish but all will put their trust in Him and come to an understanding that He has bought us out of the control of sin.  In that He is God and is all-knowing, He knows that many have set their minds on being their own god and in doing so are not open to being taught.  I believe that covers what He is telling His disciples in verse 12.

 

As a young six-year-old child I could not wait to go to school, that is until I got there and I had to sit, be still, and do as I was told, and I decided school and learning were not fun and it is clear looking back that I was not teachable.  As hard as they tried it became clear this kid was not worth taking time with, and that’s why I’ve often wondered why God put in my heart to do the “Back Porch”.  I say this only to share that one day I understood how foolish I had been, and going to school never became fun because it is hard to learn when the foundation is not in place.  It is hard to be taught till you understand how little you know, understand, and cry out to God, confessing all and asking Him to give you the faith to believe and seek Him.  

 

Many who go by the name Christian are included in this series of Scriptures, in Jesus words in verse 18, 19, “And others are the ones sown among thorns. They are those who hear the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful”.   They have exchanged what they cannot keep; for today’s desire is to run their own lives, to be in charge.

 

But I have been blessed to have had my seed in good ground, understanding how I began as unteachable, it is only by grace that I can say thank you Jesus for the blood you shed for me.  Verse 20, “But those that were sown on the good soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.”

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

 

 

Living the Christ-Life

 

May 9, 2020

 

Mark 4: 1 – 9

 

The Parable of the Sower

“Again, he began to teach beside the sea. And a very large crowd gathered about him so that he got into a boat and sat in it on the sea, and the whole crowd was beside the sea on the land.   And he was teaching them many things in parables, and in his teaching, he said to them:   “Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow.  And as he sowed, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it.   Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and immediately it sprang up since it had no depth of soil.   And when the sun rose, it was scorched, and since it had no root, it withered away.   Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain.   And other seeds fell into good soil and produced grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.”   And he said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

One might read this and not have the Spirit of God living in them, they would wonder if Jesus is giving a talk about farming.   Jesus is the sower, and the seeds are the faith that God willingly gives to all who seek for it.  Often one's faith does not have time to germinate before Satan comes, that is what the birds coming to eat the grain or seed represent.  I recall some of his tricks, as he talked with me as a young boy.  Bobby, it sounded just like my voice, and yet the thoughts were not mine.  You have time, and that is something you will do after you have had fun, if you follow Jesus at this age you will miss some good times.  I was not aware at that age that it was a lie from hell.  How I wish I had not listened, for the older I got the prouder I became and the more sinful.

At the age of 12 or 13 when I was embarrassed into walking down and becoming a Baptist, the ground was very rocky and there was not any change in my spirit, I had become another lost Baptist.  I found it was not easy to pray with faith, for I had no source to do so with.  By the age of 27, my life looked good, I  had a wife that loved me and a job that I was learning to do, and yet I was a total mess.  My barber (Bob) invited me to a Bible Study, I went because he invited me, and I wanted to see why he would want to attend.

That began preparing my soul to receive the faith God the father was giving me to see Him.  It took six months and four men loving me to prepare the soil for the seed of faith to be planted in my life, and it happened one night in Victoria, Texas, in a hotel room after opening the Bible to Romans 10:9 & 10, “If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰ For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.”  That night God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit entered into my earth suit and I became a new creation in Christ.  It has not been easy living the Christ-life, for often I’ve tried to do it in my own strength, and it is impossible to even try.  Jesus Christ is the only one who has ever lived the Christian life, and He wants you to follow Him.

 

From the Back Porch, 

 

Bob Rice

Doing the Fathers Business

 

Mark 3:31 – 35

 

Jesus' Mother and Brothers

“And his mother and his brothers came and standing outside they sent to him and called him.   And a crowd was sitting around him, and they said to him, “Your mother and your brothers are outside, seeking you.”  And he answered them, “Who are my mother and my brothers?”   And looking about at those who sat around him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers!   For whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother.”

As I was discussing these verses with my wife it became clear I need to approach this in a very different way, let’s call it “The Rest of the Story” by Bob.  It is not taken from the Scriptures for they are quiet on Jesus' life between about 12 and thirty.  We do have this insight from Mark’s gospel 3:21, “When His family heard this, they set out to restrain Him, because they said, “He’s out of His mind.”

These are thoughts from my small pea picking mind, not from the Scriptures.  I was raised in a home that taught the three children that family was very important and even as a young child I had a hard time understanding how Jesus could leave his family outside with a crowd, and not have made room for them.  Later after I received Christ, I began to understand that Jesus is God who had the ability to know my thoughts and yours, and the thoughts of His mother and brothers and sisters, standing outside wanting to put him in quarantine.

The Scriptures are very quiet on Jesus' life between 12 & 30, but as the first Son of Mary a very special lady, chosen by God to be the birth mother of His only Son.  Now Joseph was also like Mary of the lineage of King David and a man who God entrusted to be Jesus' dad.  We do not have any insights into when Joseph died, but it was after having had both sons and daughters.

To the best of our knowledge, Jesus being the oldest son helped Joseph in the woodshop making all kinds of things that people needed, a son that any man would be proud of and I believe with all my heart a son that found favor with both God and man.  He and His mother had a very special relationship, for she remembers that trip to her relatives home and the words both she and Elizabeth the mother of John the Baptist spoke to each other. She also recalled the feeding trough where she laid him and wrapped him in cloth because there was no room in the Inn.  She remembers the angels and the wise men, and the words of Simeon and Anna, they all referred to her baby boy as the Messiah, the Son of God who had come to save His people.

It has been 30 years and the Carpenters Son is not coming back home to do woodwork but to do the work of His Father.  Both Mary and the brothers and sister do not understand yet that Jesus is about His Father’s business, that they also must put their trust in Him.  It is about three years till the Cross when Jesus would pay in full for all the sins of the world.  

What was Jesus telling those in the house that day, what was Jesus telling you and me, these are not my thoughts they are taken from my HCSB.  “The phrases standing outside and sent word indicate there was no direct contact between Jesus and His family, only messages exchanged.  Whoever signifies that being part of Jesus' most significant family, is a possibility for all people.”

 

That is an invitation to all, if you are above ground and breathing, your included, no matter how messed up your life or past have been.  That is the good news, you have been invited to be a member of Jesus Christ's family.  It is clear, it is not by works or good deeds, but by placing your faith in the finished work of the Cross, by receiving Jesus blood sacrifice for your sins.

 

From the Back Porch,

 

Bob Rice 

 

Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit

 

Mark 3: 20 – 30

 

“Then he went home, and the crowd gathered again so that they could not even eat.  And when his family heard it, they went out to seize him, for they were saying, “He is out of his mind.”

Mark's gospel gives us insight into Jesus probably coming back to Capernaum and the crowd was so big they could not even eat.  I cannot think of anything much harder to deal with emotionally than your family believes you are out of your mind, but that’s what Mark is sharing with us.  He does not at this point tell us how Jesus dealt with His family.

Blasphemy Against the Holy Spirit

“And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem were saying, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and “by the prince of demons he casts out the demons.”  And he called them to him and said to them in parables, “How can Satan cast out Satan?   If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.   And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand.   And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but is coming to an end.   But no one can enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods unless he first binds the strong man. Then indeed he may plunder his house.

The scribes that came from Jerusalem, it sounds as if they came as an official delegation with a predetermined reason, Jesus had such powers.  It does remind one of the last three years of our country and all the lies about our President.  One of the favorite lies they used is, he is a liar and if you ask for an example they are not able to give one.  These scribes had come up with, out of their small minds, that Jesus was getting His power from the devil.  Jesus did what He often did, he told a story or parable.  As stated above in red ink.  We the people of the United States better listen, we have never been more divided against ourselves, and It has been that way for many years, but that does not concern me till that division entered the Church, and it has, and we have ignored it.  When being a Democrat or a Republican become our identity, we have lost our way, we are the Church, not Baptist, nor Roman Catholics, but the body of Christ on this earth called to do our Father’s will.

“Truly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the children of man, and whatever blasphemies they utter,  but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness but is guilty of an eternal sin”—  for they were saying, “He has an unclean spirit.”

Jesus is telling these very foolish men that they have blasphemed against the Holy Spirit and that is the only sin that will not be forgiven.   When one says an act of God is the work of the devil or Satan.

 

From the Back Porch,

 

Bob Rice

That the Father may be glorified in the Son

 

Mark 3:7 - 19

 

A Great Crowd Follows Jesus

“Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the sea, and a great crowd followed, from Galilee and Judea and Jerusalem and Idumea and from beyond the Jordan and from around Tyre and Sidon. When the great crowd heard all that he was doing, they came to him.  And he told his disciples to have a boat ready for him because of the crowd, lest they crush him,  for he had healed many so that all who had diseases pressed around him to touch him.   And whenever the unclean spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, “You are the Son of God.”   And he strictly ordered them not to make Him known.”

Movie stars have a hard time going out in public, why is that, and did Jesus have the same issue but not for the same reason?  Movie stars and actors, they play parts in films, that’s about all they do, that’s what they trained for.  Jesus came teaching the truth of His Father, healing the sick and casting out demons.  I can’t understand why people would want to be in his presence, but for the life of me, I have no understanding why anyone would want to go listen to a person who plays the role of someone else other than in a movie.

Jesus also had other issues that the movie stars do not have, the demons were trying to reveal who He was, the only Son of God.

The Twelve Apostles

“And he went up on the mountain and called to him those whom he desired, and they came to him.  And he appointed twelve (whom he also named apostles) so that they might be with him and he might send them out to preach and have authority to cast out demons.   He appointed the twelve: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter);  James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James (to whom he gave the name Boanerges, that is, Sons of Thunder); Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Zealot,  and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.

Then he went home, and the crowd gathered again so that they could not even eat.   And when his family heard it, they went out to seize him, for they were saying, “He is out of his mind.”

Jesus and His Father do not change, they are the same today as yesterday, so is it any surprise to see Jesus still calling those whom he desires to come to Him?  They came and men and women, boy and girls are still seeking the one who told us in John 14:6, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”  He gave them authority, and it is not true that you and I also have access to such authority?  Do you recall these words; “Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.”  (Jerimiah 33:3)

What about these words of Jesus, “Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.  If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.”  It is very clear, the reason for doing so is not left to question; so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.  Before you go asking for a new car, house, or wife, how is it going to glorify the Father?

 

From the Back Porch,

 

Bob Rice

Jesus can handle all things

  

Mark 3: 1 – 20

 

A Man with a Withered Hand

 “Again, he entered the synagogue, and a man was there with a withered hand.   And they watched Jesus, to see whether he would heal him on the Sabbath so that they might accuse him.   And he said to the man with the withered hand, “Come here.”   And he said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?” But they were silent.   And he looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, and said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was restored.   The Pharisees went out and immediately held counsel with the Herodians against him, how to destroy him.”

It seems Jesus is back in Capernaum and He has returned to the Synagogue and observed a man with a withered hand.  They, that were watching Jesus, the Pharisees, and it was not with good intentions but with an evil desire to find a reason to condemn Him.  Now take note of how Jesus handled this;  And he said to the man with the withered hand, “Come here.”   And he said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?”  How do the Pharisees react, they are silent, they are like the culture you and I live in, do not confront me with truth, I’ve already made up my mind.  Sad but true, that was the attitude of the Pharisees of Jesus time and it is the culture of the United States of America.

Often, God showed his anger over the rejection of His people for the Law he had given Moses.  God’s anger is always directed at our rebellion and disregard for Truth, His Word is True.  So why would we be surprised to have Mark report that Jesus was angry at these religious jerks?  Now watch what they do when Jesus does good on the Sabbath, immediately they go to the Herodians and begin working on a plan to destroy Jesus.

Who are the Herodians?  They were Jewish supporters of Herod the Great and his family.  Now it is a strange marriage, in that the Herodians were for Hellenism influence and the Pharisees opposed it.  When you put the old Serpent in the mix the father of lies, you will find as in our times the media and the political and the religious factions all come together behind their father the devil.  It happens with the Pharisees and the Herodians and it is happening today with a virus-driven by the evil one using many of his children to promote fear.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

A study about your true Identity in Christ

May 3, 2020

 

Mark 2:23 – 28

 

Jesus Is Lord of the Sabbath

^“ One Sabbath he was going through the grain fields, and as they made their way, his disciples began to pluck heads of grain.   And the Pharisees were saying to him, “Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?”   And he said to them, “Have you never read what David did, when he was in need and was hungry, he and those who were with him:  how he entered the house of God, in the time of^] Abiathar the high priest, and ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and also gave it to those who were with him?”   And he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.   So, the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath.”

 

God had given clear direction on what man should and should not do on the Sabbath, it is clear that man was to rest, and not to labor at all.   One must remember that the Pharisees are all about appearance and rules, and it is clear that by their standards the disciples were breaking the Sabbath by plucking heads of grain.  

 

He reminds them of David taking the bread when fleeing from King Saul, that only the priest was allowed to eat.  The twelve loaves of unleavened bread were placed in the temple's holy places each Sabbath, and they represent the 12 tribes of Israel.  David not only lied to the High Priest but was deceptive in getting what he needed to flee from Saul.

 

And he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.   So, the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath.”  It is clear that Jesus is proclaiming His authority over the Sabbath, He is telling the religious guys, you are not worshiping God, but the Sabbath.  Was not its purpose to give a day of rest, a day to be still and give praise to God for His many blessings?  

I wonder if our lifestyle of busyness has not contributed to much of the physical and mental problems of our nation.  Now I’m not talking about the unchurched, but those who are active in worship each Sunday.  We the Church are not much different than our unchurched neighbors in many of our actions, could it be that we have a misunderstanding of Jesus as our Sabbath rest?

This morning I ask a friend Erik, his thoughts, and He replied as a follower of Christ each day should be a Sabbath rest.  I was silent wanting more information and he directed me to some Scriptures in the New Testament that gave that truth.  When the class was over I began a new study on the Sabbath rest, first look at Matthew 12:8, “For the Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.”  It would be helpful to read the full account from chapter 12: 1-8.

 

Explore with me how that is an established truth, it is shown to us in Hebrews 10:12-14,  ^“But when Christ^[ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God,  waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet.   For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.”  

So, as we go each day we have this promise of a Sabbath rest, from the third person of the Trinity; the Holy Spirit.  It is found in Hebrews 10:15-17, And the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us; for after saying, “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, declares the Lord I will put my laws on their hearts, and write them on their minds,”  then he adds, “I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.”  I would encourage you to keep reading chapter ten and learn more about your true identity in Christ.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice