A Dead-End Street

Mark 4:1-20

How does the lesson on the Sower and the seeds or the word, play out in life, in your life?  I’ve never given any thought to that question until today, how did the Sower’s words take root in my life?  Now from the time I could walk and remember when the church doors were open at Ebony Acres Baptist Church we headed that way.  We lived on Liberty Dr. and no matter how you went to Hall Street it was a two to three-mile walk.  And we did not own a car, so we always walked at least to church, and sometime in lousy weather someone would bring us home.

Now at home mother and dad were the sower of the word, Mom more than Dad, and at church, it was the pastor and my teachers. Through my teachers and at home we heard the many stories of what God did for Daniel, David, and about Moses, Abraham, Jacob, and Jesus, and His disciples, and many others.  I liked those stories, I liked being with other kids, but all that sitting still and being quiet when we could be climbing a tree or being an Indian scout, I did not enjoy.  So though I heard the word, and I often was required to put it to memory, I was not thinking about applying it to my life.  So that was a time in my early life when I did not come to Jesus, and He states, “And as he sowed, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it.”  I now understand that Satan has a goal for each of our lives just as God does; yet his goal is very different from God’s.  Jesus said He came that we might have life and have it to the full.  But Satan’s goal is to steal, kill, and destroy, and it was his goal to keep me seeing my teachers as preventing me from having fun.

As I got older say five or six years old, there were times of conviction, and yet my soul was full of me by this time, and it fell on rocky ground, and there was time of what looked like spiritual growth, but it did not take root.  I was about 12 or so when a young man who worked with the youth ask in a church service, if I was a Christian, I was sitting with all my friends and it was a small building, I just knew everyone heard him.  I said no as quiet as I could, and then it seemed even lower he ask, don’t you want to be a Christian?  I was so embarrassed and without replying I did what mother always said never to do, I walked down to the front of the building and told the pastor I wanted to be a Christian.  It was a very emotional time, I became a Baptist, I joined the church, but I did not come seeking Jesus, I did what was expected of me.  And I believe it was like the rocky ground.

In High School I was willing to hunt with anyone who was popular, I was seeking the world and what it offered, and carried that into my early twenties and marriage.  But what I did not understand about God is that He loves me too much to allow this deception of Satan to keep stealing all that God had planned for me.  God first changed the man who had cut my hair since I was thirteen from a man of the world to a messed up guy who wanted to please Jesus.  Bob my barber asked me to a Bible study and I went because I could not believe He would go to a Bible study.  It took place every week on Wednesday at noon at the Holiday Inn on Hwy 9, and first we went to the buffet and got our food and then into a room, there were only six of us.  It was not a fun time, and I made some decisions that day never to come back, and not to go back to Bob’s shop for haircuts.  The very next week I was back for more, and I would change my schedule to make those meetings.  Six months later in a hotel room in Victoria, Texas, I ask Jesus to come into my life, and He did, and it was the beginning of Him changing my desires and heart.  And this is the excellent news He is still doing that today.

I was 27 years old before I listened, before I understood I was on a dead-end street headed to Hell.  I’m now 75 years of age and still open to listening to what God and His word have to say, and my goal is to obey and bring honor to my Redeemer, my Creator, and my LORD.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

It seemed so disrespectiful

Mark 3:31-35

“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.”

I was very young in the faith the first time I gave thought to what Jesus was saying and this seems so disrespectful to His mother and family.  I did say I was young in my new faith, not in my belief that Jesus was the Son of God, not that He was born of a virgin.  But moving from knowledge to a relationship of asking Jesus to forgive me for being the lord of the ring, looking to myself and others and not to Him. 

I was on a new journey of learning and unlearning much of what I took for truth.  I had convictions I had never had in the past, and I often came under the discipline of my Father, and it was not to harm me but to change me into a man who walked upright in the presence of both God and man.  I’m now 76 years of age and understand how little I know about many things, especially the ways of God.

I often hear people talk about a life verse, and I assume they mean a verse that gives direction to their life, if so this is mine.  It's found in Micah 6:8, “He has told you O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” 

Now with that information, one might think Bob is doing great, what a life verse, just to do what God requires of you.  It has not been, and I hope you understand my battle for I also believe it the struggle of all who choose to walk by faith and not feelings.  My largest fight is with me, with pride, and arrogance, wanting you to have a much higher opinion of me than both God and I know to be true.  Next comes the influence of the culture, and the deception of the devil, but it is pride that will keep you from being and meeting the requirements of Micah 6:8.

So how does all I stated above tie into Jesus’ questions: “Who are my mother and my brothers?”  It should be apparent that those who love Jesus and are a follower of Christ must follow Him.  It is becoming clear that I’m a mess, but I’m Jesus’ mess, and in spite of my weak faith He loves me.  It is also becoming clear that the desire of my heart is to do His will, and that makes His answer to the question above include me into His family.   “Here are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother.”

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

He is possessed by Beelzebul

Mark 3:20-30

When it states in the gospel of Mark 3:20 that Jesus went home we believe it is referring to Capernaum.  At this point in Jesus’ ministry so many had heard of what He had done that they wanted to be there to either be healed, have a demon removed from a family member, or to see what is going to happen next.  Now if you’re the priest in charge of the treasury and few are coming to services, you begin to be alarmed.  This new Rabbi is the center of attention and He is not one of your boys, and that always makes religious folks fearful.  They have been the central authority and the only show in town and now someone who is not part of their team is getting all the attention.

In these first verses we see the results of all Jesus’ popularity; “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.”  A crowd of people can be very dangerous, and they have expectations and Jesus and His disciples sitting down to a quiet meal is not on their schedule.  Jesus’ family are keepers of the Law and Jewish, and that means they have grown-up under the authority of the priest and it looks as if they are being pressured to get Jesus under control.  Only Mark makes this statement; “He is out of his mind.” 

I’m sure it was not long before the scribes that came from Jerusalem understood the family of Jesus had no authority over Him, for Jesus’ focus was only doing the will of the Father.  (Note: how different it would be if the Church had the same attention to just doing the will of the Father, how different it would be if you and I had that as our only goal.)

So the scribes go to plan B, and that is to attack the messenger of God, that is still the plan both Satan and religion use today.  “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.”  Now the religious guys are the ones who are under the control of demons and we are told in Scriptures the demons know that Jesus is the Son of God, but they are saying Jesus is under the control of Satan.

Jesus reply; found in Mark 3:23-30, “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.

“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.”

Let me close with this statement, neither you nor I can stand in our strength against the powers and schemes of the devil, we need Jesus to do it all for us!

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Could it be?

Mark 3:7-19

In these first five verses, we see Jesus leaving the synagogue after healing the man with the paralyzed hand.  It is essential to recognize the very human part of Jesus, His emotions when they would not answer His question; they were both anger and sorrow.  Angered at how stubborn they were and grieved that those who were the teachers of the Jews were so blind to the Scriptures.  So He leaves that area with His disciples and heads for the sea, and we are told a large crowd follows Him from Galilee to Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, and beyond the Jordan.  It looks like the whole Jewish world was following him.  If you have not read the account in Mark 3:7-12, do so now.

But why was such a large crowd coming from so many areas of the Jewish world, Mark reported they had heard the stories and many came hoping to be healed?  Jesus had given orders for His disciples to have a small boat ready for Him so that the crowd that wanted to touch Him would not crush Him.  How once more we see what takes place when unclean spirits or evil spirits come in contact with Jesus in verses 11-12, “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.”

As we move into verses 13-19, we see Jesus going up into the mountain and summoned those He wanted, and they came to Him.  It seems like when you read this that more than the twelve were called, but only the twelve were chosen to be His apostles.  Mark gives us their names and the names Jesus gave them, and when Mark comes to Judas Iscariot’s name, he states he is the one who betrayed Him.

Verses 14-19, “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.”

I’m still amazed that those evil spirits or unclean spirits have disappeared from our culture.  Could it be we are deceived when we see a person on a significant T.V. network making fun of our Vice President because he talks to and hears Jesus talking to Him?  Could it be she is under the authority of an evil spirit, and could it be that when a 19-year-old goes into a school in Florida and kills 19 people that he might also be under the authority of an evil spirit?

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Religion's End Game

Mark 3:1-6

Often I’ve stated that religions endgame is to destroy or kill anyone that they fear or are opposed to them.  The Koran is very different from what Jesus taught, Jesus taught to love your enemies and to pray for them, but the Koran teaches to put them under subjection or kill them.  One is a religion and the other a relationship, in one the leader came and destroyed all who would not submit to his teaching and the other came with this promise in John 10:10b, “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”  They both died, but Jesus rose in three days from the grave and took His rightful place at the right hand of the Father.  It is amazing that one offered life and the other submission or death, yet many have chosen to go with death.  My high school friend, Buddy shared this quote with me from Blaise Pascal, “Men never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they do it from religious conviction.”  I’ve also become a fan of Blaise, and this quote is needed at this point; “In faith, there is enough light for those who want to believe and enough shadows to blind those who don't.”

So with that background let us explore Mark 3:1-6, “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.”

Religion has rules; lots of rules, and in my youth as a member of small
Baptist churches, it became apparent we had our share of don’ts.  We preached loving your neighbor as yourself, but it was rare when this teenage boy saw it lived out by the members of those small churches.  Have you ever wondered why the world is not knocking down the doors of our Churches, could it be we talk a good story but faith without works is dead, I believe Jesus’ brother James said that.

Well, the Pharisees were professionals at being religious and would have dragged a Baptist to death trying to keep up with all the don’ts and especially about the Sabbath.  So look at this set up on the man with the withered hand, and Jesus’ question to the Pharisees, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?”  It seems like a no-brainer, it is always good to do the right thing and it is always good to save a life.  But when trapped the Pharisees did what religion always does, and it also comes from John 10:10a, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy.”  Religions end game is to destroy or kill anyone that they fear or is opposed to them.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

God's ways are not our Ways nor are His Thoughts

Mark 2:23-28

At the time Jesus walked on planet earth Rome was mighty and had set up men in Judea and Israel that did what they told them to do.  They left the Priest and Temple worshippers alone as long as they submitted to Rome’s authority.  This was a line the Jews and mainly the religious authority wanted to keep, in that they were a governing body and controlled the people.  So anything that might rock that boat was a threat, Jesus was a significant threat, because He was not submissive to the priest, but Jesus was in total submission to His Father.  Jesus had no will of His own, only to do the will of the Father.

Now the Pharisees were a big part of the religious group, they were the leaders and teachers of the law, and they were fearful of any Rabbi that did not conform to the control, customs and traditions of the high priest.  So they shadow Jesus and His disciples.  In Mark 2:23-24, “One Sabbath he was going through the grainfields, 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?”

The following in Mark 2:25-28, is Jesus’ reply. “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.”

The statement of Jesus where He states; “So the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath.”  It is clear Jesus is talking about authority and affirming His status.  It is no different than in John 10:30 when He stated; “I and the Father are one.”

I would not be loving if I did not ask this question, have you come by faith to affirm that statement in your own life?  If so wonderful, but if not be honest with the Lord, and tell Him so, and begin reading in the gospel of John.  At this point,  ask the Holy Spirit to show you the truth.  Jesus is very clear in what He taught, and He states; “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6)  I've been asked if I believe what Jesus said in John 14:6, it is so exclusive!  The answer is yes, Jesus cannot lie, show me any other religion that redeems man from sin by God becoming a man, dying on a cross, rising in three days and now sits at the right hand of God the Father.  You cannot, it is finished, and it is your choice to receive Him as God or reject this love gift and die in your sins.

From the Back Porch,

 Bob Rice

The taste of New Wine

Mark 2:18-22

As a new believer in Christ, my mentor Jack Archer gave me a book and its title was “A Taste of New Wine” by Keith Miller.  I’ve passed that book on to someone else and yet today as I began to read Mark 2:18-22, the title of that book came to mind.  If I recall correctly, it was about Keith’s pilgrimage of faith, and this is not an endorsement but just a thought that came to mind as I looked over these verses.

Now lets explore the question ask of Jesus in verse 18; “Now John's disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. And people came and said to him, “Why do John's disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?”

Never been a time when a group of people has not ask such questions, why can’t Baptist dance or drink, and the answer today is many do.  But in my youth I would ask my mother what is wrong with going to a sock hop at school and her reply was, it leads to other things like drinking and smoking and going to bars, I was twelve.  Now Mom had no clue that my friends Gary, Jimmy and I were already tasting his mom and dad’s brandy and smoking grapevine and then old cigarette butts.  I’m thankful for the brandy, and it made a young man understand that Dr. Pepper was a wonderful thing to drink.

But that question is still asked by many active workers in Church ministry, why are you not doing what we are doing?  It might be helpful if they reread Paul’s teaching on Spiritual gifts in 1 Corinthians 12:4-7.

Listen to Jesus fantastic reply; “And Jesus said to them, “Can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in that day. No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. If he does, the patch tears away from it, the new from the old, and a worse tear is made. And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the wine will burst the skins—and the wine is destroyed, and so are the skins. But new wine is for fresh wineskins.”

All who have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ have entered into Christ, and He has come into them and have received fresh wineskins so to say, in that a new wine or better said, the Holy Spirit of God now indwells us.  The old man is dead, he has been crucified with Christ and no longer lives, but Christ lives in us.  We still have the battle with our flesh, but are not under its control if we allow the Lord to lead us.

So we need to look at the early Church to understand what a body of believers did after Jesus no longer walked this earth, but now He lives in their hearts and minds.  We find significant teaching in Acts 13:1-3; 14:21-23; it is clear that fasting is and should be part of a follower of Christ’s life.  Make sure you do not become a Pharisee in doing so; Jesus said they did it for men to see.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice