Looking for the Real Thing

John 12:12-19

If you are a citizen of the United States you may have noticed the Republican primaries, and how fickle the voters were.  They are much like the girl in high school who wants to date the big guy on campus until she has the first date and finds out that he is not what she wanted at all.  This truth has played out with my governor, Rick Perry who on entering the race went to the top of the pack, until he could not recall two of his three main points in a debate and it was somewhat embarrassing.  Mitt Romney took the lead and looked like he could be the silver-tongued person to beat the current holder of the White house, but that silver-tongue let him down when he said he did not care for the poor; now he came back quick to explain what he meant, but those fickle voters seemed to wonder about his intentions.

All over the world we have people worried, angry, and even taking to the streets, we refer to them as a crowd, but when things do not seem to go as planned, (their plan, their expectation) they become a mob, we might say they are fickle, or changeable, much like the high school girl we referred to earlier.  That is what Jesus was encountering, the Jewish people had very high expectations of the Messiah, and in earlier times the prophet Isaiah had been telling them of the promised One.  Isaiah foretells His coming in Isaiah 2:2-4, 7:14, 9:6-7, 25:8, and chapter 52:13- 53; these people that met Jesus that day as He entered Jerusalem, had high expectations of Jesus and on that day the crowd found the One who they had been looking for a long time.

We must be wise like our Lord, who knew the thoughts and heart of man, and never put faith in any man, never looking to men for his approval, and we also need to recall that another crowd had asked if John the Baptist was the Messiah, Luke 3:15. 

It is the next day, the day after having dinner with Lazarus the one who Jesus raised from the dead, and this is what is recorded in John 12:12-15, “The next day “the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem.  So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, “Hosanna!  Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!”  And Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written, “Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold your king is coming, sitting on a donkey’s colt!”

We are told that Jesus’ own disciples did not understand these things at that time, but later after Jesus had been resurrected they remembered these things that had been written about Him.  Now this is an important fact about why these people came and did these things; they had been listening to eyewitnesses reporting on Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead.  Picking up the story in verse 18, “The reason why the crowd went to meet him was they heard he had done this sign.”   Not much has changed it is not long before this crowd turns into a mob, calling for Jesus to be crucified.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Is friendship with Jesus Dangerous?

John 12:9-11

Is friendship with Jesus dangerous to your physical body?  The question is not about being a member of a local church, but are you identified with Jesus?  The following is what can happen to anyone who has his or her identity in Jesus Christ. “When the large crowd of the Jews learned that Jesus was there, (Bethany was near Jerusalem) they came, not only on account of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead.” (John 12:9)  As I read this account, I realized that these people are no different than you and I, and that each of them had different reasons for coming.  Some were curious, some were sick and they were hoping that Jesus might heal them, some came hoping to find reason to expose and arrest Jesus, and some came to worship Jesus as Messiah.

Now as I read these verses, this question came to my mind; “Is friendship with Jesus dangerous to your physical body?”  Picking up the story in verse 10, “So the chief priests made plans to put Lazarus to death as well, because on account of him many of the Jews were going away and believing in Jesus.  It is amazing how on the spot Blaise Pascal was when he spoke these words; “Men never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they do it from religious conviction.”  And George MacDonald had this to say about religion, “As well speak of religion as the mother of cruelty because religion has given more occasion of cruelty, as of all dishonesty and devilry, than any other object of human interest.”  What was the high crime of Lazarus, what caused him to be put on the hit list of the high priests, and the answer is his personal relationship with Jesus. Did the chief priests follow through with their plans to kill Lazarus? The Scriptures are quiet about what happened to him after Jesus' crucifixion.  Lazarus is never mentioned again.  But many others are, men like Stephen, and he was stoned to death for the crime of being a friend of Jesus.  And what about the apostles, we have what the writers of that time tell us, that Simon Peter, was crucified in Rome, at the time of Nero, and at his request they crucified him head down.  Andrew the brother of Peter, was killed in Edessa, Greece after being severely scourged & tied by ropes on a x-shaped cross where he hung 2 days to expire.  James the brother of John was the first one to die of the 12, and it happen in Jerusalem under the authority of Herod, he was beheaded with a sword.  John died in Ephesus, Turkey or Turkish Isle of Patmos, about 98 A.D. and he was thrown in boiling oil but unharmed; died of Natural causes & buried near Ephesus about 100AD.  Philip was crucified in Hieropolis, Syria, Nathaniel was killed in India or
Armenia, in this manner, beaten/flayed, and crucified head down. 

And what about Thomas, he died in Edessa, Greece, he was lanced by idolatrous priests & burned up in an oven.  James the half-brother of Jesus was killed in Jerusalem by being thrown down from the Temple tower and he was not dead, so they clubbed him to death with a fullers club.  I hope you are seeing a pattern, all twelve were killed and the apostle Paul was be-headed in Rome and Matthew was axed to death and the others were crucified.  What were their crimes?  They had a personal encounter with Jesus and shared that with all who would listen.  Much of this is based on traditions and or early historians. 

Has this pattern stopped because we have become such an enlightened society?  If you doubt this, you only have to look at the wisdom of our United Nations, with such strong human rights nations as Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, Cuba, China, and Libya on the council.  I do hope you see my sarcasm, no we have not stopped in fact many people are dying around the world today because of their relationship with Jesus. Newsweek Cover Story: The War on Christians by Stacy L. Harp published February 6, 2012, this is an excerpt “But, in fact, a wholly different kind of war is underway—an unrecognized battle costing thousands of lives. Christians are being killed in the Islamic world because of their religion.  It is a rising genocide that ought to provoke global alarm.” 

Have you given thought to why it has not happen to those of us who live in America, and identify with Jesus Christ?  I sure hope your not putting any faith in the United Nations council on human rights, and if you’ve been watching the leaders of our government, wake up dreamers, it’s coming to your area next.  The question is what will you do when it happens to your neighbor, will you relive history, as the enlightened people of Germany did under Hitler, or will you stand today while you still can?  Always choices!

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

 

 

 

Is it time to Rest a While?

John 11:54-12:1-8

“Jesus therefore no longer walked openly among the Jews, but went from there to the region near the wilderness, to a town called Ephraim, and there he stayed with the disciples.” (John 11:54 ESV)  We need to understand that this solitude was not because He feared death, but was a time to prepare for His death.  It was a time to pour more truth into twelve men, and one of them He knew would betray Him.  If you examine the life of Jesus after His ministry began, you will see a pattern of solitude; an example is found in Matthew 14:23, “And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray.  When evening came, he was there alone,” this is the account of feeding five thousand.  This account of Jesus withdrawing to a quiet place is common in the gospels, and we often forget how popular Jesus was.  Do you recall this event, the return of the twelve after Jesus had sent them out two by two, and they were telling Jesus all that had happen.  “And he said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.”  For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat.” (Mark 6:31)

Now it was Passover time and many of the Jews came from all over to Jerusalem to purify themselves.  And the talk of the town was, will Jesus show-up and the chief priest and the Pharisees had given orders that if anyone knew of His whereabouts they were to tell them so they could arrest Him. 

Six days until Passover and Jesus and the twelve show-up in Bethany where Lazarus was, whom Jesus raised from the dead.  So they had a dinner party with Martha serving and Lazarus was one of the ones reclining with Jesus at the table.  It was at that time that Mary took a pound of expensive ointment and anointed the feet of Jesus.  It was at this point that Judas Iscariot showed his true colors in that he ask why would Mary waste such ointment on Jesus when he could have sold it and given it to the poor?  (Note: Judas, like many in our government did not give a hoot for the poor, he was a thief, and thieves like to be in charge of the money, and like Judas, they often steal from the money bag.)  This was Jesus reply to Judas in this manner; “Leave her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of my burial.  The poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me.” (John 12:7,8,)

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

“Lazarus, come out”

John 11:45-53

Have you ever observed something and after you wonder, can I believe what my eyes have seen?  While vacationing in Christchurch, New Zealand with Joe and Barb Whitehouse, Joe and I were watching a street performance of some real talented people, and they had performed many acts that were amazing, but the final act was hard to believe, did we really see that woman get inside of a very small box?  Now I know that is a weak comparison to what Jesus did at the tomb of Lazarus, a man who was dead for four days and Jesus said, “Lazarus, come out” and not only did he come out but after those standing t unbound him he went home very much alive.  And I had a problem believing a young lady could fit into a very small box on a street corner in Christchurch, can you imagine those standing there trying to process what they have witnessed?

