May 31, 2007

Good morning! We are glad to see the rains come again out here on the dry plains of Nebraska, praise the Lord for his bounty. I am glad to read in an article this week that doctors and nurses are taking a new look at pain and how to treat it. So many suffer daily that it is strange this has not come up sooner. In James we read that those who suffer should pray about it. I urge all of us to not be afraid to bring our hurts to the Lord in prayer. Too often we "tough it out" or think that the Lord sends suffering so that he can watch us suffer. Certainly we can learn patient endurance, but that does not mean that we should be afraid or hesitant to ask for relief from our God. He loves us very much and just as you would not see your children suffer overlong, neither will the Lord allow us to suffer more than we can bear. This world is full of suffering, but the Savior is standing on the threshold, ready to come once more. Let us not give up hope and pray for each other daily in this.

May God grant you peace today!

Bucky

May 30, 2007

Good morning! We enjoyed a wonderful rain yesterday and cool temperatures as well. It looks like the sun will shine for a while this morning; that should do the plants a lot of good. To use a plant metaphor, we too need the rain and sun in our lives to grow. The rain includes those times when things do not go so well; financial difficulties, sickness, tough times at work, children misbehaving, and the many other problems in this life are the thunder and lightning of the storm which brings life giving rain. Like the thunderstorm, those times will pass. Though some will stay longer than others, we can rest in the assurance that God will bear us up and one day the storms will be over forever. The sun helps us to grow also, and like the sun on plants, we can have just the right amount to grow in faith or we can get too much. The good times that we experience in this world need to have some moderation. Most of us have probably overindulged in something that in the right amounts is good for us, but when too much is taken we pay the price. A little ice cream is good, a lot makes us fat or ill. Eating an apple or two a day is good and salubrious; eating a bushel would tend to make one sick, at least of apples if nothing else.

The nutrients we need to grow are the Word of God, found in our Bibles, love of one another and the Father in Heaven, and faith in Jesus. Like different plants some of us need more time in the Bible than others, so don't judge your time spent by what another person does each day. Ask God how much time you should spend in the Word each day. You could spend all day reading and pondering the Word and continue to gain new insights throughout your life, but what good does that do anyone else if those insights are not shared? Let the glory of the Lord rise among us! Share and don't be afraid.

God bless you this day!

Bucky

May 29, 2007

Good morning! It would seem that we are back to the cool weather after this fine weekend. Yesterday I read in an article where no evidence of Jesus walking from the tomb has been discovered. Okay, I can concede that the Gospels do not specifically say that anyone saw Jesus walking out of the tomb door. However, I think the accounts of many eyewitnesses should have some bearing on the matter. What is humorous to me is for someone to search for evidence of Jesus being raised to life after death. What exactly would you look for in that empty tomb? Scorch marks on the ceiling? If evidence is what you need to believe, then I think you are doomed. We aren't going to find any because we simply do not know what to look for, if there is even any to find. Evidence of an event is something we as humans leave behind. We are inherently messy in our activities. Some of it, such as DNA from skin cells and sweat is not our fault, that stuff falls from us all of the time. The mistake is in thinking that God in his ways leaves behind something for us to find. If our God chose to leave no evidence of the resurrection, then there is none to find. What is there and is here, is that choice that all must make - believe in Jesus or don't. If you believe in Jesus, then you believe the eyewitness accounts in the Gospels, in Revelation, and in Acts - and in the prophecies throughout the Old Testament. Yes, when we believe, we believe it all and praise God for the privilege of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ!

Go with God!

Bucky

May 28, 2007

Good morning and Memorial Day to you! Today we observe a day of remembrance for those who have given their lives to maintain our freedom. This day is not as much for the living veterans as for those who have passed before us. Many of us will know of a family who has lost a son or daughter in a war. This day is for them also; we can pray for them. Today should not be about a political "side"; whether one supports or opposed the war on terrorism, or likes or dislikes President Bush, all of that should be set aside today. This is about those who have given their lives.

Jesus gave his life in a war that has not ended as of this time. The war between God and evil will be over when our Lord returns, but he has already given up his life to win this war. In a combat zone here on earth this would be a bizarre state of affairs! What do you mean, "we've won and I'll let you know when to stop fighting"? That is the way of things in Christ. He has won the war, and he alone will give the word to finish. Until that time we must continue the fight, working to spread the Good News, and praying for all of the world. It's a big job, but we have a big God. I pray for all of us today; we do need each other's prayers and support at all times.

God be with you on this Memorial Day!

Bucky

May 27, 2007

Good morning! I am glad to be here this morning with you. Yes, the activity of yesterday left me a bit sore; I am not a teenager anymore. :-) I enjoy the writings comparing Christ to other religions; our savior is not the same as other religions for he did not come to start a religion. In a short ministry, he changed everything for those who will believe. He also changed everything for the world of unbelief; love him or hate him, most of the world knows the name of Jesus. It is for those last few, the ones who have not yet heard, that we are still here on this planet. Use the talents that God has given you to spread the Word and share the Good News. The sooner we get the Word to every corner of the world, the sooner Jesus can call us home! Praise God for this opportunity.

God is with you this day!

Bucky

May 26, 2007

Good afternoon! Yes, I am writing somewhat late today. No, it is not from sleeping in, quite the opposite actually. I have been up at 'em today having bought groceries, a lawnmower, and a tree; and then mowing the lawn and moving the tree near the hole in the yard with a friend's help. Now I will need to get the tree out of the pot and into the hole. It already does something for the yard; I may have to get another of those tree things. :-) It's too bad that I smell like cut grass and gasoline instead of the tree! Oh well, life goes on.
Loving the Lord Jesus is the subject of Dr. Kennedy's devotional today, and it is a good one. If I took the title and name away at the end, you might think this one came from Pastor Rogers. Do they copy each other? No, to me this is proof that God is the one behind every true devotional going out to you and me. If I sound the same as one of them, or if they sound much like each other in their writing about Jesus, it is because the Holy Spirit has a message for us. We all love the Lord Jesus and when writing, speaking, or sharing that love, every member of Christ's family will sound very much the same. One Christ, one love, and one body of Christ. We are the believers and praise God we do sound like our Lord Jesus!

God bless you!

Bucky

May 25, 2007

Good and great morning to you. The Memorial Day weekend has begun for me as I enjoy a vacation day today. I hope that your holiday weekend goes well for you and your family. The class work still awaits me however, so this will not be a weekend of goofing off. The morning is kind of sleepy, with clouds obscuring the sun and cool temperatures, or perhaps it's just me that's sleepy.

When I have trouble writing, I like to go to the Word to find inspiriation and it never disappoints. Today, reading in James, I am struck by the change wrought in people by the Holy Spirit of our Lord. The change to Saul is one of the most famous, but equally great is the change in Jesus' earthly brothers and in ourselves. James, just a few years earlier, was one of the brothers scoffing at Jesus and not believing. One of the great books on faith and Christian character comes to us from this former "scoffer". The change in our own self may not be as apparent to each of us as it is to God. To us we still see the stain of sin seemingly every direction we turn, both inside our heart and outside in the world. We can find no satisfaction in the world because of that stain. Let the glory of the Lord rise among us! We are changed and God will have his way with us, despite our stubborness and rebellion. Like the slow process of losing weight or curing a bad habit, the change is difficult to see during the process, but let not our faith in God waver as we move toward the Light.

A "Hallelujah" from all of us this day!

Bucky

May 24, 2007

Good morning and welcome to another day in Christ Jesus! The cat has exploded or she is reproducing by division, I'm not sure which. It is time for her to shed her winter coat and brother there is a lot of cat hair around here. I suppose vacuuming will be high on my list of tasks for this long weekend. A bit of light reading on my school assignments also, since I am getting started just a bit slowly after taking six weeks off. It was nice to have some time off, but since I began this school thing, I want to finish it this time and the end is not that far off.

It is interesting that today I read the final chapter of Hebrews and it speaks of contentment, and then Pastor Rogers' devotional speaks of the same thing. Do you suppose there is a message for us there? The pursuit of money or the money to buy things will never bring any lasting satisfaction. We all know by now that purchasing one thing does not satisfy for very long and if you set out to form a collection another will come along after you complete the first. Acquiring does not bring contentment, but contentment does put a stop to harmful or uncontrolled buying of stuff.

Which brings me to the time for me to shed some "stuff". Yes, this long weekend will be a good time to organize another garage sale!

God bless you as you travel and/or enjoy this Memorial Day weekend!

Bucky

May 23, 2007

Good morning, and a cool morning it is too! I read a sad story this morning about a classical pianist who died of cancer. Now that wouldn't be too unusual these days, so many die of diseases that one more person we don't know may cause us only to ask, "did she believe in Jesus?" However, it is the behavior of her widower husband that makes this such a sad tale. In releasing some 119 albums under her name, the recordings are apparently all frauds. In this world we may do much to tarnish or destroy the reputation or honor of a loved one, whether we mean well or not. However, when we come before Jesus on that last day, it will not matter how the world remembers us, only whether our names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life. We may wonder about those who go too far in memorializing a departed spouse, but perhaps without Jesus in their life that blind love of their spouse is all they have. Over time their constant placing of the image of their loved one on an undeserved pedestal may come to dominate their thinking as truth or what should have been true, at least to their point of view. We can theorize and hypothesize all day on things like this. What is really important is coming to know the love of Christ. He knows the truth about us, all of the secret thoughts, the hidden lust, or the deep buried hatred, and yet he accepts us as his own. Glory unto God for the grace that grants us life when we deserve death.

In Jesus name!

Bucky

May 22, 2007

Good morning to you! My cat and I came nose to nose again this morning; I often suspect that he is wondering what we do with our great, huge noses, since we don't seem, at least from his point of view, to use them for smelling. Of course, we use them to stick into other people's business is what I would tell him. Have you ever stopped to notice how easy it is to fix someone else's life? We can stand, passionately or dispassionately, and point out flaws and methods to correct them with seeming accuracy. The "seeming" of course is on our part, and not theirs. We have a natural inclination to fix everyone else. Jesus spoke of this when he told the people about the mote and the beam. You will recall that the mote was in the other person's eye and the beam in our own.

Now the other side of that is when someone "fixes" your life, and does that ever happen at work! Have you noticed that companies, often like the people that form them, are much like lemmings in some ways? The latest thing is "free" health screening, required if you want to be on the so called "premium" plan. One of the first things you will hear is that many companies are doing this now. So who started that? Who got to decide that companies should have one more area in which to pry into an employee's private life? I sometimes think that slavery is making a comeback in this world; it is just more subtle than in the past.

One who calls us to salvation through faith in Jesus Christ is not out to enslave anyone. God doesn't force us to do anything against our will, and what a privelege it is to have a choice! Many will not make the most of that choice; they will instead choose the brief, fleeting pleasures of this world. Let us choose life and the abundance that Jesus gives!

I wonder what the next "thing" is among companies? Perhaps a house or apartment at little or no cost as long as you pass the weekly safety and cleanliness inspections. Why does that sound familiar somehow?

God bless you this day!

Bucky

May 21, 2007

Good morning! The glory of the Lord shines upon us! Ah, the first day of the summer biking season... and I think I need to recuperate. It shouldn't be too bad, I kept the first session short, but it was fun to get outside and riding again.
I read what is known as the faith "hall of fame" in Hebrews this morning. It is good to have a reminder of how people much like you and I are noted for their faith in God. Their talents and weaknesses are not as important as their faith. We know from the Bible that Noah got drunk after landing in the ark, we know that Abraham didn't always tell the truth, and that David committed adultery. What is important about those things is how similar these people are to each of us. Who among us has not told the occassional fib, or committed adultery in our hearts, or have sampled alchoholic beverages just a bit too much in our past? Some of you may have done none of these, but your faith may not be what it should be. None of us are innocent of sin and only by grace through faith are we saved in Christ Jesus.

God bless you!

Bucky

May 20, 2007

Good morning! "Then Sings My Soul" is the title of a book of hymns on my desk. The book isn't only a hymnal; it also has short stories about the composer or the song. Have you ever felt a song of praise in your soul, but felt a bit down physically? I feel that way this morning, still sleepy and not physically up, but singing praises to God in my heart and soul. It is wonderful that our salvation and joy do not depend on our physical state. Having joy and praising God does not mean that as Christians we smile and laugh through a broken leg. We will hurt like anyone else, and our bodies will break down as we get older just like the rest of the fallen world. Having joy doesn't mean that we will not grieve over our losses and those of our friends and loved ones. We are to grieve and to feel sad with others during their grief.
Physical downs like mine can be easily fixed; a little breakfast, some moving around and I will be much better. The joy given to us by Christ smooths over the rough spots of life, whether it is grief, or injury, or an illness, the joy of Christ will shine through the darkness. Friends can help too, but not the wrong ones as Dr. Kennedy points out today.

Your friend in Christ,

Bucky

May 19, 2007

Good morning! It's the weekend and that means all work and no play for me! Just kidding! Actually, I have already cleaned the pond and got the waterfall flowing again, planted 3 flowers (that's a big accomplishment for me), and cleaned the garage a bit. It is now 0735 and I feel like one of those Army commercials. Except that I am a Marine, so that doesn't feel quite right either. :-) Some days just start out well, as opposed to yesterday when I couldn't pass a blood test. It seems that I would be a complete failure as an intravenous drug abuser. I think I can live with that! To God be the glory.
Jesus seemed to have a lot to do with weddings, both in parable and in miracle. He also used weddings as illustrations. Call me a bit slow in some areas, but maybe he wants us to come together as man and woman in marriage in this life, and then to join him at the wedding feast of the Lamb in the next. Yesterday, a friend told me a story about a trip to New Orleans with his girlfriend. After wandering some of the small, dingy looking streets of the older section of town, they found a tavern hoping to have something to drink and a sandwich. Upon entering, they were greeted with a large sign explaining the sexual orientation of the bar in not so subtle terms. I would have enjoyed seeing the expression on his face, but might have missed it for the shock on my own had I been there. It is a fallen world and that is why we look ahead so earnestly to the wedding feast of Jesus and the Church.

I pray that we all meet on that beautiful shore one day,

Bucky

May 18, 2007

Good morning, and I must strain a bit to say that. My health screening was held this morning and the blood test, and this has happened before, did not go well. Something like this always reminds me to pray that no on else encounters a problem like that. Not that I want to be unique in that regard, just that I do not wish such things on anyone else. The wonderful news is that no matter what human medicine reads as your health indicators, God loves you and me with an unfailing and perfect love. I can list a bunch of overs and unders that medicine as it stands today would call bad or good for your life, but what is most important is the salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, and I can feel myself relaxing even as I write that! Praise the Lord! Perhaps next time I go for a screening I should read the daily devotional to the nurse or technician administering the test. Amen! I could try to bring a notebook computer and type at the same time, but they like to hold one arm or the other while poking around with the needle. Well, enough about my problem this morning, I pray that all of us have a wonderful day in Christ! Enjoy the devotional from Pastor Rogers.

Yours in Christ Jesus,

Bucky

May 17, 2007

Good morning. We awaken to a cloudy day out here this morning. Perhaps the clouds are the messengers of some good rain for the plants. If you ask a worldly person if he or she has attained perfection yet, you will probably get some of them to respond with something like, "No, but I will keep trying and someday I'll get there." Some might even say "Yes!". Perfection is a goal that we are often taught to strive for in business seminars and motivational talks. As we see in Pastor Rogers' devotional today, that isn't going to happen no matter how hard we try to perfect ourselves. I know that you have heard this message before, and I certainly need to hear or read it again. Interestingly enough, if I were perfect then I would only need to hear a message once! Over the course of a lifetime most people will come to realize that perfection is beyond their grasp. Those who do not are truly caught up in pride. However, after realizing that we cannot be perfect in our own efforts, do we still expect perfection of others or of some machine? Others need the grace of Jesus, just as we ourselves do.

May the grace of our Lord Jesus hold you close this day,

Bucky

May 15, 2007

Good morning! We enjoyed a time of quiet last night while the electrical service took a short break. At least it would have been quiet had not both UPS units and the security alarm system informed me with their little beepers that the power was off. What a racket! Okay, after that it was quiet until the power was restored.
This morning I read in Hebrews about the annual ritual of atonement the high priest conducted to ask forgiveness of sins in the Old Testament. I couldn't help but think how the man with that position did literally fear for his life. The other priests at that time would tie a rope to the ankle of the high priest when he went in the holiest place in case he was struck dead for some sin in his heart. The first time a new high priest had to perform the ceremony might have been a cause for trembling. First he was promoted to the high priesthood, a position of great responsibility and therefore one in which we would tend to become proud. The first time a person thought "I am high priest, look at me now." or some thing like that might also be the last.
Now contrast that with the sacrifice of Jesus. We can now come to the Father in complete confidence and honesty. We can admit our lust, pride, greed, sloth, envy, and all of the other sin without a rope tied to our ankle. The veil was rent at the death of Christ, and then he came back from the grave to let us know that the way was clear for us to come to the Father. No one must face the terrible responsibility of atoning for all sin once per year; Jesus has taken that upon himself for all time.

Yours in Christ,

Bucky

May 16, 2007

Good morning. Jesus is Lord and the world will be better through him! I read a depressing story this morning. How bad is it? On first glance it shouldn't be bad at all. The story is about a very financially successful couple at the top in their respective careers. They are respected by the world, donate large amounts of money to worthy causes, and dine with the wealthy, famous, and powerful people in the world. They are both physically attractive by the world's standards, perhaps among the top 1% of the world's people in that regard. So why the depression? Throughout the interview, there is not one word about faith in Jesus. Nope, faith in each other and faith in an international group to solve all our problems, but nothing about Jesus or God. Did I mention that they are not married? Yes, living together with 3 adopted kids and one of their own, but no marriage. I suspect by now you know whom I speak of, but their names are not important, only their misplaced faith in mankind and the secularism shown in the interview.
Faith in each other? Don't go there! The human race has enjoyed thousands of years of time in which to "get it right" and that has not happened.If you are an evolutionist, billions of years, but that is another story. There are still, as Jesus warned us; wars and rumours of wars, suffering, starvation, disease, and all manner of rampant sin in the world. No, I think that faith in humans is misplaced. We need Jesus in our hearts and in our lives. There is no life without the author and creator of life. ... and for a few more words on where to put our faith, see Pastor Rogers' devotional below!

God bless and keep you!

Bucky

May 14, 2007

Good morning! The cat flopped down on the article I was reading, so it must be time to get on with writing this morning. Sometimes the Lord sends little, four-footed messengers. What I have in this world will not go with me when I go home to Jesus. I have accumulated a lot of "stuff" in my 44 years and none of it will be going with me. How easy it is to cling to it here on the earth though! Sometimes I tend to think that "I" have this problem, like it is unique to me, or that my family passes down the tendency to accumulate. However, this is a natural inclination. A child without money might collect interesting rocks that he or she finds; a rich person might collect expensive works of art. Covetousness is passed down in the family certainly, but it is the family of man. Ever since sin was loosed on the world, we have coveted, lied, cheated, stolen, murdered, hated, and lusted after all manner of things and people. No, the problem is not unique to me. The solution is Christ Jesus and he is indeed singular and unique!

God bless you all!

Bucky

May 13, 2007 - Mother's Day

Good morning and Happy Mother's Day! Welcome to the first g-mail devotional too. The cat wants to look out the window, but the warm time of the year is upon us and I like to keep the sunshine muted on these days; it saves on the air-conditioning bill later in the day. I haven't needed to run the AC yet, but that time is fast approaching.
It is good to be back writing the devotional this morning; it reminds me of the last time that e-mail addresses had to be changed, but without the involvement of my workplace. Dr. Kennedy speaks of fear today and the command in the Bible to not be afraid. That is so hard in this life, but I hear that there are 365 instances in the Bible where we are told to not be afraid. Now I haven't looked all of the up, but that would be a fun project. Finding a different one each day for a year would help to cement that in my head. Fear not, don't be afraid, the Lord is with you, and the many others where someone directly, such as the disciples, and all of us in general are told to trust in the Lord and to set aside that paralyzing fear.
Today we celebrate one kind of hero, Mom, and at the end of this month we will celebrate another kind, those who gave their lives in service to the country. Every day is a celebration of Jesus and his making us heroes in the fight to save everyone. We know from the Bible that not everyone will be saved, as many will choose to reject Jesus forever, but that does not mean that we should give up and wait for Jesus to come. One group of folks in the Bible did that, after all they were told the good news that Jesus was coming soon, but Paul told them to quit looking to the sky and get back to work. We are not to stare vacantly at the sky in anticipation of Jesus' return, but to keep our hands to the plow, to use a Biblical metaphor, until his return.

Praise God for the opportunity to work in building his kingdom!

Bucky

May 11, 2007

Good morning! Welcome to another Friday. I once had a moment of selfishness. Only one? Well, okay, I had one of my many moments of selfishness. This is a natural occurrence, one that is perfectly in tune with the world. As with all such moments, it is kind of silly in the light of Jesus. We look back upon our old life, even those moments and thoughts that will come now, and laugh at how silly it is to cling to something here on this earth. Will that object you or I feel that "mine" thought about be with us before the judgment seat of God? Will it give testimony to how "good" we are really? Clinging to this life and this world will only anchor us to the coming destruction. This world will be thrown out to make way for the new heaven and new earth to come. From the point of view of this world, that sounds completely fantastic and unlikely. However, we depend upon God's wisdom and not the intellectual capabilities of this world.
God bless you all!

Bucky

May 10, 2007

Good morning. Let the glory of the Lord shine down upon us this day! I recall that it took me some days to get switched over about a year ago when changing e-mail addresses, and that has not changed yet. I am still slow about some things. It is interesting how out of touch a person can feel without an e-mail address.

As the day begins, I like to think about how much Jesus loves me. How can I know this? Easy, he died on the cross to save me. On the third day he rose from the grave to let me know that even death cannot keep him from loving me. I notice the flowers on the bush outside have bloomed today, just a little reminder of God's love for us. Saturday, the dead one beside it will need to go. I'll leave alone the analogy of those in the world for today.

God loves you and so do I!

Bucky

May 9, 2007

Good morning! My apologies to those of you expecting to receive this via e-mail the past couple of days; my hamilton account is no more and I need to get signed up for another account. How the time does pass by so quickly these days. Jesus is Lord! Changing e-mail accounts is such a pain, but it does need to be done and so I will make that my goal for this evening. I may get my own e-mail server going soon, but I don't want everyone to wait while I fumble around with that!
There are many things in this life in which we must trust in the Lord. Sometimes a person doesn't want to hear the Good News, other times a group of really nice people are stuck in the secular world and do not want to hear about Jesus. We cannot make people listen and believe in the Son of God, but prayer is powerful. Always remember to whom you are praying. God is the Creator, sovereign and ever present, we need not fear that our prayers go unheard. Praying for someone else is an act of love, and God likes for us to pray for others in love. May the name of our Lord Jesus be forever glorified!
Bucky

May 7, 2007

Good morning. That is a good statement to start the week on, “The grace of God exalts a man without inflating and it humbles a man without debasing him.” How often have we heard that we need to be humble and started saying things like: I am nothing, I am worse than nothing, I am the sludge at the bottom of the ocean… Jesus didn’t come to sacrifice himself for nothing or less than nothing. At the other end of the scale, we might start believing that our efforts or results have everything to do with our self and not give thanks and credit to God. A person is saved and we might have that thought, “I saved him or her.” Don’t let such thoughts dwell in your mind as only God can save someone. It is wonderful that grace can exalt without inflating. In this world it is too easy to take all the credit for our self, or to debase our self with hateful words. The key may be in allowing the grace of God to exalt and humble you as necessary, and not to try doing it to your self. We do need to remind our inner self that we are beloved of God as we are, not for some false perfect or debased image we might have in our minds of what we think we should become. The world says to believe in your self, we say to believe in Jesus. Let the Glory of the Lord rise above you today!

Bucky

May 6, 2007

Good morning, and a morning that is rapidly passing at that! I got caught up in my pond cleanup and relaxing yesterday, taking the day off from writing anything. It is cool and the clouds are flowing by this morning, but praise God for the wonderful rains of yesterday and Friday. How do we have a beautiful spring with plants blooming and green everywhere? Rainy days are the cause and though it may ruin plans for weekend outings, the rain days are necessary to have the new growth. Life is much like that, in order to enjoy the beautiful summer of heaven; we must endure the rain of this life. I notice that in the miraculous tales of healing, the healer does not, at least that I can recall, heal themselves of ailments. I am sure that the apostles suffered problems much like we do as we grow older. The reason that we may not be able to heal ourselves is that God wants us to turn to him for these things. Would anyone turn to God if the power were available to heal ourselves of every illness, disease, condition or sin? Since we cannot heal ourselves in body and soul, we turn to God and believe in His son, Jesus Christ. Does that mean that Jesus is the one stop shop for cleaning up every problem in this life? No, it is not that he can’t, but that he gives us those same problems in this life to make us into his own image. The healing he promises will arrive at the same time that we see him in his heavenly glory. Please don’t give up; our suffering will end in God’s perfect time!

God bless you and give you strength in this life,

Bucky

May 4, 2007

Good morning and welcome to another day of spreading the Good News of salvation in Christ Jesus! Spring has arrived and one bush outside my window is bursting forth in new leaves and the other appears to be dead. They are not the same species, but being planted beside each other, what would make one die and the other so full of life? When Jesus comes to take us home, the same will be said of people everywhere. One will be taken up to be with Jesus forever, and another who grew up right beside the first will be thrown into the outer darkness. One alive in glory and one dead in darkness, we cannot see the dividing line, but it is there and there is no straddling that fence. There is no such thing as a “good” person without the blood of Jesus Christ. His saving grace is the way to a relationship which never ends. Praise the Lord God, our Abba, for the savior who walked the earth and died in our place so that we might live in his.

God bless you,

Bucky

May 3, 2007

Good morning and welcome to a fine Thursday! May the Lord of lords and King of kings be your guiding light on this day. It was a fun birthday yesterday, lots of good wishes of “Happy Birthday!” and a lot of donuts. Now that I am older and enjoying the increased wisdom that comes with age, I still wonder why I feel as though I don’t know much more than I did at age 12 and less than what I knew at 17. Perhaps that is a question that has bothered you also. Actually, I think that as we grow older we realize more and more just how little we know about everything!

Enjoy the saving grace of Jesus!

Bucky

May 2, 2007

Good morning and happy birthday to me! At 44 I can only say, “Praise God that I made it this far!” Each birthday is a step closer to Jesus, whether he comes to rapture all Christians or I go to him upon my earthly demise, he will welcome me into heaven through his own sacrifice on the cross.
Have you ever seen someone without Jesus in their life searching for support from other people? I am sure that you have and it can be a difficult thing to both watch and to remember from our time in the world. If we are dependent upon another person or group, what happens when they are busy? Doctors and therapists have other patients, pastors and deacons have other duties and people to help, even friends have spouses and other friends, in our deepest need any human agent can fail to be there for you or me. Jesus is the support network that never shuts down, he is the rock we can cling to and the lifeline that never breaks. The love of the Lord is everlasting and stronger than any force in the world.
Hmmm, it seems that I share my birthday with Catherine the Great, empress of Russia. I always wonder who gets the title “the Great”, do they claim it for themselves or does some historian apply it? Anyway, ol’ Catherine engineered the abdication of her husband, Peter III, and took the job of ruler for herself. She may have been a wonderful empress, I don’t know, but I am fairly certain the Bible does not tell us to convince our spouse to quit their job so that we can take it.

May God bless you this day,

Bucky

May 1, 2007

Good morning! Well, here it is; May has begun and 1/3 of the year has passed behind us.
In Matthew 22:37, Jesus said, “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.” However, what is the first command to obey? Believe. You must first believe in the source of a command before you will obey. Think of it this way; if a person at your workplace tells you that a new law requires that you tap twice on the passenger side door of your car before driving it, you probably will not obey that “law” until you at least check with an authority on the law. Now should a police officer come to you and say that a new law requires that you do the double tapping before you drive, you would try to obey the law because you believe the source. I say try in this case because some folks don’t even obey the speed laws while driving, and we all know already that those signs say “speed limit” and not “speed advice”. J Jesus told us that the most important commandment is to love God, and God says the first commandment is to believe in Jesus. One witnesses for the other, and we are assured by Christ himself that He and the Father are one. Therefore, when we believe, the greatest commandment becomes to love God with all of our heart, soul, and mind. We also love our neighbors as ourselves, but first we believe.

Praise God for his mercy!

Bucky