First Light

The Day of the Lord

Wil Rice, IV — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 14:19:11 +0000

I Thessalonians 5:9 ”For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,”

In I Thessalonians 5, “the day of the Lord” is mentioned as coming “as a thief in the night.” The awesome and terrible events of that day are given elsewhere in Scripture, but the encouragement for believers in found in verse 9: “For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ.” It is wonderful to know that whenever these terrible events take place, God has not placed us into wrath because of Jesus Christ!

However, “the day of the Lord” is coming sometime in the future. Once you are saved, you are placed (v. 9), preserved (v. 23), and called (v. 24) right now! While we will not face the wrath of God, we ought to be burdened about the “day of the Lord” for those who are yet in danger. God is the One who is taking care of preserving me “blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ,” so I need not worry or fear the pending “day of the Lord.”

In the end, the truth that “the day of the Lord” is coming should affect your life today if you are a Christian. Are you motivated this morning to reach those who have not trusted Christ? Let’s be about the business of helping others see their need of Christ so that they can be ready for the “day of the Lord.”

“And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Are You Abounding?

Wil Rice, IV — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 14:18:07 +0000

I Thessalonians 3:12 ”And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you:”

In I Thessalonians 4:1-12, we learn about living, loving, and laboring, and the motivation for all three is the fact that Christ is coming again (verses 13-18). We see the word abound in I Thessalonians 3:12 and 4:1. The word abound carries with it the idea of “excess.” We are to love people and walk in the Lord to the point of “excess”! That’s what the Bible says!

Have you been saved for at least five years? Ten years? Twenty years? Forty years? (I asked this question recently in staff devotions at the Ranch, and I was amazed at how long most of the staff have been saved!) Let me ask you, are you walking with the Lord more now than when you were first saved? While a child who trusts Christ is just as much saved as I am, there is a sense in which I ought walk with and love the Lord more. My love and my labor ought to “abound more and more.”

While it is true that I should abound in living for the Lord, in loving others, and in laboring, I cannot do it myself! Notice the verse again: “And the Lord make you to increase and abound. . . .” Abounding in our living, our love, and our labor is important, but God is the One who enables us to do so!

By God’s power and based on Christ’s soon return, we ought to abound in our living, our love, and our labor. The hope we have in this life is not in a retirement account, in possessions, or in any other temporal thing. Our hope is in the power of God and in His promise to come again!

Paul’s Priority

Wil Rice, IV — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 14:15:54 +0000

I Thessalonians 3:5 ”For this cause, when I could no longer forbear, I sent to know your faith, lest by some means the tempter have tempted you, and our labour be in vain.”

My wife recently commented about the wealth of information included in the Christmas cards we sometimes receive. You can learn a lot about what is important to someone by reading or listening to what they write or say. Nowadays, you don’t have to wait until Christmas to find out what is on someone’s mind-just look at his Facebook page or follow him on Twitter! He might mention Junior’s T-ball season, Suzy’s masterpieces on the piano, or some other family event from the year, none of which are wrong. But that information is instructive as to what is important-you can “get a feel” for how they feel.

You cannot help but get the sense of how Paul felt in I Thessalonians 2-3. What was Paul’s priority? What was most important to him? Now, Paul had trouble (“tribulation”) but that was not his priority. Paul certainly needed money and health to minister, but that was not his priority, either. His priority is found in verse 5: “I sent to know your faith. . . .”

You cannot help but see Paul’s priority! He made what is eternally important the priority. There were Christians in Thessalonica who were growing, serving, and doing right (verse 6), even in Paul’s absence. Did Paul have other concerns? Yes, but those concerns-food, money, health-took a back seat to the priority.

What is your priority today? What would (and do) people see as your priority when they read your Christmas card or what is on your Facebook and Twitter account? What would people conclude is most important to you? Paul’s priority was seeing others grow in God’s grace. Is that your priority, as well?

One Thing

Wil Rice, IV — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 14:03:11 +0000

Luke 9:1 “Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases.”

Have you ever known the frustration of packing for a trip, only to find out that you never even use or wear something you packed? The only thing more frustrating than that is packing for a trip and starting on your journey, only to realize that you didn’t pack something important-your house key, directions, etc.! No matter what else you have packed, you still do not have that one thing.

The Lord Jesus sent His disciples away “to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick”, but He only gave them one thing. They were not to take anything else for their trip-no food, no money, and not even an extra coat! The one thing the Lord gave them was His power (verse 1).

What will you take with you this morning when you leave your house? Will you take a tool belt full of tools? A book bag and a lunch box? A pocket full of worries? Everybody will take something, but if you take everything except the power of Christ, you have nothing.

There is something encouraging and liberating about knowing what God wants me to do. With His power and His authority, I do not have to wonder, fret, or waver in what He has called me to. It is like sending one of my kids to call his the other Rices in for supper. I could send my youngest son Weston to tell Lauren and Wilson to come, but the force behind their obedience is not that their brother is taller or older; they come because dad said so! All the pressure is off of Weston because he is simply doing what I asked him to do.

What are you taking with you today? The disciples took the power Christ gave them and “went through the towns, preaching the gospel, and healing every where.” They did what they could not otherwise do because they took what God had given them. The encouraging thing is that same power is available to you this morning!

Don’t leave your house empty-handed

Power, Faith, and Means

Wil Rice, IV — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 13:00:49 +0000

Luke 5:18 “And, behold, men brought in a bed a man which was taken with a palsy: and they sought means to bring him in, and to lay him before him.”

The story of a palsied man being healed in Luke 5 illustrates the truth that we are laborers together with God. Within the story, we find three elements that were involved in bringing healing to the man. Let’s look at each of them briefly, and I will draw your attention to one in particular.

The first element we find is power. Verse 17 says that “the power of the Lord was present to heal them.” It was the power of God that healed this man! The Lord Jesus Christ relied upon the power of God in His earthly ministry, and as Christians we have access to the same power. We are told in Acts 1:8, “Ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you.” The power present in Luke 5-and the power available to us today-was Christ’s, not man’s.

The second element we find is faith. Verse 20 says, “And when he saw their faith, he said unto him, Man, thy sins are forgiven thee.” The faith of the four friends was evident to everyone there-they only had to look up through the roof! They were trying to get to Jesus because He was the only One who could help! Notice that their faith was in a Person-faith in Christ.

The third element, and the one I would like to draw attention to, is means. Verses 18-19 tell us that the friends “sought means” and “could not find by what way,” so they “let him down through the tiling with his couch into the midst before Jesus.” Did the friends have faith, or did they have means? The answer is, Yes! The reason they had means was because of their faith. Their faith in Christ’s power was the very reason they used the means available.

Were these friends trusting their work (means) to heal this man? No! They were trusting Christ, and that is precisely what motivated their work. Today, if our faith is in Christ, then we need to find a way. The word resilience comes to my mind. Resilience means stubbornness, but it also means flexibility. Do you think everyone in the crowd appreciated these men and their work? I’m sure at least the homeowner was thinking of his destroyed roof! But in their resilience, they also needed flexibility. Their initial plan was foiled, but they did not let that stop them.

Faith in Christ and His power should produce in us a resilience-a flexible stubborness. In your life, are you following the example of Luke 5 in your faith and your resilience? God is the only One who has the power to do what needs to be done. That fact merits your faith and your means today.

Prayer Requests:
1. Bill Rice Ranch Elementary Retreat 1 this weekend
2. Revival services tonight in Lafayette, CO

Investing in People

Wil Rice, IV — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 12:59:23 +0000

Mark 3:4 “And he saith unto them, Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath days, or to do evil? to save life, or to kill? But they held their peace.”

On this day in the synagogue, Jesus saw a man with a withered hand. Everyone in the synagogue was watching, not with hopeful hearts, but with hearts anticipating anything they might use to accuse the Lord Jesus. The Lord’s argument in verse 4 boils down to this: is it better (lawful) to do good or do evil? His accusers were so invested in things and not people that, according to their laws, it was actually lawful to do evil!

Let me explain. James 4:17 says, “Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.” The Pharisees in the synagogue had taken God’s law concerning the Sabbath and added regulations. The end result was strict adherence to their own laws (“things”) and disregard for people. According to these men, if Jesus healed this man on the Sabbath, they would have grounds for accusation (verse 2). Ironically, what was “good” to them (not working on the Sabbath) was actually bad (sinful)!

There are a couple of points worth considering this morning regarding this matter of investing in things or in people. Jesus said, “I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” (Mark 2:17) His mission was to “seek and to save that which was lost.” (Luke 19:10) His priority was to save people, to reach people, and to search for people. If our priority is Christ’s priority, that will be our mission, as well.

However, we do not live in a world only filled with people-we live in a world with things, too. Things are not wrong, but the temptation is to be so invested in the things that we do wrong by the people. How do you know if you are invested in people or in things? Look at your priorities and what you protect. The one thing that can mess up the good job you are trying to do is people! Being so wrapped up in what you are doing can cause you to forget why you are doing it. That is true in ministry, in your home, and in your workplace. What you make your priority and what you protect will show who or what you are invested in.

Here at the Ranch, we have horses. I love horses. However, sometimes it is tempting to think that having a ranch would be great if it wasn’t for the horses! We have a ranch with horses because of people. We want to reach lost folks and help saved folks. The reason we are doing all of these things is for the One we serve, because His priority is reaching people. There are many “things” that need attention, but we must always keep in mind the reason for the things-people. Are you busy today? I am pretty sure you are! In your busyness, what is your priority and what are you protecting? We serve a God who loves people-are you investing in His priority?

Prayer Requests:
- Revival services tonight in Lafayette, CO

End-of-Summer Break Reminder

Wil Rice, IV — Sat, 07 Aug 2010 03:47:43 +0000

This is just a reminder that as our summer camp season ends, we will take a two-week break from First Light, beginning next Monday, August 9. First Light will resume Monday, August 23. We hope you continue to enjoy the devotionals!

We hope to see you here on the Ranch this fall!

Check out our fall events on our website: billriceranch.org

Faith and Works

Wil Rice, IV — Sat, 07 Aug 2010 03:46:39 +0000

Mark 2:5,8 “When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee. . . . And immediately when Jesus perceived in his spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, he said unto them, Why reason ye these things in your hearts?”

This is a great story! A man “sick of the palsy” had a need, and his four friends brought him to Jesus. The difficulty came when the crowd was too large to carry this sick man to the Lord, but these four friends weren’t discouraged-they went to work on the roof and lowered their friend through the hole they had made!

Verse 6 tells us that some of the scribes reasoned in their hearts-they did not speak out loud. They were critical of the Lord Jesus and thought to themselves, “Why doth this man thus speak blasphemies? who can forgive sins but God only?” It is true that only God can forgive sins-no pastor, priest, or person can do that-but they obviously did not believe that Jesus Christ was “God only.” However, the Lord Jesus “perceived in his spirit that they so reasoned within themselves. . . .” How did Jesus know what they were thinking? Because He is God!

With that in mind, what caught my attention is found in verse 5: “When Jesus saw their [the four friends'] faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy. . . .” How did Jesus see their faith? It was not because Jesus is God, although He is; He saw their faith because of their works in verses 1-4! They were not discouraged, they tore the roof off, and they lowered their friend down-that is how Jesus saw their faith.

Faith and works are not the same thing, although they are related. If these friends had depended on tearing off a roof for the man to be healed, that is works. But if tearing off the roof and lowering their friend down are because of their faith, that is something altogether different! Jesus perceived the scribes’ hearts because He is God; He saw the friends’ faith because of their works. We ought remember today that our actions need to be driven by our faith.

Prayer Requests:
- Safety for summer staff traveling home

Camp Quote:
“You don’t forgive someone because they were right; you forgive them to be Christ-like.” (Ephesians 4:32)
-Dr. Glen Jaspers

Straightway

Wil Rice, IV — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 03:45:59 +0000

Mark 1:18 “And straightway they forsook their nets, and followed him.”

We “fish” for our keys and numerous other things, but the real point of “fishing” is going after fish! The Lord Jesus, however, charged some men in Mark chapter one to become “fishers of men.” Notice the response of these men: “And straightway they forsook their nets, and followed him.” The words straightway, forsook, and followed in verse 18 are key. What Peter and Andrew did, they did “straightway”; and what they did is described as forsaking and following.

You cannot have forsaking without following, and vice versa. You are not following Christ if you are not forsaking anything and everything that would hinder you from doing that. Interestingly, the word straightway means “right away,” but it also means “directly.” Those two ideas go together! The quickest route between two points is a straight line, and following the Lord straightway means both immediately and directly.
The truth is, everyone is following someone. You may be following Christ to some extent, but not everyone is following “straightway.” Following “straightway” is a decision you make moment-by-moment and day-by-day. Just think about the personalities of the men whom Jesus called: Peter, Andrew, James, and John! They were all different, but these are the men who “straightway” forsook and followed (verses 18, 20). James and John left their father, and all of them left their nets and everything that was familiar to them to follow “straightway.”

Are you following Christ “straightway”? Any way that is not “straightway” is not the right way. Are there priorities, ambitions, or attitudes that are keeping you from following “straightway”? Nets, a father, and fishing are not bad, unless there is something better that Christ has called you to that you have neglected. If you are not forsaking, you are not following. “Straightway” means forsaking anything that is a roadblock, detour, or distraction-even a good or innocent thing. The Lord would have us follow Him today without hesitation or reservation. Are you following “straightway”?

Prayer Requests:
1. Protection and provision for staff
2. Campers to be helped this week
3. Praise-21 campers were saved last week!

Camp Quote:
“Sin does not become acceptable because we redefine it.”
-Dr. Glen Jaspers

First Light End-of-Summer Break

Wil Rice, IV — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 15:11:03 +0000

We are thrilled about what the Lord has done this summer! Hopefully you have enjoyed a glimpse of each week in our “Camp Quote” section, along with the prayer requests unique to each week of camp.

This summer, dozens of campers trusted Christ and scores more prayed with a counsleor about a specific decision-to God be the glory! We hosted church groups from California to New England to the Bahamas, and many places in between!

As our summer camp season ends and our fall retreat schedule begins, we will take a two-week break from First Light, beginning next Monday, August 9. First Light will resume Monday, August 23. We hope you continue to enjoy the devotionals!