The Syrophoenician Woman's Faith

  

Mark 7:24-30

 

May 27, 2020

 

 

 

The Syrophoenician Woman's Faith

 ^“And from there he arose and went away to the region of Tyre and Sidon.  And he entered a house and did not want anyone to know, yet he could not be hidden.   But immediately, a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit heard of him and came and fell down at his feet.   Now the woman was a Gentile, a Syrophoenician by birth. And she begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter.   And he said to her, “Let the children be fed first, for it is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs.”   But she answered him, “Yes, Lord; yet even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs.”   And he said to her, “For this statement, you may go your way; the demon has left your daughter.”   And she went home and found the child lying in bed and the demon gone.”

Do you recall the Centurion who came to Jesus? The account is listed in Matthew 8:1, 5-13, and in Luke’s Gospel chapter 7:1-10?  This Centurion, like the Syrophoenician woman, was a Gentile. Do you recall what Jesus said about him?  First, a little understanding, a Centurion was a Roman Captain over 100 men, and he had a young servant or slave that he cared about who was dying.  He did not go to Jesus but to some Jewish elders to do so.  “They came to Jesus and pleaded with Him earnestly, saying, “He is worthy for You to grant this because he loves our nation and has built us a synagogue.”  This is Luke’s account of what took place. He tells us Jesus was going to the Centurion’s home when the Centurion sent friends to tell Jesus that he was not worthy to have Him come to his house, but just speak the words and the boy would be healed.  He tells Jesus the reason he did not come to Jesus was that he was not worthy to do so. 

 

The Centurion understood authority, something many in the church seem to be closed to.  We find this account in Luke:7: 8, “For I too am a man set under authority, with soldiers under me: and I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” 9, When Jesus heard these things, he marveled at him, and turning to the crowd that followed him, said, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.”

 

Now, back to the Syrophoenician woman, what faith and insight this non-Jewish lady has, and love for her daughter.  It reminded me of a bartender in Texas and his lawsuit against a Baptist Church.

 

A bar called Drummond's, in Mt Vernon, Texas, began construction on an expansion of their building, hoping to "grow" their business. In response, the local Southern Baptist Church started a campaign to block the bar from expanding - petitions, prayers, etc. About a week before the bar's grand reopening, a bolt of lightning struck the bar and burned it to the ground! Afterward, the church folks were rather smug, bragging about "the power of prayer". The angry bar owner eventually sued the church because the church ... "was ultimately responsible for the demise of his building, through direct actions or indirect means." Of course, the church vehemently denied all responsibility or any connection to the building's demise.

The judge read carefully through the plaintiff's complaint and the defendant's reply. He then opened the hearing by saying: "I don't know how I'm going to decide this, but it appears from the paperwork that what we have here is a bar owner who now believes in the power of prayer and the entire church congregation that does not."

 

Now, anyway you look at that, the Judge is correct, and my thoughts are this: if the bartender now believes in prayer, maybe he will ask Jesus to come into his heart and turn his bar into a church that prays for those Baptists that have brought shame on the name of Christ.

 

From the Back Porch,

 

Bob Rice

What Defiles a Person

 Mark 7: 14-23

 

May 26, 2020

 

 

What Defiles a Person

^“And he called the people to him again and said to them, 'Hear me, all of you, and understand:   There is nothing outside a person that by going into him can defile him, but the things that come out of a person are what defile him.”  And when he had entered the house and left the people, his disciples asked him about the parable.   And he said to them, “Then are you also without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile him, since it enters not his heart but his stomach, and is expelled?”  (Thus, he declared all foods clean.)   And he said,  “What comes out of a person is what defiles him.   For from \theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness.   All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”

 

Maybe we need to explore what insights the Scripture has to share about the heart.  Jeremiah 17:9, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?”  What about Matthew 6:21, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”  This is one to give thought to: Proverbs 3:5, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.” There are great instructions in Proverbs 4:23, “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”  

 

With that information, we can understand our hearts are fickle at best, so looking to our understanding is not the best road to travel.  Could there be a better way? I believe this counsel from Psalm 51:10 is the only road to travel in this life.  “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.”  What is our responsibility with this pure heart and steadfast spirit, to obey what we understand from God’s word?  To study in the Scriptures not for information, but with a heart’s desire to obey.  If so, we will find Psalm 37:4 coming alive in us.  “Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.”

 

I have a strong desire to finish strong, in that God has not revealed what day is our last on Planet Earth, but that day has been established for everyone. I find Psalm 26:2 is a prayer I should be praying each day.  “Prove me, O LORD, and try me; test my heart and my mind.”

 

This morning, as I looked for an understanding of the heart, I ran across John 14:27, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”  

 

The world is offering faith in Government, in men, in doctors, in vaccines, in wealth, and yet, as King Solomon stated so clearly, it is like chasing after the wind.  As a follower of Christ, you have been promised that your days are numbered; hiding in your home will not change that day.  You have been promised that absent from the body, you will be present with the Lord.  So, this is the question: Do you have the peace of Christ in you, or are you living in fear?  We must live as followers of Christ under authority, but when that authority does not align with Scripture, is it not time to stand at all costs against it?  That is what the founders of this Nation did, and it cost most of them everything: family, wealth, and even their lives.

 

From the Back Porch,

 

Bob Rice

 

 

 

 

 

 

Traditions and Commandments

  

 

 

 

 

 

Mark 7: 1-12

 

May 25, 2020

 

 

Traditions and Commandments

“Now when the Pharisees gathered to him, with some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem, they saw that some of his disciples ate with hands that were defiled, that is, unwashed.   (For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands properly, holding to the tradition of the elders, and when they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash.  And there are many other traditions that they observe, such as the washing of cups and pots and copper vessels and dining couches.)   And the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, “Why do your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with defiled hands?” And he said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, ‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men. You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men.”

And he said to them, “You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition!   For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and ‘Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.’  But you say, ‘If a man tells his father or his mother, “Whatever you would have gained from me is Corban”’ (that is, given to God)—then you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or mother, thus making void the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And many such things you do.”

Many a family in and outside of the Church has traditions they do at Christmas and special days like Memorial Day and others, and that can be a good thing.  I did not grow up in such a family, so we have very few special things we do or look forward to on special days.  I do enjoy a family that has such, like on Memorial Day, to go to the gravesite of men and women who have given their lives for this Nation, so you and I can enjoy the freedom of speech, to worship, and to go and do as we desire.

 

When it comes to faith, it is easier to be religious and follow a bunch of man-made rules than to study and show yourself a workman that does not need to be ashamed, that correctly handles the Word of God.  In fact,

 it is very easy to be a Pharisee or scribe who is religious, but their religion is of no value to God or man.  Jesus tells us they love to pray a long prayer to be heard by a man in public, but in their private life, outside the eyes of man, God sees and knows every thought, much more so our actions in private.  In fact, He tells us that what is done in the dark will be exposed in the light.

 

One must never forget that only God is good, and all men are liars, so follow God, and examine your thoughts and life often, as instructed in 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?”  Have you taken the test? I have, and I’ve often found myself needing to seek fellowship with God, and ask forgiveness for seeking my desires over His.

 

From the Back Porch,

 

Bob Rice

Jesus Heals the Sick in Gennesaret

 

March 6: 53-56

 May 23, 2020

 

Jesus Heals the Sick in Gennesaret

^“ When they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret and moored to the shore.   And when they got out of the boat, the people immediately recognized him and ran about the whole region and began to bring the sick people on their beds to wherever they heard he was.   And wherever he came, in villages, cities, or countryside, they laid the sick in the marketplaces and implored him that they might touch even the fringe of his garment. And as many as touched it were made well.”

 

Gennesaret was on the western side of the Sea of Galilee between Capernaum and Tiberius.  What a difference from Jesus's experience in Nazareth, His hometown, where He grew up.  The people of Gennesaret not only believed that Jesus had the power to heal; they acted on that power and brought the sick to Him.  Many of us believe Jesus has the power to heal, to change lives; it’s not unbelief, but our lack of action.

Jesus has told us in John 14:12-14, “Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these because I am going to the Father.   And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.   You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.”

 

Let me be very honest, that bothers me. I know Jesus can’t lie, I know it is true, yet what is my problem, is it unbelief, or lack of action?  At the age of 27 years when I entered into Christ and He into me, I had a very hard time believing God could love someone with such weak faith as I had.  He used a man named Jack Archer to teach me how much God loves me.  I now know I’m loved, and I now know how to love others.  I’m a slow Learner and have hope that at some point my faith increases and I live out this Scripture.

 

Maybe it’s that we do not understand who is praying for us, read John 17:9, “I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours.”  Are you aware that your redeemer is praying for you?  He knows all about you and He loves you, for you are His.  Or is it that we are full of pride and will not admit our weakness, hindering the Holy Spirit in praying for us in these areas?  Romans 8:26, “Likewise, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.”

Or could it be that we just do not want to confess our sins to one another, and pride is keeping us from having the power of Christ in our lives?  James 5:6, “Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.”  

 

I have no understanding of the why, but my prayer for you and me is that soon, very soon, the Holy Spirit will open our eyes and ears to see and know, could it be that it is all of these?

 

From the Back Porch,

 

Bob Rice

Looking Back

 

Looking Back

 

Looking back on my work life at 3M, I often was a failure, not in getting things done, not in being of service to my customers, not in meeting the goals of my management, but as a person who claims the name of Jesus Christ.  I read a devotional this morning by Os Hillman on Titus 2:9-10, which highlighted five unique things believers should do at work.  Often, I got the order, but missed the prize. Often, I let my desire to be the best in man’s eyes make me a failure, especially in the number 3 on this list.  

 

From Os,

"Paul addressed five unique things believers could do: 1) Be obedient to their masters. They were to submit to their authority structures, 2) Be well pleasing in all things. This meant doing their work with excellence, 3) Not answering back. They were to handle conflict with wisdom and courtesy, 4) Not pilfer. They were not to steal, but model integrity, 5) Show all good fidelity. This meant demonstrating loyalty and dependability.

Do you find your environment difficult to work in? The answer is to live to glorify the Lord amid your culture. The way you live your life will be viewed by many others. An industry survey revealed that the average person will come in contact with 300 people over a year through their work. What better opportunity to let your life be adorned by the doctrine of God? St. Francis Assisi agrees: He encouraged believers in his day to "preach the gospel always and when necessary, use words."

 

From the Back Porch,

 

Bob Rice

The apostles were looking for down time with Jesus

 

 

 

 

Mark 6: 30-44

 

May 22, 2020

 

 

 

“The apostles returned to Jesus and told him all that they had done and taught.  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.   And they went away in the boat to a desolate place by themselves.  Now, many saw them going and recognized them, and they ran there on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them.   When he went ashore, he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began to teach them many things.   And when it grew late, his disciples came to him and said, “This is a desolate place, and the hour is now late.   Send them away to go into the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.”   But he answered them, “You give them something to eat.” And they said to him, “Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii^[ worth of bread and give it to them to eat?”   And he said to them, “How many loaves do you have? Go and see.” And when they had found out, they said, “Five, and two fish.”   Then he commanded them all to sit down in groups on the green grass.   So, they sat down in groups by hundreds and by fifties.  And taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing and broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples to set before the people. And he divided the two fish among them all.   And they all ate and were satisfied.   And they took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces and of the fish.   And those who ate the loaves were five thousand men.”

 

The twelve have returned to Jesus, and they want to share all the things that God has done through them.  There are too many people wanting to see and be part of what Jesus and the twelve are up to.  Many pastors and staff could learn to take a few days off together to share and pray, but often it is the urgent that rules, and not the Holy Spirit.  

 

Their retreat did not go well from the point of just eating and sharing, for the people must have had a tracking device on Jesus, in that they met Him and his disciples when they came to the place, they hoped to relax, only to find about 5000 men and their families waiting on them.

 

I am so glad that our Lord is compassionate and loving, for Jesus understood they had no way to get food and he took what they had, five loaves and two fish, and when God is your source, that is more than enough.  In fact, they took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces of bread and fish.

 

 

From the Back Porch, 

 

Bob Rice

Jesus Rejected at Nazareth

 

 

Mark 6:1 – 13

May 19, 2020

 

Jesus Rejected at Nazareth

“He went away from there and came to his hometown, and his disciples followed him.   And on the Sabbath, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astonished, saying, “Where did this man get these things? What is the wisdom given to him? How are such mighty works done by his hands?   Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him.  And Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor, except in his hometown and among his relatives and in his own household.”   And he could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them.   And he marveled because of their unbelief.  And he went about among the villages teaching.”

Jesus Sends Out the Twelve Apostles

^“And he called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits.   He charged them to take nothing for their journey except a staff-no—no bread, no bag, no money in their belts—but to wear sandals and not put on two tunics.   And he said to them, “Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you depart from there.   And if any place will not receive you and they will not listen to you, when you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them.”   So, they went out and proclaimed that people should repent.   And they cast out many demons and anointed with oil many who were sick and healed them.”

One of the most powerful messages I’ve ever heard was in College Station, Texas and it was titled “The Biggest Enemy of the Christian is Noise,”  the preacher told us how each of us did not like the quiet and would turn on music, the radio or T.V. when entering a room or getting in our car.  Noise makes it hard to hear the voice of God.  Back in the sixteenth century, a man named Blaise Pascal said about the same thing: “All men's miseries derive from not being able to sit in a quiet room alone.”  It has always been a problem, way before radio, TV, or any of our technology.  As I am reading the Gospel of Mark, I do not believe noise is the biggest problem; it is unbelief, not of the unchurched, but of those who claim to be Christians.

Do you recall in Mark 5 where Jairus came to Jesus and asked that He come to his home and heal his little girl?  Do you recall the Lady with the issue of blood and how she just touched the garment of Jesus and was healed, and do you recall when Jesus got to Jairus' home, the people were weeping and Jesus told them, she is not dead but sleeping, and they laughed at Him?  He put them all outside. Why did Jesus do that?  Faith can't have power when there is unbelief.  After doing so, He talked to the little girl: “Little girl, I say to you, get up!”

That brings us to Mark 6:1-13, and first we have Jesus returning to His hometown, Nazareth, and going to the synagogue on the Sabbath and beginning to teach.  You can read above how the people who had known him as the carpenter, the son of Mary, were astonished, but did not place faith in Him, and Scripture records that Jesus was not able to do any miracles there.  Do you recall Jesus was amazed at their unbelief; have you wondered if He also is amazed at yours and mine?

When Jesus sent out the twelve, He gave them authority over sickness and demons, and a message of repentance.  If they were received, then they stayed in one place, but if not, they were instructed by the LORD to shake the dust off their feet as a testimony against them.  I’m fearful we are better at shaking than obeying, and doing what God has commanded.  Do you recall this from John 14:12-14, “Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.   And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.   You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.”  

 

Both the pastor in College Station and Blaise understood something much deeper than just being quiet; it is a requirement to hear from God, but then it requires us to believe and obey all that He is instructing us to do.

 

From the Back Porch,

 

Bob Rice

Jesus did what the People ask of Him

 

 

Mark 5:14-20

May 15, 2020

 

“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 was 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 choose 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

Jesus Heals a Man with a Demon

 

 

Mark 5: 1 – 13-14-20

May 14,2020

 

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 that 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, 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 for?  Do 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, and 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 401 K.  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 has value. Did Jesus place the value of the man at a much higher value than on the pig? The answer is yes, but now the question is, where do you put the value?

Paul Harvey always said; How the rest of the story.  Picking up in the account in verse 14th, "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[c] 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[d] to depart from their region.  As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed by 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.

 

From the Back Porch,

 

Bob Rice

Jesus Calms a Storm

 

Mark 4:35-41

May 13, 2020

  

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, Hebrews 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 that Jesus was not in their boat?  Have you been in a boat where all seems lost and realized Jesus has not told you to cross over?  I have 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 you maybe like the disciples at this point, you're willing to follow Jesus, but have not yet, 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 experienced the storm, and that when Jesus was awoken, it is recorded that Jesus spoke 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

 

 

 

Three Parables

 

 

 

 

March 4: 21 – 34

 

May 12, 2020

 

 

 

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 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 seeds 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 lives.  Then, it is important to mentor those young followers of Christ, so that we guide them in the truth, for Christ is the 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 seeds 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 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 the Cross to make restitution for our sins, which were many.  He also sent in my case a barber who had found life in Christ.

 

From the Back Porch,

 

Bob Rice

My encounter at the Bird Feeder

 

My encounter at the Bird Feeder

As I worked on our new deck that covers the water tanks that we put in to reclaim rainwater, I walked toward the bird feeder, as I’ve done so often.  When I approached the feeder to fill it so that the birds would have all that they need for life, those ungrateful birds flew away in fear of me.  I said to the birds, Don’t you understand I’m your friend, I give you both food and water every day, and that is when a voice spoke to my heart, “Bob, you often treat Me the same way.”

 

I treat God, my Creator, the same way those ungrateful birds treat me, but they may not understand that I want to make life good for them. But I know, without a doubt, that my Heavenly Father loves me.  He sent His only Son, and each day He supplies my every need, and yes, I’m not much different than my feathered friends at my bird feeder with one exception, the birds have no understanding of my desire to provide for them.

 

From the Back Porch,

 

Bob Rice

Secret of the Kingdom

 May 11, 2020

 

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 verses 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