We often Skip Over

 

“Practice these things, devote yourself to them, so that all may see your progress.  Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching.  Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.”

Do you and I need to practice and devote ourselves to being followers of Christ Jesus, and His instruction in the Bible?  The simple answer is yes; the logical answer is yes, and the Biblical is yes, if you want to be light in this present darkness.   It seems simple, all we need is a set of rules to live life by and then we will be good Christians, it is that simple, or is it?  The only problem with that is we have been given a book on how to live life on planet earth, and it seems like many of us do not practice, do not devote ourselves to the most basic teaching.  Teaching like, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.  This is the great and first commandment.  And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:37-39)

How do you practice loving God with all your heart, with all your soul, and all your mind?  Anyone that is able to do that commandment will have little or no problem loving his neighbor.  Could our problem be that we have moved on to the more complex practices before learning to practice and devotion to loving God with all our hearts and with all our soul and with all our minds? 

How in this crazy fallen world could we hope to love our enemies as Christ Jesus has commanded in Matthew 5:44, if we have not first learned to love Christ Jesus and the Father?  So why do we skip over what Jesus calls the greatest commandments, is it that we do not know how to love in the way Jesus has told us?  We may be getting close to solving the problem, in that Jesus told His disciples the following; “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” (John 14:15)  So it comes down to this; we either do not understand how to love as commanded, or we are living in rebellion. 

Could it be that we do not understand the relationship that is ours in Christ; “The one who has my commands and keeps them, is the one who loves Me.  And the one who loves Me will be loved by my Father.  I also will love him and will reveal Myself to him.” (John 14:21)  And if your answer is yes, I truly understand that relationship, and yet after searching your heart it becomes clear that others like your husband or wife, children or friends, or even yourself are more intimate than your fellowship with the Lord, then have you not misunderstood John 14:21?

As a seeker, it seems often you and I want to advance, that is the nature of our culture, and it is rare to not look ahead for the next promotion, the next project, the next relationship.  Listen to what Jesus ask the Father before leaving earth; “I do not ask for these only, (referring to his disciples) but also (add your name) for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.  The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as weare one, I in them, and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.” (John 17:20-23)  Could the answer be that our flesh has a desire to advance, to skip over the important and try to do some act for God?

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Is hope the same thing as “I Wish”?

 

1 Timothy 4:10-16

Is hope the same thing as “I Wish”?  When we look at hope from a Christian view, it is more than a wish it is a feeling of trust.  It is looking forward to what is hoped for, it is expectation, and yet our hope is not based on a feeling but on the living God.  Many do not have hope, some who call themselves Christian, base eternity with the Lord on how well they perform, or on some rules laid out by man, and their hope is not centered in the promises of God, but in self.  The apostle is telling us do not put your hope in anything but the faithfulness of God the Father and Jesus Christ His only Son.

The hope that Paul is telling Timothy about is established in confidence that God is a promise keeper.  Living the Christian life comes with many challenges; it is a life that runs opposite of the culture, and often the apostle Paul was an example of how it brings pain and suffering into our life.  2 Timothy 1:12, is a great example, “That is why I am suffering as I am.  Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day.”  The prophet Isaiah had this to say about hope centered in the faith that God is a promise keeper; “Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the Lord God is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation.” (Isaiah 12:2) 

If you watch the news, it matters not if it’s “fair and balanced” or not, it is not uplifting, its message is about fear of what is coming, its message is often an example of foolish people who have placed hope in a political party, a movement, or even a person.  And when examined by someone without an agenda, but based on facts, we find that often those with all the answers, those we believed in were not telling the truth, they just wanted to buy power or influence.

To have unity in a marriage, family, community, church, or nation, requires love, and not the love of self.  What does a person look like that is full of self; they are not kind, not patient, they envy, they boast, they are rude, self-seekers, angry, and they use these as tools to divide all of the groups listed above.  To have division it works best to destroy trust in the marriage, family, community, church, or nation, and today we are seeing the fruits of that lived out in our Nation, and many others all over the world.  But as Christians we should not lose hope but rejoice, because Jesus foretold that in the last days this would take place.  Listen to David in Psalm 56:1-4, “Be gracious to me, O God, for man tramples on me; all day long an attacker oppresses me; my enemies trample on me all day long, for many attack me proudly.  When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.  In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid.  What can flesh do to me?”

It comes down to, where do you put your hope?  If it is in a political party, some person, our military, or your 401K, or anything but God, you are in for some real bad times.  A prayer of hope, “Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths.  Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long.” (Psalm 25:4-5)

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Correctly using what is Available

 

1 Timothy 4:6-10

Be a good servant of Christ Jesus, by letting the Holy Spirit teach and train you in the Scriptures, about how to apply, to live out these teachings.  That’s a Bob summary of verse six, and if we choose that, then we will put into action these doctrines and not be drawn into silly myths, such as seeing Jesus in a taco, or repeating, as if it were the gospel, the storey about some little three year old boy that died and went to heaven and now it’s on the best seller list.  This is Paul’s counsel; “Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths.  Rather train yourself for godliness; for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.”

So how does one train for anything?  Jan and I have a gym membership and this is what I have observed, that it is easy to fool yourself into believing that going to the gym equates to training, and it can, but often it does not.  To make the gym into a vehicle of training requires information on how to use what is in the gym, and then a plan on accomplishing your goals.  Having a realistic plan, setting time lines, and charting to record your successes is a must.  If the goal is weight loss, be realistic, a gym cannot remove weight without a change in your consumption, your intake of calories in sugar, and in the total amount consumed.  In fact, for many it requires a trainer, and yet a trainer cannot change a person who has not made a commitment to follow the plan laid out for them.

When it comes to training yourself for godliness, it requires many of the tools or methods that gave you success in the gym.  Many fool themselves into believing that church membership and regular attendance equates to godliness, much like the gym membership, it only gets you into a place where you are exposed to some of the tools that can be used for training.  Often, way too often, Christians believe that being part of a Bible study equates to godliness, and it can help, but it’s similar to the person wanting to loose weight, but still consumes large amounts of food, and goes to the gym four times a week, the results will be failure to meet the desired goal.

So it is going to require more than being a faithful church attendee, more than being part of a Bible study, it is like the gym, begin at the beginning with a humble spirit before your Father, and let Him show you the equipment that is needed to achieve godliness.  It is important to understand that your goal is to have fellowship with the Father.  Many require information without understanding, and knowledge without application, but knowledge without application will bring about pride, not godliness.  Like the trainer at the gym, a life coach, or mentor can be used to encourage and enhance, but it still comes back to seeking fellowship with Jesus Christ, the Father, and listening and obeying the Holy Spirit.

These are some Scriptures that have become tools used in my pursuit of godliness: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.” (Proverbs 1:7)  The bottom line, my knowledge began when I chose to submit to God’s authority.  I also had to get over being stupid, “Whoever loves instruction loves knowledge, but one who hates correction is stupid.” (Proverbs 12:1)  One of the pitfalls I often encountered was desire without knowledge, “It is not good to have zeal without knowledge, nor to be hasty and miss the way.”  (Proverbs 19:2)

As one who desires godliness, you must remember the Spirit is always battling your flesh, and flesh is defined as, the ways you have learned to suck your needs out of others, it’s like being over weight and going to the gym everyday with the same results, unless you deal with the issue of eating too much.  The life of godliness is choosing to submit to the Spirit and reject the desires of the flesh.  It is a choice and it is in not easy, but it will bring about peace in your heart in the middle of this present darkness.

Form the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

What channel are you tuning into?

 

1 Timothy 4:1-5

“Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared, who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.  For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer.”

When you see verses like this in the Bible some would say that the writer is making a prediction on things yet to happen, and that is very close to the truth, but these are not a guess, they will happen at a remarkable 100%.  (Note: This writer believes we are experiencing that time.) Paul is telling Timothy and us, that in the future many will be apostates, and just for clarity an apostate is one who has renounced a belief or commitment.  “By devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared,” they got conned, and it works, that’s why the devil is referred to by Jesus, as a liar and the father of lies. 

Deception is defined as; “the practice of deliberately making somebody believe things that are not true.”  Have you ever heard someone say if I was the devil, and they go on to make a statement?  There is only one small problem with that thought, the devil is a created being just like you and me, but he has watched mankind for thousands of years, and he has perfected the art of deception.  He is running a scam on you this very moment, and when he speaks to you it does not sound like someone else, it sounds like you. 

So how can we know whom is speaking to us?  Jesus speaks to this in the gospel of John chapter 10:1-18, listen to verse 14, “I am the good shepherd.  I know my own and my own know me.”  Bill Gillham called the voice of the Lord  “Channel 2” and it requires a trained ear to hear the Spirit of God and His message.  Bill also talks about “Channel 1” it comes with volume, it is at best tuned into the message of this world’s system, it is controlled by none other than Satan, and its goal is to deceive.  It has a history of success, and it implies that God does not want the very best for us and it asks the same question that the devil ask Eve in the garden, “Did God really say?”  It loves to tell you that you deserve better, much better, or it attacks your personal worth, especially after it has led you into sin.

Let’s tune into channel two and listen to what God has to say about channel one. Colossians 2:8, “Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.”  Many a Christian no longer goes to church because they put their hearts in the hand of some person, in all probability a pastor or teacher, and not on Christ.  If you are reading this and that is where you are, you got scammed by tuning to channel one and it’s time to return to the fellowship of other believers; you are of great value to the kingdom of our Lord.

If you are a minister of the gospel, be faithful to the teaching of Scripture and do not be a man pleaser, but follow the counsel found in 2 Corinthians 4:2 “But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.”  As ministers of the gospel to your local church, preach the word, as 2 Timothy 4:2 states, both in season and out of season, reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience.  Verses 3&4, “For a time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.”

What channel are you tuning into?

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Is godliness really a mystery?

 

1 Timothy 3:14-16

“Great indeed we confess, is the mystery of godliness: He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated by the Spirit, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory.” (Verse 16)

Is godliness really a mystery?  Jesus the Creator took on flesh, now that can be written, it can be proclaimed to all that have ears to hear, or eyes to read, but it’s not a simple thing to understand, in fact, the older you are and the more education you have can be a real road block to understanding this truth.  We are told in the Scriptures that only a person who has the Spirit of God living in them has a chance of grasping the truths in the Bible.  Now to the person who is well educated, who may have “Doctor” before their name, they see this as a book of stories, and many of them will not bow their knee to God and ask him by faith to open the mystery of godliness.  Paul has this to say about God the Father in 1 Timothy 6:16, “Who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see.”  The apostle John refers to Jesus as the “Word” and in John 1:14, has this to say; “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.  Before Jesus stepped out of heaven and took on flesh, verses 17&18 explain, “For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.”

So the answer is yes, godliness is a mystery to the unbeliever, but to all who receive the grace of God by faith that God has given them the answer to this mystery, and it is Christ in you the hope of glory.  In 1Timothy 3:14&15, “I hope to come to you soon, but I am writing these things to you so that, if I delay you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of truth.”  If only we grasp the truth of Colossians 1:27, Christ in you the hope of glory, not some building, you are His church, and that mystery needs to be seen in our homes, in the market place, in our schools, in our government, and by our neighbors.

In 2011 Texas was dry, we had fires breaking out all over the state, and many lost both homes and businesses and in the eastern part of the nation, many have also lost homes and businesses to flood waters, and many in our nation have been without jobs for months and even years, many are without hope.  It is a Sunday morning and it is time to leave for church, and Pastor Ray Still’s message is titled, “Hope for the Hopeless”.  Three points that were key to the message, “What breath is to the physical body, hope is to the human spirit.”  Ray went on to share what many do not know: “Deep mystery that pervades all human existence, resulting in humility.  In 2 Corinthians 12:9, we are reminded that Jesus spoke these words to us; “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”  When the mystery of godliness is evident in a Christian, it is the results of humility, letting go and letting God express love through your earth suit.  That brings me to Pastor Still’s second point, “What we do know: a holy one is the generous one.”

My fellow believer, we must be light in this present darkness.  “But How?”  By letting Christ be sufficient in your life, and remembering this great truth found in John 3:17, “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

What does a Deacon and a Pulling Guard have in Common?

 

1 Timothy 3:8-13

“Deacons likewise must be dignified, not double-tongued, not addicted to much wine, not greedy for dishonest gain.  They must hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience.  And let them also be tested first; then let them serve as deacons if they prove themselves blameless.  Their wives likewise must be dignified, not slanderers, but sober-minded, faithful in all things.  Let deacons each be the husband of one wife, managing their children and their own households well.  For those who serve well as deacons gain a good standing for themselves and also great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus.”

My high-school friend Jerry was a pulling guard on our State Championship team and pulling guards are somewhat like deacons, they do not get a lot of press.   But the Corpus Christi Caller Times said this about Jerry, “he is an unsung hero” and that he was.  When coach Ragus called for a trap play, it was the pulling guards that had the responsibility to open the lane for the running back.  But it was uncommon, yes it was exceptional for a guard to get his name in the paper, and especially when he is listed in the program as 165 lbs. 

You may be asking how can pulling guards be similar to a deacon and my analogy may have some holes, but let me see how far we can go with this comparison.  The deacon and the pulling guard both must believe in the game plan, if they are going to perform in a manner that is needed to win, they must trust the coach or pastor to call the right play.  The coach or the pastor has confidence that on the field are off, they will stay on message, not telling the coach or pastor one thing and doing something totally different.  And the deacon should earn his spot on the team in much the same way as the pulling guard, he listens, he applies, he obeys, and in the case of the guard who wins the starting position, he out performs all others who are competing for the starting role.

I told you the analogy was weak in a few places, like dignified, and not addicted to much wine, I’m not sure we understood those concepts in high school.  But a deacon must pass the test and be upright in all his business dealings.  A deacon must be able to teach others the mystery of the faith, and be very transparent in those teachings.  Some, who might meet and pass the test of deacon, but have wives that do not meet the test should disqualify themselves, and often, only the man knows this truth.

What a deacon is not: he is not the guy running the church, his role is very important in the church, he is to serve the widows and orphans, and he is to serve the local body.  I grew-up in deacon led churches and they were void of the Spirit and controlled by uninformed men with titles of deacon, who had taken on the role of boss of the local church.  You show me a deacon ran church and I can assure you it is a dying church, it has no authority, it has no power, it’s full of strife, and strife brings with it pride, anger and hatred.

But to those who do it right: For those who serve well as deacons gain a good standing for themselves and also great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus.”

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Overseer

 

1 Timothy 3:1-7

“Here is a trustworthy saying: If anyone sets his heart on being an overseer, he desires a noble task.” (Verse 1)

What are some words that come to your mind when the word “overseer” is used above: Words like supervisor, manager, chief, boss, somebody who supervises workers.   But that would be totally wrong, it is none of the above, the word “overseer” is referring to a pastor, a bishop, or elder in the Church.  What is of interest is that the person seeking the office of overseer, has decided, has set their mind on, has a desire to be an overseer, and if he is your pastor, you should expect those desires to have come from God, and not his mother or because it looks like a good career.  And that brings me back to the understanding in our culture of the word “overseer.”  What happens if your pastor has the attitude of being the boss or as I’ve heard some profess to be the CEO of the local church?

Before answering that, lets look at the manufacturer’s handbook about the job description found in 1 Timothy 3:2-3, “Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money.”  In that I grew-up in small Baptist churches, I often have to get past the folklore and customs of what I was taught, and go to the Bible to check it out.  One thing that was not going to happen in these Baptist churches was a woman preacher, and as I look at 1Timothy, I believe that is in line with God’s word, but it is not in line with today’s culture.  It is clear to this writer that 1Timothy 2:12 states, “I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man.”  Now that’s very clear, but a showstopper is how can a woman be  “the husband of one wife”?  And what about, not a drunkard, and how is that going to happen on grape juice, because my little Baptist church taught that Jesus did not drink wine, it was grape juice, and yet the people drinking it seemed to get drunk, not sure how that happens?  Traditions, enough of that foolishness on the non-biblical customs of my past, and back to what the Bible has to say regarding the overseer. 

Picking up in verse 4-5, “He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church?  Often, way too often, we see this Scripture ignored, and from the side lines I wonder if the men who are so busy at the job of pastor, and forget to be first pastor to their families with all dignity?  It is always the same message, he is such a good pastor, but his wife or his children are just bad apples, yet I read somewhere that the apple does not fall far from the tree.

Verses 6-7, “He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil.  Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil.”

Let me wrap this up with these thoughts; the role of an overseer; Pastor, Bishop, Elder, is not for the guys looking for a 9 to 5, well paying job.  It has got to be one of the worst jobs a person could pick, that is unless he is called of God, and then it is still very hard, and yet very fulfilling, that is if he is called.  No, where in the Bible do we find what that call looks like, but the person who is called has a surety of the call.  The Bible does give examples of men who were called.

As a person who was called to minister in the business world, I’ve only been a part of seven churches, and two of those were the small Baptist churches, and it seemed like we went through pastors quickly, and yet at that time of my life I was not a Christian, just a member.  Since that time, I served under the leadership of seven men, and have gotten to spend time with my last two pastors, they are kingdom minded, not perfect, but they have been a joy to serve with, to learn from, and they have this goal; to be a shepherd and a servant to the community that God has entrusted to them.  Men like this need to be supported in prayer.  As you and I listening to the Holy Spirit so that as fellow workers with them, we can have the kingdom mind-set of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice