What We Must Know

As the day dawns on this last day of September, somewhere a Christian not unlike you or me waits on monumental news; a thing that will affect his or her livelihood. This Christian has prayed and despaired; prayed and rejoiced, in a cycle of good and bad news for quite some time, and now it appears the time has come to know the best or the worst. Which will it be?

What we must know in times of trial when our faith is tested to the uttermost, or at least what we think is the uttermost until the next time of testing arrives, is that God's goodness is not shaken by the winds of this world. It was this faith in God's goodness that led Paul to conclude:

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28)

We know...it seems that Paul also had some faith in the power of God's Spirit working in us too. The apostle who wrote the great letter to the Romans boldly states that we know this great thing. In the midst of trials that seem to have no end, or near the end of troubles that have an end we may fear, or even at the beginning of tribulation that seems to have come out of nowhere, we can know, we must know, that God in His goodness is working all things for our good and His glory.

To God be the glory as we lean on His goodness for another day,

Bucky

The Power In Him

Where the word of a king is, there is power;
And who may say to him, “What are you doing?” (Ecc 8:4)

We don't get to question the king? Indeed, we are very much accustomed to questioning our government and our elected leaders. We in this age may not recall what it was like to live in a land where even the hint of questioning the king might lead to imprisonment or death. A king had such power that for him to speak the word was to have the thing as good as done. As kings were human, this power did lead to abuses back in the day. We might well wonder though whether the power was in the word or in the king.

If the power rested in the word, then each time the king spoke power would be going out from him. This would go on until one day a loquacious king might find himself without any power left. However, I suspect that the power is in the king himself, Whether by birthright or appointment or even election, the king holds the power within him and it does not 'leak out' with each royal command. So, how then do we speak of the power of God's word?

You may have run into a person who has read the word of God and gained nothing from it. There exist many such in this world. Yet, we who believe in Jesus gain much from His word and feel the power of it in our very heart. How can this be so? Easy, the power is in the man - in Jesus our Lord. We read His word as though He is speaking to us directly. The power is in Him, and it only comes to us at His willing it to do so. Those who do not believe cannot receive of His healing, cleansing, and motivating power through His word; it is sadly dead to them. For those who believe, the word of God is alive and living in great power: His power, the power of the King of kings.

Blessed be the name of Jesus, Immanuel!
Bucky

It's Time To Pray First

After 0600 and it is still dark outside, must be that autumn thing I've heard about. Problems abound in our land. The descriptions of Israel's abominations in Ezekiel sound so much like what is going on in our nation this day that I cannot help but wonder when the woe will come to us. But we have one big difference in this age: There are many like you and me who get up and pray first. We read about the politics and the persecutions going on in our nation and we pray first. We watch the news and see the sins of many, but we pray first before we do anything else. The nation may be mired in small people with extra-large power making our lives miserable at times, but we have learned to pray for them first. Everyone around us may seem to want to live out some odd reality show, but we can pray first.

Children of the Lord, it is time to pray first.

Our prayer is not effective because we are so good. We know that the effectiveness of our prayer is based on faith in God the Almighty One. Our deeds have not made us righteous; God's Son has given us righteousness and our prayers are all the more effective in Him. We don't want the sin and blasphemy to continue in this age, but we pray because we don't want our neighbor to die in his sins. In Ezekiel's time it seemed that no one but the prophet wanted to get away to pray. In this age, I believe that many of us on this day rejoice in praying to the God we love through His Son, Jesus the Christ.

Have a great praying day in Him!
Bucky

How Much Time Do We Have?

It's 5:18 this morning and the power is out. I am typing by candlelight with a little help from the ol' APC uninterruptible power supply. Yes, that other UPS. I can assure you that given enough time it is quite interruptible, but for now we'll use it to share the good news of Jesus. The question is of course, how much time do I have, as the display of the UPS is hidden from me. Oh, no, he's going to talk about the end times and how much time we have until the return of our Lord. Yup, the Lord has provided, so let's go with it!

I love to talk about Jesus and His return, and we simply have no way to know how much time is left before His arrival to snatch us up from this cursed Earth. As servants, we are to expect the Master's return at any moment. Blessed is that servant who will be found watching, as our Lord says. Sure, I would like to give you a date and time, so that we all might be ready and waiting for Him. But we know how that goes too. How many of us have procrastinated a school assignment right up until very near the due date? Maybe you were not that type of student back in the day, but I seemed to work that way always in those days. I cannot help but think my Christian assignment would go that same way if I knew the date Jesus was coming. I fear that I might well be counted among the foolish bridesmaids by telling myself I can get more oil tomorrow, should I be given that information which Jesus said no man knows. Praise God that He did things His way, for my way is full of peril.

And now, before the return of our Lord, which may come at any moment, let us praise the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and go forth in His love.

Bucky

A Relationship Doomed to Fail

We may wonder at times why God sent such terrible plagues upon Jerusalem. Sword, famine, wild beasts, and pestilence were foretold by Ezekiel having received the Lord's word. However, the Lord does explain Himself, though He certainly does not owe us any such thing.

And they will comfort you, when you see their ways and their doings; and you shall know that I have done nothing without cause that I have done in it,” says the Lord GOD. (Eze 14:23)

The Lord promises to the people of Israel a remnant of sons and daughters that will delight them by their ways and doings, and they will be comforted by this remnant. But in the midst of all that is the comforting knowledge that our God has done nothing without cause. What is the Lord's cause, we may well ask? To return His people to Him.

Imagine for a moment a person you love. Now, imagine also that this person will not face you, listen to you, or even acknowledge that you exist. We joke about it at times, but if we found that sort of person in reality, it would be a tough relationship, a relationship doomed to fail. Imagine just a bit further that, like God does, you know what is best for that person you love. Suppose that you sent him or her an e-mail, but no return message comes. You might try letters, notes, other people you know, even a banner flown behind an airplane to get your beloved's attention. Radio advertisements, television commercials, and billboards towed by fire engines all fail. Your relationship cannot continue without communication. Your love has no chance against the persistent unfaithfulness of your beloved. No matter what you have tried, the person refuses to turn and see that you are even there. Of course you would resort to something drastic!

And so we begin to understand why God in His perfect love could send famine, the sword, wild beasts, and even the dreaded pestilence to gain the attention of His beloved Jerusalem.

Thank you, Lord, for our loving relationship,

Bucky

What About That Nudity?

Some would have us celebrate the human form through viewing of it in photographs, sculptures, movies, etc. "We ought not to be ashamed of our bodies," they say. Sounds good in a way, after all we do believe God created us in His image. But is that what the word of God says? What about all those prohibitions against seeing naked folks in the Law of Moses? Or just maybe this example will help us to decide.

And when He stepped out on the land, there met Him a certain man from the city who had demons for a long time. And he wore no clothes, nor did he live in a house but in the tombs. (Luke 8:27)

Then they went out to see what had happened, and came to Jesus, and found the man from whom the demons had departed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind. And they were afraid. (Luke 8:35)

Okay, we meet the man as Jesus comes out of the boat and the man is possessed, living in tombs and naked as a jaybird. Later, Jesus has sent the legion of demons into a herd of pigs, the people come out to see and the man is clothed and sitting at the feet of the Savior. So, what about that nudity? Possessed by demons and naked, or saved by the Master and clothed? Which seems the better route? Where did the clothing come from?

I like the clothed and saved by the Master state myself. If Jesus wanted to celebrate the human form, as the worldly folks would have us do, He certainly could have kept the man in his nudity, but He didn't. Yes, this is only one example, but Jesus does present mighty powerful examples when He makes 'em. So, naked and raving with demons on board, or clothed with Jesus in the heart and a right mind in the head? Seems pretty obvious from a believer's point of view. I especially like the "in his right mind" bit; a real comfort in a time of so much mental illness and instability in our land.

May the Word of the Lord ever be in our hearts,

Bucky

Checking Myself For Abominations

A pleasant (almost) Fall morning on the high plains, but if you are eating breakfast or about to do so, stop! Yes, I'm going to be disgusting this morning. What is an abomination? We read the word in the Bible many times, especially in the books of the law, but what is it?

You and your friend are walking along the sidewalk on a hot, sunny day. In the street, you both notice the carcass of a large dog struck by a car. Blood has congealed on the hot asphalt, flies have gathered in swarms over the maggots crawling in the dead flesh, and it appears that other dogs have come by and defecated on their dead cousin. The smell is absolutely revolting. Your friend takes one look and dives headfirst into the carcass and rolls around in it, licking up everything he finds there. That, my friends, is an abomination.

A fire hose may be enough to clean up your friend, but you may never be free of that ill, revolted, disgust you feel each time you see the gross fellow. By his profane baptism, your friend has become abomination. What happened with Israel as Ezekiel watched what the Spirit showed to him was that God's people had turned everything upside down. What should have disgusted them in that same way we just felt, they now turned to as popular entertainment. God called out through His prophet for repentance. He felt that awful revolting disgust you just felt a moment ago (probably still feeling it a bit; I know I am.) His people were rolling in what His law declared abomination. We read God's word and we don't feel it enough.

This morning, I was checking myself for abominations when I realized that I didn't have a good sense of the word. What am I looking for? And there it is. What the Lord who loves me is revolted and disgusted by, must be my guide to what should revolt and disgust me. Those things my flesh lusts after, that the Lord has declared abomination, should bring my reborn spirit to a disgusted, fleeing/shunning, and of course, repenting attitude. Part of sanctification is an agreeing with the Lord more and more about everything. What disgusts Him, must be abomination to me too. Unfortunately, all of that is now considered mainstream and popular entertainment in this land. Discernment in what I watch, read, and hear is my prayer for this morning. Let me shun those abominations in the same disgust that You feel, Abba Father.

Sorry, you can try to go back to your breakfast now,

Bucky

Testing The Limits?

"For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.” (Matt 18:20)

This morning we took it right to the limit in our men's Bible study. Two of us gathered in the name of Jesus to study His word. Were we trying to test His limits? Because that is a definite no-no as they say. Of course not! As the great apostle might say, or perhaps: May it never be so!

Fortunately for those of us gathered there, the Lord gave us the calendar dates and time schedule for the Revelation including the Rapture. Too bad I'm not allowed to give repeats. No, of course He didn't; for the Lord does not violate His own word. No man knows the date and time, and the two of us did not get a sneak preview. We did have a good lesson and breakfast afterward as we often do. Isn't it great that the very smallest of groups can gather in the Lord's name and have Him there in the midst of them?

A large gourp is, uh, group is good too; it shows the word and Spirit of the Lord in action by numbers; but sometimes schedules and duties cause only a very small group to gather. It would be tough on some of us if Jesus had said, "Nope, must be at least 25 or I won't show up!" Well, what about those individuals who didn't show, er, I mean couldn't make it this morning? Are they left out of the blessing of the Lord's presence? Here it comes...May it never be so! For the Lord said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you." (Heb 13:5)

Have a lovely day in Christ - alone with Him or in a group with Him!

Bucky

When I Look To Him, It's Not So Grim

If through training or inclination or perhaps simple natural ability you have become a perfectionist searching for that perfect spouse, perfect house, and perfect life, you may have found a life filled with disappointment. The perfect house is always in another state, the perfect spouse is married to another husband or wife, and the perfect life keeps running into your imperfect decisions, foibles, bumbles and fumbles. Perfectionism is that task master that is never satisfied.

Looking at my own life, I have come to realize that the perfect wife could only qualify as perfect if she first wanted nothing to do with me. This is not to put myself down, but to remind myself and you that Jesus had no reason in each of us or all of us together to want to marry His bride, the church. We cannot qualify as the bride of Christ on our own, but through His perfect love, His sacrifice for us on the cross, and His Father's overwhelming grace, we are saved and made a perfect match for Him. All the doing is of course on His side.

When I look to me, the conviction of sin God's Holy Spirit places on me makes for a tough list to bear. However, when I look to Him, it's not so grim. There is no sin that He cannot forgive and only one that will not be forgiven. I think that one that will not be forgiven is because those doing it will never ask, because I have found my Lord to be altogether willing and swift to forgive every sin and to work with me to repent, heal, and desire earnestly to have them all removed forever. When I look to Jesus, what reason have I to be down this morning?

Have a great day in our great Lord!

Bucky

The Fear of You

Friday morning, a time to dedicate ourselves to accomplishing as much as possible for the boss before the weekend arrives. That is what we think about on a Friday morning, isn't it? I can recall many years' worth of Fridays where that probably wasn't what I was thinking at all. As God works on me through His Holy Spirit, I try to do good things more often and better than I did in the past. Of course it is His work that accomplishes the most as without Him I can do so very little even in the area of self-improvement. So, how about this fear thing? If you have a fear thing about beasts of the field there is a scripture from way back that should give us a different perspective.

“And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be on every beast of the earth, on every bird of the air, on all that move on the earth, and on all the fish of the sea. They are given into your hand." (Gen. 9:2)

This word was given to Noah upon his reentry into the world from his ark. What a confidence builder for the man that his progeny would survive outnumbered and for the most part out-procreated by the many animals also going out into the world. So, why so many fears from Noah's descendants so many years later? I don't know, but we do seem to hear about attacks, mauling, and folks getting eaten fairly often. That sort of news probably doesn't help. We have also withdrawn quite a bit into our houses and cities, and are unfamiliar with the ways of the wild much more than Noah was in his day. But these are excuses!

The bottom line is that when we let fear dictate our actions we are not showing faith in our Lord. The flesh is fearful and fallen, often cringing away when there is nothing to fear. Faith stands strong especially when there is something for the flesh to fear. The best part is that God never expected us to stand in faith alone; He knows our weakness. A certain writer reminded us: greater is He who is in me than he who is in the world.

Have a faith-filled day in Christ,
Bucky

I Don't Know What Jesus Would Do!

We don't typically memorize this verse:

Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?” (John 14:5)

We even call the poor man 'doubting' at times. However, the question Thomas asked would be the one I would hope to have in that same circumstance. With the advantage of being given the answer (John 14:6) we can easily be a little hard on Thomas. However, that is hardly fair given that we would do no better and might even be too slow to ask the question we all need answered. I'm glad Thomas spoke up that time and put it out there that we do not know what Jesus would do.

Yes, that question all Christians are supposed to apply to every circumstance is one I can answer quite emphatically: I don't know what Jesus would do!

In all the recorded scripture, I cannot find one mistake that Jesus made. I make mistakes frequently; much too frequently for my taste. So, how can such a mistaken one ever hope to know what Jesus would do? I was born a fallen sinner of the line of Adam; He was born the Son of God by the virgin birth. Again, how could I hope to know what Jesus would do? No sin was found in Him; sin is found in me way too often. So, like Thomas, I ask the question: How can I know the way? And of course I get the same answer Thomas did. That answer we memorize and rejoice in: John 14:6.

We do not know the way, but He is the way. We may struggle over which is the truth in many a circumstance, but He is the truth. We fear the death we face, but He is the life. That verse we love to memorize is SUCH an answer to the question that needed asking for all of us. Praise Jesus that He brought Thomas along for just that reason. We need Him as our answer.

Have a beautiful day in the love of Christ Jesus!

Bucky

What We Deserve

Like many Christians I have become very aware of my own sinfulness. If God were to give me right now what I deserve, I'm quite sure that I would not like it one bit. I trust completely in His grace because I have seen through His Spirit that I have nothing to offer even in my own defense. Compare that with the election we face in just a few weeks.

If America prays for the president she deserves, we are all in quite a lot of trouble. On the other hand, Christians could unite in praying for God's mercy and grace, and just maybe we may get the leadership we do not deserve. Do we dare to hope for a leader who will listen to the voice of God and lead us to revival as a nation? Why not? God is the wonderful loving Father who does great things for those who will humble themselves and ask of Him. Ah, there may be the problem.

In this age, we know so much and we are proud of all that knowledge. Humbling ourselves to ask of Him may be the very problem we need to look at on this day. Yes, even Christians can become proud in our knowledge, thinking that we know the answer before we even ask of God. Let us humble ourselves and pray to the Lord. We do not want to be like the false prophets Ezekiel found in the land.

They have envisioned futility and false divination, saying, ‘Thus says the LORD!’ But the LORD has not sent them; yet they hope that the word may be confirmed. Have you not seen a futile vision, and have you not spoken false divination? You say, ‘The LORD says,’ but I have not spoken.” (Eze 13:6-7)

We don't want to speak (or write) words that we hope the Lord will confirm. That is a risky strategy given our fallen birth and the constant war our flesh wages against the Spirit of our rebirth. Let us instead pray first and seek His face, O people called by His name.

In God's grace,
Bucky

Whoa, That's a Tough Dream!

Ah, Monday morning, that time of the week when we can look forward to a good week of work with purpose. Did I hear you voice a doubt there? Does your work not make you anticipate the week with an eager air? Do your dreams on Sunday night say, "You shall surely die!"? Okay, maybe the dreams aren't that bad, but a man named Abimelech had just such a dream.

But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, “Indeed you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is a man’s wife.” (Gen 20:3)

Whoa, that's a tough dream! When God says that you are a dead man that would be a dream that would tend to stick in your memory the following morning. However your week and job may look, at least you didn't (I hope) start out with a dream like that.

What was Abimelech's excuse for this terrible sin? He didn't know. Yes, Abimelech had been deceived by none other than two of our heroes from the faith hall of fame in Hebrews: Abraham and Sara. There is an interesting story behind all of this from our perspective several thousand years later. God picked out a man and wife who were also children of the same man - half brother and sister as it were. So, a taint of incest, a touch of the ol' fear, and they lied to Abimelech by a withholding of the truth. Yes, they were, technically, brother and sister, but they were also husband and wife, a fact they quite failed to mention to their host. So, Abimelech grabbed up Sara for his household as a wife (Courtship was optional back in the day.) and fell into adultery in innocence and ignorance. He was greeted by a dream that we can summarize as: "Hello, dead man, I'm God."

Of course, Abimelech made the usual excuse that any of us would in that situation, "I didn't know!" And he did not, the Bible scripture agrees with him on this. Unfortunately for Abim and us, as the old saying goes, 'ignorance of the law is no excuse' , and as Paul said, 'the wages of sin is death', whether we agreed to work for sin or not. In fact, few of us can recall a job interview with sin or even an offer of wages. We were born and grew up toward our teen years, and one day someone had the gall to inform us that we too had earned the death penalty for our sin. Like Abimelech, we too might make that excuse, "I didn't know about this original sin thing? What do I do now?"

Well, God had prevented Abimelech from consummating his new sin, so he was able to restore Sara to Abraham and right the wrong, along with a little complaining to Abe about his deception. The funny thing in this is that in order for Abimelech to live - Abraham had to pray for him. Wait, what?

Yes, sometimes we too will run into a command from the Lord that seems just not quite right to us. The important thing is for us to do it anyway. Abimelech did and his household was healed. It is not for us to question who the Lord chooses as His instrument. Peter was a sinful man, Noah got drunk, Abraham deceived his host, David committed adultery and then had her husband knocked off, but God chose each of them to do great things in faith. So, sinner, what might God have for you or me to do in faith? Who will pray for us that we be saved?

God's blessings to you in this new week,

Bucky

You Will Know

Who spoke or wrote these words in the Bible? Isaiah, Ezekiel, Zechariah, Jesus, and Paul all wrote or spoke that phrase to us. What a blessing this is from the Lord! In all the doubt we have in our hearts, amid all the lies the world throws our way, there are these things that, straight from our Lord Himself, we will know.

Knowing is not open to negotiation. Knowing harbors no doubt or fearful ignorance. There are some things from the word of God that we can, and will, know. The first is that in that day, we will know that God is the Lord (Isaiah 49:23). Ezekiel has a similar promise of knowing in a certain day. When the Lord fulfills these prophecies, we will know that He is Lord. Zechariah gave an assurance that at the time when many nations are joined to the Lord, we will know that the Lord of hosts had sent His prophet. (2:11) Jesus told us that we will know false prophets by their fruits. This is not a judgment call on our part; our Lord said that we will KNOW them by their fruits. (Matt 7:16 & 20) Finally, we also can know something important about our Lord Jesus in John 14:20:

“At that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you."

Again, we wait upon a certain day, a fulfillment of God's word in prophecy on a particular day that we look forward to eagerly and in great anticipation. Knowing is good. Knowing is a blessing from the Lord. Well, we don't have to wait any longer, for the day the Lord spoke of was His resurrection after the short time in the tomb. Just as Peter, John, and James all knew in their day, so we know in ours, He has risen! Therefore, we know that Jesus is in God, each of us is in our Lord, and He is in us. This is something we know.

Have a great Friday in that knowledge!
Bucky

How Quickly is Soon?

In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. (1 Corinthians 15:52)

How quickly is 'soon'? Paul uses the twinkling of an eye as his example of how quickly the rapture will happen for us. This is for those who believe in Christ and look forward daily to His return. How quickly will it happen for those who refuse to believe and love their lives here? How soon will the wailing and gnashing of teeth begin in the human realm of deliberate sin and desperate iniquity?

All around us the Father is calling, "Prodigal, come home!" We are glad to have answered that call, and we celebrate with the saints and angels in Heaven each time another arrives home after hearing that call for themselves. Each of us who believe in the saving grace of Christ Jesus is somewhere along that journey home to the Father. We have not quite made it over that last hill to the place where we can see His house and the mansions therein. However, one day it won't be one here and one there, but a whole bunch of prodigals coming home all at once! It is this moment that will arrive so fast that those who believe will almost not believe that God could do it so quickly, so immediately. For those who do not believe in Him, it will be a moment of terrible wonder and gasping fear. We should do our best to spare them that.

In Christ the Lord!
Bucky

Our First Sign

And God said: “This is the sign of the covenant which I make between Me and you, and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: I set My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be for the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth. (Gen 9:12-13)

Have you ever met someone who just couldn't stand a rainbow? I haven't yet, but that does not mean that such people don't exist. The sign of the covenant God made after the deluge that raised the flood is of such beauty that few can fail to appreciate it. To my knowledge, no one has ever died from a rainbow. As far as I can tell no one has even been harmed by a rainbow. Someone may have suffered after the foolish pursuit of a rainbow, but that is not a property of the sign God gave to us. How like our Lord to give us a sign that we can just appreciate.

There is no burden placed on us when a rainbow appears. We have no formula or ritual that must be performed at the sight of those beautiful colors. God made it so that we cannot reach it, touch it or find its end. All the doing of a rainbow is on God's side from His holy promise that never again will life on the Earth be destroyed by a great flood. The rainbow appears after the rain and we are reminded of the goodness and beauty of God.

Simple, straightforward and wonderful sign: blessed be the Lord our God!

Bucky

Did You Think It Your Fault?

We like to take a lot of credit for our condition. However, Hannah in her prayer in 1 Samuel 2 has a different take on what happened to you.

The LORD makes poor and makes rich;
He brings low and lifts up. (v7)

This verse may give us the answer to those times when we think we did the right thing, made the correct decision, trusted in God all the way, and yet things didn't turn out as we thought. Well, don't stop trusting in Him now!

The Lord gave us this promise: "For He Himself has said, 'I will never leave you nor forsake you.' " (Hebrews 13:5b) and, "and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the age." (Matt 28:20b)

Now from almost the moment Jesus spoke that second promise there was probably someone thinking that the age must have ended last week. But it didn't, and He has never forsaken anyone, just as He promised.

Trust continues through that moment when we dump on ourselves and think this little dark valley in the journey is all our fault. Give the glory to God; He led us here and He will see us home! Now, go out and have a better day in Christ; you are in His keeping!

Bucky

Scripted

For a while most folks were fooled into thinking reality television had something to do with real life. They expected an unscripted, perhaps even uncensored and unedited show of what real people do in real situations. They didn't get it. But it did takes us all various lengths of time to realize that the reality was in fact scripted and produced. The first American version of the survival one did it for me. When the contestants voted off the survival expert, I knew right then this was not for real because a real folk like me in a real survival situation would want the one with that sort of knowledge on my team for sure!

We often...no, I'll confess, maybe it's just me, I try to script what will happen in a given situation. The court thing on Tuesday was a case in support of this. A thousand times from the day I received the summons through the spring and summer I tried to script what would happen. Reality is that I never actually set foot in the courtroom, and this is how many cases, contentions, and legal beefs are settled. Actually going to court puts the case in the hands of a judge which can be a risk to both sides, and all lawyers prefer some control over things. While I try to throw up a legal smokescreen over my sin of anxious worry, you can debate the merits of court or settlement.

Yes, anxious worry is the sin that causes me to attempt a scripting of the future. It never works. When the time comes, I fumble my lines or usually find out they don't fit. The responses from the imaginary person do not match what the real person speaks; their reactions are not what anxious worry said they would be. All must lead me and you, my brothers and sisters in Christ, to quit scripting and start trusting. That is our mission for this day: trust in God and let Him hold that future in His mighty hands.

Blessed is His name!
Bucky