Picking up the story in verse 45,46, “Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what he did, believed in him, but some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done.”  Many and some, and yet all saw and heard the same thing, and one must wonder why did some not believe, and I believe it came down to a choice.  And this was it; common sense tells us that after a guy has been dead for four days, he’s a goner, and the enemy of their soul might have said, “that’s one slick dude, but do not believe in him, Lazarus was not dead, in fact I bet if we examined the tomb we find some wine skins and a few falafels and pita bread.”  Yes, reasoning or what many would call the sound mind principle, and the enemy who is still speaking these same lies into the heart of unbelievers, was identified in John chapter 8:42-44, when Jesus spoke to another group of Jews.  This group had told Jesus they had only one Father – even God, and Jesus replied in this way; “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God an I am here.  I came not of my own accord, but he sent me.  Why do you not understand what I say?  It is because you cannot bear to hear my word.  You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires.”  

Do you understand that if you had been there you would have been in one of those groups!  Not much has changed since that time, many in the church are like these, they are religious but they do not want any authority over them, they fear the Spirit of God, because His ways are not their ways and His thoughts are not their thoughts.  So what did “the some” do, they ran to the religious guys, the chief priests and the Pharisees and told what Jesus had done. 

One would think these religious guys, the chief priest and the keepers of the law would say praise God, but that is not what happened, they saw Jesus as competition, as a threat, not that much different than today, when a person is led by the Spirit to begin a new work and some of your church members are led by the Spirit to leave and at best, you do not support their actions.  These guys took it a step further; they came up with a plan to kill the giver of life.  Religions end game is always to kill!

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Prague was an Eye-Opener

November 30, 2012

Psalm 44:1-8

Having returned from Prague, a beautiful city in the Czech Republic, an a very historical city, but a city that was under the control of Communism from 1948 to 1989, it becomes apparent that something has gone wrong.  (The Communist Party seized complete power after the coup d’état on February 25, 1948. This event marked the start of the Communist totalitarian regime that lasted until the Velvet Revolution of 1989. A second wave of nationalization took place and 95% of all privately owned companies became the property of the state. There were a number of political trials and executions in the following several years. The economy went steadily down under the socialist regime. Basic human rights were suppressed.)

What happens to a people who have been under the total control of the State that tells them there is no God, and that the State is to whom they should look for all that is good? The Prague Post published this headline on April 6, 2011, Study: Religion is dying out among Czechs, Religion will be 'nearly extinct' in Czech Republic by 2050.  The article went on to give this information: “It seems especially cold that religion's extinction would be predicted not by an impassioned atheist or a humanist weary of the aggression perpetrated in God's name, but by a trio of physicists and mathematicians who are altogether neutral about what their study suggests.”  In todays Prague 60% are atheist and 33% are Catholic, and 7% have no opinion on what they are.

If you have been noticing and I’m sure that most have, we are going the way of Prague, we as a people have chosen to elect a party that is socialist, and socialism has failed on all fronts and it matters not what name you give it.  The President of the United States of America ran for a second term and in one of his speeches’ he stated the following: “You didn’t build that” and he was referring to a person success.  He made that statement in an election campaign speech delivered on July 13, 2012 in Roanoke, Virginia. He went on to say the following: (“If you were successful, somebody along the line gave you some help. There was a great teacher somewhere in your life. Somebody helped to create this unbelievable American system that we have that allowed you to thrive. Somebody invested in roads and bridges. If you've got a business—you didn't build that. Somebody else made that happen.”)  He said much more, but the theme was that without government it could not have happened.  That was and is the message of all Communist totalitarian regimes, and it seems to be President Barack Obama’s message.

Now this may come as a shock, but the President got close to telling the truth on this point.  Now do not burn your computers or send me hate mail until you read on down the page.  He was 100% correct that you needed help in building whatever, but he was totally 100% wrong on the source of your needs.  Now have I got you back?  It is God who has blessed you with the mental, the physical, the monetary, the desires, the drive and the knowledge to build your family, your business, your life an it is your choice on whether you acknowledge His hand or not.  When God is given the glory a nation prospers and when He is not they go into the hands of evil people who take freedom from them.

Look at what the Psalmist has said in Psalm 44:1-8, “O God, we have heard with our ears, our fathers have told us, what deeds you performed in their days, in the days of old: you with your own hand drove out the nations, but them you planted; you afflicted the peoples, but them you set free; for not by their own sword did they win the land, nor did their own arm save them, but your right hand and your arm, and the light of your face, for you delighted in them. You are my King, O God; ordain salvation for Jacob! Through you we push down our foes; through your name we tread down those who rise up against us. For not in my bow do I trust, nor can my sword save me. But you have saved us from our foes and have put to shame those who hate us. In God we have boasted continually, and we will give thanks to your name forever.” Selah

If you are one of the ones offended by the President’s remarks on July 13, 2012 in Roanoke, Virginia, was it because you believed it was by your ability, your energy, your mental abilities, your financial resources; who blessed you with those?   Whom are you acknowledging as your source?  My prayer is that you will give all praise and glory to the only God and His Son the Lord Jesus Christ.  And my prayer is that you will teach your children and grandchildren these very profound truths.

Jan and I came back from this trip understanding that the world is looking for someone to step on the scene and rescue them, and all over there is unrest, wars and rumors of wars, if you are interested in what is coming, dust off your Bible and read Matthew 24 and II Timothy 3:1-5, it’s coming to America, and the world.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice 

 

 

A Christian should be in the Unbinding Business

John 11:44

“The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth.  Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”

Lazarus has been in the tomb for four days, and his sister Martha told Jesus his body would have an odor if we move the stone that is covering the grave.  And no one who has heard the story or was there will ever forget those three words that Jesus spoke; “Lazarus come out.”  It matters not if you were an eyewitness or have been told the story, we now have evidence that Jesus has authority over death.  No other man has been given that authority, in no other religion has anyone claimed to raise the dead, and surely not someone who had been buried for four days.

Yet for some Christians who have not followed the instruction book and it’s requirements to, “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15 NASB)  And for any that fall into that group, one of the last words from our Lord after His resurrection and before returning to the right hand of the Father, was the word to the eleven disciples; “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.”  So if we understand that the Scriptures state in John’s gospel chapter 1, and verse 2-3, “He was in the beginning with God.  All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.”  The apostle Paul said this of Jesus, “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities – all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” (Colossians 1:15-17) ESV)

But is that the message that Jesus has authority over all things and that includes death, or is there more to the message?  If we return to Matthew 27:19 and 20, all of us who are in Christ are given authority to go out into the world and allow the Holy Spirit speak life into dead people, do you believe this?  Is that not what was taking place as Lazarus came forth bound in dead man’s clothing?  Jesus said to them, and then to us, “Unbind him, and let him go.”  Those words bring back a story that Mitch Kersh shared with a few men at a Tuesday Bible study in Corpus Christ back in the 1970’s.  Now Mitch was a new creation in Christ, he had been a long hair, dope smoking hippie before Jesus invaded his life, and Mitch told everyone he came into contact with about how Jesus could give life to a dead man.  Many of his family members saw what God had done, and they also believed and put their trust in Christ.  One of those was Mitch’s brother-in-law, and yet even after asking Christ into his life he continued to drink too much and smoke a joint every once in a while.  This is Mitch’s story, I wanted to give up on him, and one night while holding my baby, God asked me a question; “Mitch, do you get mad at your baby when it spits up on you or dirties it’s diaper?”  Mitch said that his reply was, “no Lord, it’s just a little baby, doing what babies do, and the Lord said, “and so is your brother-in-law.”  You and I have been given the authority and the command from our Lord to, “Unbind him, and let him go.”  The grave cloths are much like the flesh patterns we bring into our new life in Christ, often God gives us the grace and love to unbind a new Christian from the fleshly patterns of sucking their needs out of others, or of habits that are destructive to themselves or family members.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Is Your Plan better than God's

John 14: 8-11

Do you know someone who is looking for a way to God other than through Jesus Christ; in fact you may be one of those.  More than one person has told me that John 14:6, is too exclusive, and it always goes something like, what about the person in some jungle that has never seen a Bible?  And my answer is; Romans 1:18-20, and the same God who so loved the world that He gave his only Son to take our place, paid our debt by shedding His blood on a cross, so all could have eternal life when they put their faith in Him.  That God is big, real big, and I trust He will reach them with His love story of Jesus. 

I also observed that many who make such claims, have a better plan than God’s.  Their plan is built around living life as they please, and God calls that rebellion, it’s living independently of God’s authority, in fact it is living under your on authority, making your own way to eternal life where you will be separated from God.  But from whom or where did you get such authority, and how much control do you have over this life?  You cannot add one day to your life and the book of James makes that very clear. “Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”—yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.”  (James 4:13-16 ESV)

Now if the above is not clear let me make sure that you understand; I believe Jesus is “Truth” not a truth but the “Truth”.  And if that is true, then “Truth” has spoken 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.” 

Now if you’re a Christian, a person who by faith has put their hope and trust for this life and the life to come in what Jesus did some 2000 years ago on a cross, by buying you back out of the grasp of sin, by shedding His blood for your sins, and you are still troubled, so was the apostle Philip. Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” (John 14:8) This was Jesus’ reply to His disciple, and to us: “Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves. (John 14:9-11 ESV)

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice