Save Me, O My God

                                                                         Psalm 3

 

December 9, 2021

 

 

 Save Me, O My God

A Psalm of David, when he fled from Absalom his son.

O Lord, how many are my foes! Many are rising against me; many are saying of my soul, “There is no salvation for him in God.” Selah 

 

But you, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head.   I cried aloud to the Lord, and he answered me from his holy hill. Selah

 

I lay down and slept; I woke again, for the Lord sustained me.   I will not be afraid of many thousands of people who have set themselves against me all around.  Arise, O Lord! Save me, O my God!  For you strike all my enemies on the cheek; you break the teeth of the wicked.   Salvation belongs to the Lord; your blessing be on your people! Selah

 

Most dads will never experience the hurt of a son wanting to kill them to take over as leader of a nation.  King David had been a great warrior King, but not much as a dad, and now his son had spent years winning the hearts of the people against his dad.  Often we hear about sons and daughters who work behind the scenes to take over a business their dad had built, and that damage is often never repaired.  Absalom was not a good son; he was a deceitful cunning young man who killed his brother in a well-planned attack.  David knew that about the son that was murder raping Absalom's sister, but did not hold him to account.  We also know that for years Absalom lived in another nation in fear of what his dad would do to him.  When he was allowed to return, David would not allow him to be in his presence, so most of this that happened was David’s fault for not being a dad to his sons and daughters.  Dads we always reap what we sow!

 

Now the important part of the story is that this warrior king knew it was not by might nor power of his but it was his God who had been the victor in every battle, and because of that David had a very personal relationship with God and listened to God’s counsel.  If each of us as dads would do as David in the area of not putting trust in our skills and abilities but in God who wills to give us guidons and directions in being a dad without regrets.  I believe that why David ended this Psalm with salvation belongs to the Lord.  It can only be found in a  personal relationship with Jesus Christ, it comes at the cost of death to yourself, your ways of getting your needs met, and allowing Jesus to do it all for you.

 

You noticed the word “Selah” being used and some say it was a pause in the singing of a Psalm, but this writer prefers to see it as to pause and reflect?  Maybe this is a good time to pause and reflect on the man in your mirror, do you have an ongoing dependence on Jesus Christ, or have you put your trust in a system of your own making?

 

From the Back Porch,

 

Bob Rice

The Reign of the Lord's Anointed

 

 

 

Psalm 2

 

December 8, 2021

 

 

The Reign of the Lord's Anointed

Why do the nations rage and the people's plot in vain?  The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against his Anointed, saying,   “Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us.”   He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision.  Then he will speak to them in his wrath, and terrify them in his fury, saying,  “As for me, I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill.”   I will tell of the decree: The Lord said to me, “You are my Son; today I have begotten you  Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession.  You shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.”   Now, therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling.  Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled.

Blessed are all who take refuge in him.

 

The “why” in the first sentence is answered in Psalm 14:1, The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.”   They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds; there is none who does good.”  Could it be that the fool has no moral or ethical standards and that he and the people who believe like him, do as they please with no fear of God?  Could it be said that in a nation that has killed 62 million-plus babies, God had said the following: to Jeremiah, God said; “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.” (Jeremiah 1;5)  Has God also spoken about those babies that have been slaughtered by the government of the United States of America?  You will find that answer in Psalm 139:16, “Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.”

 

But many Easter and Christmas Christians also have no fear of God, He is a God of convenience, good for business, social settings, weddings, and funerals.  They have chosen a foot in the world and a foot in the church.  If they had asked God of Creation His thoughts on their decision He would have directed them to Revelations 3:15-17, “‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot!  So, because you are lukewarm and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.  For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.  Those are the words of the God you say you believe in, and yes He loves and cares for you, but He also has told you that “Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.”  He has also told you that the world and its desires that you put your trust in are passing away,  You will find that in 2 John 2:17,  ^“The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.”  Many in the church who go by the title of Christian, have no understanding of the principle of Master/servant.  My friend and mentor Carroll Ray Jr. taught me the servant is not greater than the Master.  Servants don’t demand to meet their needs or insist on their rights.  A servant has only one goal to bring glory to his master.  Many who go by the title of Christian have joined the cult of self, and only God's word can show them the Master/servant way of living.

 

The United States of America has sown evil, it has made Sodom and Gomorrah look almost ok, and they were destroyed by God for being so wicked.  The Church has been very silent on many subjects as a whole, like homosexual marriage, but not God He has spoken very clearly about marriage, it is between a man and a woman, only.  In fact, God has spoken on the welfare system, If a man will not work and support his family, you will find that in 1 Timothy 5:8, “But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”  It is very clear God is speaking to His Church in this scripture, but we live in a world where hard work has become a dirty word.

 

When a Scripture is overused, such as 2 Chronicles 7:14, “if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”  Are you in Christ, if so God is speaking those words to you, when will you come to the realization that He is not saying wait for your pastor, nor your brother in Christ to do so, are for a leader that is in Christ to be your President, no, God is addressing you and me, His Church to humble ourselves and pray and seek His face and turn from looking elsewhere?  My prayer and hope are that you who are lukewarm will understand that this writer is a mess, but His eyes are fixed on the only hope for our nation.  It will not be found in giving more money to a politician, it will not be in conservatives getting the house, senate, and the President, it will only happen when we believe God’s word and do what He has said.

 

From The Back Porch,

 

Bob Rice

Introduction to the Psalm and Psalm 1

 December 6, 2021

 

Introduction to the Psalm

And

Psalm 1

 

 

The word for psalms in Hebrew is "Tehilim," which means “praise.”  Praise directed to Yahweh, the God of Israel, is certainly the primary emphasis in the psalms.  (taken from the HCSB)  Timothy Keller had this to say about the Psalms “Every situation in life is represented in the book of Psalms.  Psalms anticipate and train you for every possible spiritual, social, and emotional you condition-they show you what the dangers are, what you should keep in mind, what your attitude should be, how to talk to God about it, and how to get from God the help you need.”

Note: Jan and I were given the book “The Songs of Jesus” on 12-24-2021”  Jan read to me in the introduction the quote from Timothy Keller.

 

 

The Way of the Righteous and the Wicked

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law, he meditates day and night.  He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither.  In all that he does, he prospers.  The wicked are not so but are like chaff that the wind drives away.  Therefore, the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; for the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.  

 

What is the counsel of the wicked?   It was 11:45 pm and I woke up and remembered, I had planned to work on that question and other parts of this Psalm and let TV and other things like cutting brush down the hill distract me.  So let me share my thoughts on the question above.  It could be listening to worldly councils, like getting your values from the local rag (newspaper) or from the internet, social media, New York Times, CNN, are any of the other so call news TV outlets, they are more into propaganda than the news.  It could be you set your mind on earthly things and not look to the Scripture for your council on living life on planet earth.  Today it is not so much hanging out with evil people, but allowing the world system to mole you into its thinking.  Are you standing in the way of sinners by not standing for the righteousness of a Holy God?  It is in fashion to keep your Biblical views to yourself while the God-haters push their agenda of evil, such as killing 62 million-plus babies, and homosexual lifestyles on you and your family.  The TV once upon a time was to entertain, but not today it is to push evil into your minds.  And the goal is to keep you quiet, to make you doubt but those who study to show themselves a workman that need not to be ashamed, will delight in the ways of God, and keep His commands.

 

The Psalmist tells us his delight is in the Word of God, he meditates on it day and night.  Such a person is going to flourish just like a tree by a stream of water.  Today as I cut brush, I noticed an oak tree that was growing in the middle of our creek that often is without water, but that tree is growing faster than the others in rocky soil.  The Scripture talks a lot about fruit and the world is watching your life and mind to see what kind of fruit your life produces.  Are you a lover of God only on Sunday?   Do you live out your faith in all you come in contact with?  While I was cutting brush today I was under a full attack with thoughts about a crazy guy, I never met, but who came onto my neighbor's property and began cursing and throwing rocks at the men who were cutting cedars on his land.  I was battling what I would say and do if he did that to me, and the Spirit spoke to me and said that was not what Jesus would do.  Yes, I’m fearful I’ve allowed the counsel of the wicked to do a number on me, but God has overcome the world and His Spirit lives in me, I just need to be on guard for what I call channel One the deceptive voice of the devil that comes to me when I'm not on guard.  His message has not changed, like did God really say that you deserve, you can be like God, or you are a never was, and the world would be a better place without you.  Those are lies from the devil.

 

Now if you claim to be a follower of Christ and are ok with anything that God has called evil, you got your ladder on the wrong wall, and you need to read and apply 2 Corinthians 13:5 to your life.  “Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith.  Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!”

 

From the Back Porch,

 

Bob Rice

Asking but not receiving

                                                                    2 Kings 25:22-30

 

December 4, 2021

 

 

The leaders go after Ishmael for killing Gedaliah and many others and rescuing the people he had carried off.  Now they went to Jeremiah and asked him to seek God's advice before they ran to Egypt in fear of the King of Babylon.  They said whatever God said they would do.  Let’s see how good their word was to God.  The answer comes to us from Jeremiah 42:7-18,  At the end of ten days, the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah.   Then he summoned Johanan the son of Kareah and all the commanders of the forces who were with him, and all the people from the least to the greatest,  and said to them, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, to whom you sent me to present your plea for mercy before him:   If you will remain in this land, then I will build you up and not pull you down; I will plant you, and not pluck you up; for I relent of the disaster that I did to you.   Do not fear the king of Babylon, of whom you are afraid. Do not fear him, declares the Lord, for I am with you, to save you and to deliver you from his hand.   I will grant you mercy, that he may have mercy on you and let you remain in your own land.   But if you say, ‘We will not remain in this land,’ disobeying the voice of the Lord your God and saying, ‘No, we will go to the land of Egypt, where we shall not see war or hear the sound of the trumpet or be hungry for bread, and we will dwell there,’  then hear the word of the Lord, O remnant of Judah. Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: If you set your faces to enter Egypt and go to live there,  then the sword that you fear shall overtake you there in the land of Egypt, and the famine of which you are afraid shall follow close after you to Egypt, and there you shall die.   All the men who set their faces to go to Egypt to live there shall die by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence. They shall have no remnant or survivor from the disaster that I will bring upon them.

“For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: As my anger and my wrath were poured out on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so my wrath will be poured out on you when you go to Egypt. You shall become an execration, a horror, a curse, and a taunt. You shall see this place no more.  God takes what we promise Him very seriously, and God always keeps His word. 

 

2 Kings 25 ends with this word; “Then all the people, both small and great, and the captains of the forces arose and went to Egypt, for they were afraid of the Chaldeans.”  Have you learned anything about fear from the China Virus released on the world?  A little man who claims he is science, who has been caught in lie after lie, has become the voice of fear,  You listen to him and ignore the word of God.  Not one of those people who die dies one moment before God appointed a day for them to die.  If you believe otherwise, you are ignorant of Scripture, such as Psalm 139:16, “Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.”  The only other alternative is your faith is not centered in God’s written word.

Jehoiachin Released from Prison

And in the thirty-seventh year of the exile of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, Evil-merodach king of Babylon, in the year that he began to reign, graciously freed Jehoiachin king of Judah from prison.   And he spoke kindly to him and gave him a seat above the seats of the kings who were with him in Babylon.   So Jehoiachin put off his prison garments. And every day of his life he dined regularly at the king's table,  and for his allowance, a regular allowance was given him by the king, according to his daily needs, as long as he lived.  That is a, "but God" moment, where the king would show mercy to Jehoiachin.

 

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

 

For anyone that has ears to hear and eyes to see

                                                                      2 Kings 25:8-21

 December 2, 2021

 

 

 

In the fifth month, on the seventh day of the month—that was the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon—Nebuzaradan, the captain of the bodyguard, a servant of the king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem.   And he burned the house of the Lord and the king's house and all the houses of Jerusalem; every great house he burned down.   And all the army of the Chaldeans, who were with the captain of the guard, broke down the walls around Jerusalem.   And the rest of the people who were left in the city and the deserters who had deserted to the king of Babylon, together with the rest of the multitude, Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried into exile.  But the captain of the guard left some of the poorest of the land to be vinedressers and plowmen.

And the pillars of bronze that were in the house of the Lord, and the stands and the bronze sea that were in the house of the Lord, the Chaldeans broke in pieces and carried the bronze to Babylon.   And they took away the pots and the shovels and the snuffers and the dishes for incense and all the vessels of bronze used in the temple service, the fire pans also and the bowls. What was of gold the captain of the guard took away as gold, and what was of silver, as silver.   As for the two pillars, the one sea, and the stands that Solomon had made for the house of the Lord, the bronze of all these vessels was beyond weight.   The height of the one pillar was eighteen cubits, and on it was a capital of bronze. The height of the capital was three cubits. A latticework and pomegranates, all of bronze, were all around the capital. And the second pillar had the same, with the latticework.

And the captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest and Zephaniah the second priest and the three keepers of the threshold, and from the city, he took an officer who had been in command of the men of war, and five men of the king's council who were found in the city; and the secretary of the commander of the army, who mustered the people of the land; and sixty men of the people of the land, who were found in the city.   And Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard took them and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah.   And the king of Babylon struck them down and put them to death at Riblah in the land of Hamath. So, Judah was taken into exile out of its land.

One may wonder why the King of Babylon would do such an act of destroying the Temple of God, the king's house, and all the great houses in Jerusalem?  And then tear down the walls that protected the city, for a city without a wall had no protection, and it like the present USA with its open borders, had no way to account for an enemy coming in to kill and steal and destroy.  What was King Nebuchadnezzar wanting to accomplish by doing so?  He wanted to remove hope, for as long as the people of Israel had hope of a nation to return, there would be a will to do so.

It is my strong belief that today in the United States of America, the person or persons pulling the strings of their puppet Bidon, have the same goal as King Nebuchadnezzar.  When people lose hope, they will settle for less, and they lose their desire to be great and to dream of all kinds of achievement.  I know they will have a problem, but not with the youth that have no understanding of the price of freedom, most have not got their heads out of social media and their phone long enough to understand that a small group of people is stealing the foundation that gave them freedom.  Also, resistance will not becoming from the group that looks to the government to take care of them, no but the one they fear is a true follower of Jesus Christ, who understand that their right does not come from man, nor government but from God.

They are part of an Army that leader is not of this world, but who created all that has been are will be, and earth is not their home, but they have hope in a better home, a new Jerusalem, where their King Jesus will reign for a thousand years and be the victor of the last battle on this earth.  That hope for all who put faith in Jesus Christ, and no plans of man will change that.

A message to the one or ones who are pulling Biden strings, you will never remove the hope we have in our leader, you can imprison us and remove us from our home and source of income, but we will never bow our knee to anyone but our King, and you can put that in your pipe and smoke it.  But as my King ambassador, let me share that He loves you and wants you to be free from your evil ways and has and will forgive you if you will agree with Him that He is the truth and all men are liars and need a redeemer.  Jesus took your sins along with mine to the cross and they are paid in full, this gift was very costly but it is free to you and all people, no matter rich or poor, and Jesus has made that very clear in His written word.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Fall and Captivity of Judah

  

2 Kings 24:18-20 25:1-7

 

November 29, 2021

 

 

Zedekiah Reigns in Judah

Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah.   And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, according to all that Jehoiakim had done.   For because of the anger of the Lord it came to the point in Jerusalem and Judah that he cast them out from his presence.  And Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.

Fall and Captivity of Judah

And in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, on the tenth day of the month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came with all his army against Jerusalem and laid siege to it. And they built siegeworks all around it.   So, the city was besieged till the eleventh year of King Zedekiah.   On the ninth day of the fourth month, the famine was so severe in the city that there was no food for the people of the land.   Then a breach was made in the city, and all the men of war fled by night by the way of the gate between the two walls, by the king's garden, and the Chaldeans were around the city. And they went in the direction of the Arabah.   But the army of the Chaldeans pursued the king and overtook him in the plains of Jericho, and all his army was scattered from him.   Then they captured the king and brought him up to the king of Babylon at Riblah, and they passed sentence on him.   They slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and put out the eyes of Zedekiah and bound him in chains, and took him to Babylon.

 

Each of us has a spirit of rebellion in us, it comes with our earth suit and only a personal reliance on Jesus Christ and His Spirit that indwell, all who by faith have received it can overcome the flesh that does not want any absolutes or authority over it.  Take a moment to give thought to that precious two-year-old child that will grab a toy from another child and what comes out of that sweet child's mouth, mine, don’t mess with my stuff.  When and where did they learn such behavior?  It is called flesh and we all come with a spirit of don’t mess with my stuff, my right to do as I please.

 

Maybe we need to examine our own lives as we explore the actions of King Zedekiah?  A man named Socrates, born in 469 B.C. had this to say on that subject; “The unexamined life is not worth living.”  The king was just modeling those who he followed and his flesh.  The rebellion came long before Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, the king of Judah first rebelled against what he knew about God and His commandment, hand down from Moses.

 

A great question to ask as one read is, how am I doing with being in compliance with what I understand about the teaching of the Scriptures.  Am I loving the Lord my God with all my being, and my neighbors as myself?   Am I open to telling others about the hope I have in Christ?  I also believe the unexamined life is designed by the enemy of your soul, to keep you from looking to the only one that can give you love for God and your neighbors.

 

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Jehoiachin Reigns in Judah

                                                                       2 Kings 24:8-17

 

November 27, 2021

 

 

Jehoiachin Reigns in Judah

Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he became king, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Nehushta the daughter of Elnathan of Jerusalem.   And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his father had done.

 

When dads read the Scriptures and ask God to show them the truth, they will come to understand the importance of being a leader in the home.  Being a dad is so much more than being a good provider, it is an example of expressing love to them and to their mother by being there, training them in the joy of doing a job right, and honoring God by applying His Word to your actions.

Jehoiachin and so many others have just modeled what they saw in dear old dad.

Jerusalem Captured

At that time the servants of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon came up to Jerusalem, and the city was besieged.   Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to the city while his servants were besieging it, and Jehoiachin the king of Judah gave himself up to the king of Babylon, himself and his mother, and his servants and his officials and his palace officials. The king of Babylon took him, prisoner, in the eighth year of his reign and carried off all the treasures of the house of the Lord and the treasures of the king's house, and cut in pieces all the vessels of gold in the temple of the Lord, which Solomon king of Israel had made, as the Lord had foretold.   He carried away all Jerusalem and all the officials and all the mighty men of valor, 10,000 captives, and all the craftsmen and the smiths. None remained, except the poorest people of the land.   And he carried away Jehoiachin to Babylon. The king's mother, the king's wives, his officials, and the chief men of the land he took into captivity from Jerusalem to Babylon.   And the king of Babylon brought captive to Babylon all the men of valor, 7,000, and the craftsmen and the metal workers, 1,000, all of them strong and fit for war.   And the king of Babylon made Mattaniah, Jehoiachin's uncle, king in his place, and changed his name to Zedekiah.

 

As you can see, disobedience to God's laws and commandments always comes with a high price tag, and often it is played out on your family and children, and in this case the nation of Israel.  Our nation has gone the way of Sodom and Gomorrah whom God destroyed for their wickedness and evil vile lives.  The Scriptures are very clear, what has been done in secret will be exposed and all the acts of darkness will be brought out and exposed in the light.  Before you said those politicians are not going to have a good day when that happens, what about you?

 

I’m not a  prophet or the son of a prophet, but I do study history and the Bible and payday is coming and I believe soon, very soon.  Dads, today would be a great day to seek God, for He is not far away and He desires all men to come to repentance.  Our nation's problems are found in men not leaving their homes in the ways of God, and seeking a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.  And as we say in business that is the bottom line.

 

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice