Sleeping in the Mount of Olices

Mark 14:32-51

I have been in the deeper part of the Mount of Olives it was a very moving time in that I understood my Lord had prayed there often.  Gethsemane means “olive press,” and this was a regular place that Jesus went to pray.  But this day it was different, He told all but Peter, James, and John to stay or as Mark states, ”Sit here while I pray.”

As the four of them moved deeper into the Mount of Olives, it became clear that Jesus was deeply distressed.  This was something His disciples had not seen, and they must have been very alarmed.  It seems as if Jesus also gave the three instructions about praying for themselves and Him and moved even deeper into the garden.  Mark shares the conversation Jesus had with His Father in verses 35-36.  “And going a little farther, he fell on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. ³⁶ And he said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.”

He returned to Peter, James, and John to find them sleeping, and Jesus asks “Peter, can’t you stay awake for one hour?”  Then Jesus said to them this profound truth; “Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” 

Let’s continue in Mark’s account, verses 39-42, “And again he went away and prayed, saying the same words. ⁴⁰ And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were very heavy, and they did not know what to answer him. ⁴¹ And he came the third time and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? It is enough; the hour has come. The Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.  Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand.”

Peter, James, and John were chosen and they are unique in that it was God’s plan for these men to be vital in proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ to a lost and doomed world.  But they also had a problem, the Holy Spirit had not yet come to live in them, and they let the flesh control them.  It was when they looked and obeyed Jesus that they were able to do anything.  You and I have asked Jesus into our hearts, and He has sent His Holy Spirit to live in us, but we must understand we have a problem.

Yes, it’s the same one they encountered; “Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” 

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

The establishing of Communion

Mark 14:22-31

This is a first, Jesus is establishing for the first time Communion, or you may refer to it as the Lord’s Supper.  Now put yourself in the story, your with Jesus in the upper room, and He takes the bread and breaks it and tells you, “Take; this is my body.”  What are you thinking, just maybe you are wondering does he have a problem, should we call a doctor?  And then without a pause, Jesus takes the wine and says; “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many.  Truly, I say to you; I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.”  Are you wondering how this time is different than the many other times we ate bread and drank wine with Jesus?

We do not know because God did not reveal what was in the minds of the disciples.  But this I believe, verse 25 has an assurance not only for them but you and I.  Mark 14:25, “Truly, I say to you, I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.”  Now shall we see how Matthew’s gospel handles this in Matthew 26:29, “I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom.”  It seems to this writer that the next time Jesus and His disciples have wine and food together is with the Father and the Holy Spirit in heaven.  That is something you do not want to miss!

Now you need to read this;  ^“And Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away, for it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.’ ²⁸ But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee.” ²⁹ Peter said to him, “Even though they all fall away, I will not.” ³⁰ And Jesus said to him, “Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.” ³¹ But he said emphatically, “If I must die with you, I will not deny you.” And they all said the same.”                                                                                                                          

 Jan enjoys sharing about her husband telling anyone who would listen that we would never live or work in the Houston area, he even told God.  But God laughed and said I know the plans I have for you, not to harm you but for good, and Houston was a big part of my Spiritual growth.  We spent 23 good years in Spring,Texas, and I worked all over the Houston market a good portion of that time with 3M Electrical Markets, before being allowed to move to the Texas Hill Country.

We know they all ran; only a young man followed Jesus, and he also ran off naked to save himself.  Tomorrow we will explore the facts.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Passover the holiest day, not a day for betrayal

May 5, 2018

Mark 14:12-21

Passover is very dear to the Jewish people; I am sure you recall the event back in Egypt when all who put the blood of a pure lamb without any defect on the doorpost, the death angel would Passover.  But all who did not; the first-born; both child and animal would die.  To prepare for Passover included obtaining and preparing a lamb, bitter herbs, unleavened bread, wine, and crushed fruit.

As you read Mark’s account of this, please listen and take notice of these two things; they ask Jesus a question and then look for His response, and third they did as He told them.  “And on the first day of Unleavened Bread, when they sacrificed the Passover lamb, his disciples said to him, “Where will you have us go and prepare for you to eat the Passover?”  And he sent two of his disciples and said to them, “Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him, and wherever he enters, say to the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says, Where is my guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’  And he will show you a large upper room furnished and ready; there prepare for us.”  And the disciples set out and went to the city and found it just as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover.”

We have stated that Passover the holiest day, not a day for betrayal, or was it?  It was evening when Jesus and the disciples showed up for dinner.  Now to the Jews even started a new day and Passover had to be eaten at night and finished by midnight.  At the dinner Jesus brought up something new about His betrayal, it was one of the twelve.  Shall we pick-up Mark’s account in verse 18-21.  “And as they were reclining at table and eating, Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me, one who is eating with me.” ¹⁹ They began to be sorrowful and to say to him one after another, “Is it I?” ²⁰ He said to them, “It is one of the twelve, one who is dipping bread into the dish with me. ²¹ For the Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.”

As stated above betrayal is very common, but to be the one who betrays God only Son, His beloved Son that He sent as a sin offering to redeem fallen man, I am fearful of what happens to a man who falls into the hands of an angry God.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

The Removal of the Church

May 3, 2108

Mark 13:24-37

“But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.  And then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory.  And then he will send out the angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.”

Much is written about God’s elect, and I believe Jesus was not referring to the Church, for the Church was a mystery at the time Jesus was giving this message.  The church was a mystery until the Holy Spirit came to live in the followers of Christ at Pentecost.  Harlan Caton had this to say about the Church; “It must be clearly stated that the Church is a new and separate body called out for a special purpose and period of time.”  A new thing had happened, Jesus Christ had come to live in one body, the Body of Christ, of which He is the Head, and we are the members.  You can find that in 1 Corinthians 12:13,27; Ephesians 1:22, 23; 5:22,30,32 and Colossians 1:18.  (Taken from page 109 “The Second Coming of Jesus Christ).

We do not find the Church in the Old Testament but we do see the Tribulation.  In Deuteronomy 4:29-31 we have Moses telling the people who are coming out of Egypt what will take place in the future of Israel.  “But from there you will seek the Lord your God, and you will find him, if you search after him with all your heart and with all your soul. ³⁰ When you are in tribulation, and all these things come upon you in the latter days, you will return to the Lord your God and obey his voice. For the Lord, your God is a merciful God. He will not leave you or destroy you or forget the covenant with your fathers that he swore to them.”

But to get a better picture of that history, you will need to go back to Deut. 4:23 and begin there.  Moses tells the people that after many generations they will have forgotten the God who brought them out of captivity and worship gods of stone and wood, gods that cannot see or speak.  And He will judge them and scatter them between the nations and destroy many of them.  And then God reveals to them through Moses about the great tribulation. 

The one thing that is of utmost importance in the Parable of the Fig Tree is verse 31, “Heaven and earth will pass away,” but My word will never pass away.”  Only God can make such a claim.

“But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.  Be on guard, keep awake.  For you do not know when the time will come.  It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his servants in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to stay awake.  Therefore stay awake—for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning— lest he come suddenly and find you asleep.  And what I say to you I say to all: Stay awake.” (Mark 13:32-37)

Let me close with a few remarks from Harlan, for I loved that man, he was my pastor, and I believe my first Pastor/teacher of the Scripture.  I was blessed to sit under his teaching for 3 ½ years and I consider him my friend. 

“The Church is to Watch for the imminent return of Christ (I Corinthians 15:51-52; Philippians 3:20; I Thessalonians 1:9-10).  “The believer is to live as though the Rapture could happen any moment.  However, if the Church is to go through the Tribulation, then we would know when the Lord will return.”

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Betrayal

May 4, 2018

Mark 14:1-11

Betrayal is more common than most of us think, and it is done for many reasons, to gain favor with the other group, to get a reward, or to reveal something.  If you think about it, that is why many people do not let others into their lives, it opens the door to be hurt, by someone you trust.

Now the Passover is going to happen in two days and what are these religious leaders planning, to kill Jesus?  But they are unsure of the people, and what they will do, so they hesitated to act.

Jesus is at the house of Simon and was reclining at the table when a woman known as Mary of Bethany pours expensive perfume on his head and it is in John 12:2-3.  The gospel of Mark tells us it is worth about 300 denarii and one denarius was a day’s wage for an ordinary worker.  Now people, maybe disciples and Judas Iscariot were not happy with this act of love.  We know Judas was a thief and would have enjoyed having that money, because He was the treasurer of the twelve disciples.  (Note: Be aware of the person who only cares about how the money is spent at your church)

Listen to what Jesus had to say to those people; “Leave her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a beautiful thing to me.  For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you want, you can do good for them. But you will not always have me.  She has done what she could; she has anointed my body beforehand for burial.   And truly, I say to you, wherever the gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in memory of her.”

Once more Jesus is sharing with both His disciples and a group of people that His death is close.  If you’re a thief and looking forward to your leader becoming the head of state, and He keeps talking about His death, a thief wants to cash in.  And that is what Judas did he went to the high priest and made a deal to sell-out Jesus for 30 silver coins.  From that day on he looked for a way to betray Jesus.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

It's comming to the U.S.A. - Soon very Soon

Mark 13:14-23

Mark is telling us that this is something new and different than anything you have ever experienced.  What He is referring to is the “Great Tribulation,” the Christ understood tribulation.  They had already been cut off from family, kicked out of the temple and socially were seen as cult people, but Mark is saying this is going to be much worse.  Unlike the Church in the USA, these early followers of Christ expected to be hated because of the name of Christ, and they endured faithfully.

This is how he began;  “But when you see the abomination of desolation standing where he ought not to be (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.”  Mark does not give clarity on what he meant by standing where he ought not to be, but Matthew 24:9-14, tells us what leads up to this event.  Let me share;  “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake. And then many will fall away^[a and betray one another and hate one another.  And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray.  And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold.  But the one who endures to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.”

It's apparent to all that it is the time we are living in, we have a significant falling away and hate for the followers of Christ is on the increase.  But for the first time in the history of this world, the gospel of Jesus Christ is reaching the whole world and Jesus has this to share with us in Matthew 24:23-27; “Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There he is!’ do not believe it.  For false Christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.  See, I have told you beforehand. So, if they say to you, ‘Look, he is in the wilderness,’ do not go out. If they say, ‘Look, he is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it.  For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.” 

But one thing that we left out in Matthew’s account is that we are told where this will take place and it is in the temple, Matthew 24:15.  And that is a problem, for the temple is gone, but to my amazement while in Jerusalem visiting the sights, Jan and I were told that everything is in place to rebuild the temple.  We were told it could be back in months; all the items are in place, the priests are trained, and in place, they are waiting for the right time to build it.

Shall we end this with a quote from Jesus found in Mark 13:22-23, “For false Christs and false prophets will arise and perform signs and wonders, to lead astray, if possible, the elect.  But be on guard; I have told you all things beforehand.”

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Pay attentions to the Holy Spirit

Mark 13:9-13

 “But be on your guard, for they will deliver you over to councils, and you will be beaten in synagogues, and you will stand before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them. ¹⁰ And the gospel must first be proclaimed to all nations. ¹¹ And when they bring you to trial and deliver you over, do not be anxious beforehand what you are to say, but say whatever is given you in that hour, for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit. ¹² And brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death. ¹³ And you will be hated by all for my name sake.   But the one who endures to the end will be saved.”

Watch out, be on guard you're going into a meeting, and they are going to ask you to take a job that has no hope of success!  I believe you would be on your guard; you would listen to each word and be leery of all the compliments.  I was the guy walking into that meeting, and it was not a human that told me to be on guard, but the Holy Spirit that lives in me.  What could have been a career-ending move turned out to change my bosses plans.  We did not go on that path at that time because I was on guard and listening to the Holy Spirit and not my flesh.

When Jesus tells us to be on our guard, we better pay attention!  Jesus is talking about what the eleven will experience, and the Sanhedrin was the ruling body of the courts.  Today in the United States of America you need to be on your guard, not being fearful or paranoid, that is the word from Jesus to each of us.  But be alert to a real enemy that hates you and has come to steal, kill and destroy your gospel message.

I have been on planet earth for 76 years and never would I have believed that a person who follows Christ would be charged with a crime because they refused to bake a wedding cake for two people of the same sex.  And not only that, the news media would support such action as just and fair even though the baker was willing to sell them any cake in the place, but would not make a special cake for them. 

Could it be I was ignorant of what Jesus told us in Scripture, in this world we will suffer tribulation?  Or am I like many of my brothers and sisters in Christ who believe we are not going to see such things in the good old USA?  Well, the dam leaks and it is going to bring a flood of persecution, but Jesus has stated be on your guard, but do not allow anxiety to fill your life for we are promised the Holy Spirit will give us the words to speak.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice