Samuel Gets A New Robe

Samuel was ministering before the LORD, a boy clothed with a linen ephod. And his mother used to make for him a little robe and take it to him each year when she went up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice.  1 Samuel 2:18-19

The final day of 2020 brings with it all manner of ill news to report, but I'm so tired of ill news (Yes, especially my own.) that I want to write about something cute. And cute little Samuel must have been each year in his new robe lovingly made by his mother. We long to see the boys and girls dressed up in their new clothing each year, and most parents miss those years when their children were so little and cute. It is such a great event in life that the Bible records Samuel's experience for us just as Israel's great line of kings is beginning. 

Have I mentioned this cute scripture before? Have I looked to this new beginning during another illness at the dark time of the year? Yes, it seems that I have, but all the more reason to remember the Lord and those new beginnings! Like many of us, I hate that this joyous time of the year seems to bring illness to households as we are shut up together inside due to the weather. Is it any wonder as we look at this life of illness and pain, especially this past year, that our Lord Jesus gives to each a new robe? It is a great event in the Revelation when the saints under the altar are given their new robes and told to wait just a little longer until their number is fulfilled. Ah, there, the Sun is breaking over the garage. It is a new day in Christ the Lord!

Amen.

Bucky

Letting It Go

No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead,  Philippians 3:13 NLT

The year we wind down in these next two days will find few people wanting to hold on to it. Seldom has a year been more fitting for Paul's action in our verse for today, "Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead..." When asked to review the events of this passing year, many will close that book with a sound thump and look up to Jesus our Lord for what is to come. I'm not much of a prophet when I predict that this statement of Paul's will come up many times in New Year's messages to us. Praise God for Paul and all that he had to work to forget in his past. His message is good for us as we look with hope to a new year. 

The events of this past year crowd into my mind, wanting another mention in print. Can events become addicted to the media like people do? As the Lord is my strength, we will look ahead to the glory of Jesus our Lord to come! 

Rejoice in Christ!

Bucky

Can A Person Evolve Into The Christian Life?

Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”  John 3:3

Stand still and read for a bit and words such as ev0lution and evolve will float by in the media and in text. There are some who believe that the way to the kingdom of God is to evolve into a better version of themselves. These have this lifetime improvement program going on that will surely cause evolution to occur given sufficient time to become a righteous person. Sounds good! However, that does not fit any conceivable interpretation of two important words in our verse for today; those would be of course, "born again." 

In evolution theory it is the succeeding generations who reap the benefits of those who went before them. Should a person achieve some place in life where fittest might apply then the next generation, assuming he/she can find a fittest mate, becomes somehow fitter still. But that is not the one person being born again, that's a genetic copy who gets to be fitter than fittest, or something like that. We as persons get one shot at this thing, and Jesus just said that this one life is not fit to enter the kingdom of God by stating, "unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." One life and it won't work to save us no matter how much we try to evolve into good? We are in trouble! 

It's a good thing our Lord Jesus knows how to get that rebirth going for all those who believe in Him! 

Love in Christ,
Bucky

P.S. Still recovering at home with a little horse in my throat and quite a few sneezes in my honker. 

Trusting Jesus

But I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you shortly, that I also may be encouraged when I know your state.  Philippian 2:19

Those who thought Jesus a blasphemer because He forgave the sins of the paralytic must have been doubly incensed when they heard about one of their own, Paul, trusting in Jesus and calling Him 'Lord'. Letters in those days likely remained no more secret than they do now for famous people. Of course, Paul's letter to the church at Philippi was no secret and Paul's faith in Jesus he shared far and wide in speech and in writing. Those of Paul's race who did not believe in Jesus as the Messiah would have been no less angry, and they would have quickly reached for their stones. A thing they did to Paul on at least one occasion and probably several others. But even the rock-chuckin' Jews of Paul's day could not keep him down, and the apostle continued to trust in Jesus by faith and wrote of it to his Philippian congregation. 

Why do I come out from Christmas with a trusting in Jesus devotion? My post-Christmas letdown has been a bit more physical than usual this time as I have been feeling sickly since Saturday afternoon. Is it the Big Bad of 2020, Covid-19, or is it one of the myriad of other bugs that had their press snatched away by that popular scare du jour? The symptoms do not match all that we are to look out for, but they are miserable just as the body's reaction to most coldses and fluses is for us.

Pray therefore for one another and for me, as we travel this road trusting in Jesus our Lord!

Bucky

Merry Christmas To All!

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude
of the heavenly host praising God and saying:

“Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”
-- Luke 2:13-14

Can you think of a year when the human race needed this message more than this one we are struggling with right now? Well, yes, the one in which it happened as God's timing is always perfect. Can you think of a group better suited to receive the message spoken by the heavenly host than those looking for the return of the Christ right now? Well, as we know that God's wisdom is deepest, then these very shepherds in the scripture passage were the best suited in all of humanity to receive this message. So, does that mean that we are better or worse than a bunch of smelly shepherds living out in a dark field?

Of course we know that it is not about that at all. The story of Christmas is about the birth of the Christ child. The heavenly host began just the way we should with, "Glory to God in the highest!" And the host concludes in a way that we can hardly believe: peace on earth and goodwill toward men. What a glorious message of hope the Lord Jesus brought to us, even as He lay in a manger as a little child. 

Glory to God in the highest!

Bucky

The Eve of Christmas

Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, “Peace be with you.”  John 20:19

Anticipation of the great event might explain part of the evening before celebration, but that explanation might leave one unsatisfied. In searching for a reason to celebrate the evening before Christmas, this verse in John comes up as a cause to celebrate an evening. Jesus appeared among them at evening and said, "Peace be with you." This event might just remind us of another announcement of peace received in the darkness which could well have come during the evening hours. But would not that announcement come during the day of the great birth? Why yes, that would be the literal answer. What I seek is an excuse to celebrate before the day of the event, as opposed to confessing to 'just can't wait'! 

Perhaps a week-long celebration of our Lord's birth?

Merry Christmas Eve!

Bucky

Christmas Time Unbelief

Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child.  Luke 2:17

Few stories in the Bible offer as much opportunity for unbelief as the Christmas verses in Matthew and Luke. Shepherds out in a field with sheep is no problem for anyone because that is something still practiced today - though the shepherd may have a pickup and a camp trailer, perhaps even a dog or two. But when it comes to the glory of the Lord shining 'round about them and a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and singing. Well, let's just say some will find that difficult to believe. It is far easier to call into question the mental ability of the shepherds, than to believe their tale of angels and a holy birth. And speaking of births...

And then there was Mary. 

"Mom! Dad! Guess what? The Holy Spirit has overcome me! I'm gonna have the Son of God!" 

I'm not even a parent, much less a parent from Roman Judea about the time of, oh, Zero A.D. and I can see an opportunity to call the young daughter I thought I knew something along the lines of, maybe, nutty as a fruitcake? 

Much of the Bible makes unbelief so easy. Praise God for His Spirit who gives us the ability to believe in Him! 

Bucky 

Suddenly, Angels...Everywhere!

Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense.  Luke 1:11

The title may have led you to await the story of the shepherds and their sheepers out in a dark pasture, but it seems that suddenly, angels were everywhere for a few months to a couple of years in Judea. Foretelling prophecy had been put on leave for about four centuries, but suddenly the angelic messengers were abroad in the land. And who knew where they might show up, in dreams, in a young lady's house, out in the pasture, or even by the right side of the altar of incense in the Temple. To his credit, Zacharias did not drop his censer or otherwise embarrass himself in the moment, but startled he was. Zach was chosen by lot to burn incense in a restricted part of the temple and someone standing by the right side of that particular altar was not what his training would have led him to expect. What a great story Zach would have to tell everyone gathered outside in prayer though! Oops, too bad he ran his mouth in unbelief to an angel of the Lord. A silent priest, now there's a novel message!

Praying for a merry and joyous Christmas for all of us this year!

Bucky

The Appointed Time

But the woman conceived, and bore a son when the appointed time had come, of which Elisha had told her.  2 Kings 4:17

The Lord our God is on schedule. Sometimes to us it may seem as if the Lord operates on a cause and effect sort of basis and that much of His schedule depends upon whether a person does the right of the wrong thing first. Eighteen times in the Bible the Lord speaks of an appointed time, and seven (of course it is!) of those usages are prophecies. Other instances of prophecy don't use that exact wording but use phrases even more exacting such as, "prepared for the hour and day and month and year..." God's schedule goes all the way to the end times and He is on time and on target as we like to say. 

Today, we use the verse in regard to a young woman who had not known a man, and one week before the appointed time she may have felt some concern. For us the week before Christmas Day is one of delightful anticipation with just a bit of rushing about to get every gift purchased for the big celebration of our Lord's birth. Mary also faced the one week prospect of our Lord's birth, though we must admit that she was more intimately involved than any of us. And her concern? It might have been a concern for where the blessed event would take place. As we know now, the event occurred in a stable and the holiest of babies was laid in a feeding trough for animals. What an honor for the beasts! What a chance for us to trust that is exactly what the Lord our God wanted in time, place and space. 

Amen! Welcome, Lord Jesus!

Bucky

Feeling Grinchy

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful.  1 Corinthians 13:4-5

Do you feel a little like that Grinch fellow from the animated show? The darkness at this time of the year and the overflow of holiday spirit can get to some folks and cause a certain irritation. They may come to resent the Christmas season. Paul chips in by telling us in the scriptures that love does not do that. Great, now I'm in trouble with the law of love too? Take a deep breath, rest easy dear self, Paul was not laying down another law. Had the former Pharisee wanted to plant more laws he could have brought out a few of the hundreds of 'traditions' the Pharisees had added to the law of Moses. No, the first thing that we do is to remember that love goes with God and that though we may get down a bit God's love does not look at us with irritation or resentment. We recall too that any time we need some growing of the fruit of the Spirit, we have only to ask that our love or patience or kindness be grown some during this time of the year. 

Rejoice in the One who loves us!

Bucky

Just Come On In

 And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!  Luke 1:28

There must be something about Gabriel that elicits a different reaction from young women than would happen with a man. I'm not suggesting experimentation in this area, but if a man of the world just walked in on a young woman, he likely would not have time to speak the full sentence before various reactions would take place. A piercing shriek is still not unusual though it might be replaced with loud shouting in these later years. A quick photo or video on the smart phone might be forwarded to the police before the man could even speak. And in this age there is the possibility of blows, kicks, and even gunfire before 'rejoice' is even out of the lips of the intruder. That Mary listened to the full greeting of Gabriel shows to us that something special happened here in our verse for today. 

Of course I write a bit facetiously because surprise is still a good way to freeze someone in their tracks even in our time, and it allows time for an even more startling greeting. The words young Mary received by way of greeting from this stranger would tend to stop most anyone for a good troubling. Nothing in the scriptures warned Mary that this day, an angel of the Lord, would just come on in to her home and deliver words of wonder to her. Complete surprise is one way the Lord gains our undivided attention. 

Good news! There is a certain snatching away that will be a complete surprise to us one day soon. 

In Christ,

Bucky

What Need We?

Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, “What further need do we have of witnesses? Mark 14:63

Christmas brings to mind requests for what we need, and so a search of those three words in the Bible should bring up an interesting verse about asking for our needs and maybe a few wants as we often do at Christmastime. Three verses in the New King James version use those words with each other and each verse is turned into a question form such as Mark reports in his gospel account, and all three verses are from that same incident. The high priest of the Israelites wanted his next Christmas to be one without Jesus, the Christ. And each year we lament how well that high priest's wish was fulfilled in this world. 

However, the One standing trial there in that moment when the high priest ripped his attire is the One we need at Christmas and any other time. What need we? We need the Lord Jesus, the Christ. On a starry night outside of Bethlehem, the ancestral home of the kings of Israel, some shepherds were among the first to hear the good news of the arrival of God's Son. The greatest of gifts began the first Christmas in the manger of a stable. 

May we rejoice this day in the Lord's Christ!

Bucky

Do Not Give Up Hope

Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ. Titus 2:13

Many cartoons, photos, and other artistic creations have shown an opinion of this year, and I would not want to be known as 2020 right now. However, it came to me this evening that the year is not over yet, and I do not mean that ominously. The Lord our God has more than enough time left in 2020 to lay down a great work of His own that overshadows all that has gone before. A great miracle of the Lord may take a mere moment or it may happen over the 20 remaining days in this year. And what a contrast that would be with this year up to now! Of course, one of the most faithful things we can do in these remaining days of the year is to not give up hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. Endure in a grateful spirit as our Lord leads us to the end of 2020, and rejoice in the Lord always!

Have a blessed and joyous finale to 2020 in the Lord Jesus Christ!

Bucky

Of The Ol' Family Tree

The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham. Matthew 1:1

One of the more remarkable things to come early in the Christmas tales is the genealogy of our Lord Jesus. It is remarkable in this world that He had one! It is easy to think of Jesus as some sort of demigod that just came down in a blaze of glory. (There was a blaze of glory, but it was presented to some shepherds out watching sheep in the night.) Our Lord Jesus, the King of kings Himself, had a family tree. And like many of us act, He was born in a barn. Alright, so it was a stable because barns hadn't been invented yet. But, but, genealogy, born, did you mean to say the Son of God was human? Yes! Even to the point of having not one but three genealogies: Mary's, His mother; Joseph's, His adoptive father; and of course that short one, God the Father - Jesus the Son. 

Did you grow up with a father who was not your birth father? So did Jesus. Did you have to move a couple of times as a child? So did our young Lord God in His little human body. Did you die and rise again to surprise your friends meeting in a locked room? We'll just have to leave that one to Jesus. One day He will bring us home to share in His new life! 

Have a lovely and loving Christmas in Christ the Lord,

Bucky

A New Christmas

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.  And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?” John 11:25-26

Sometimes, it seems almost, a little, difficult to write about the first Christmas and its coming anniversary when we anticipate with grateful joy this new Christmas. Another way to put it, writing about our Lord's first coming seems to pale a bit for us when we anticipate His return to meet us in the clouds of His glory. A couple of weeks from tonight we begin the celebration of a new Christmas, but it is looking toward that old Christmas. It isn't wrong by any means, but we have this anticipation of a reunion with our Lord in a much closer time than two thousand and a score of years in the past. In the world of today that we see through the often twisted lens of our media sources is it any wonder that the imminent return of our Lord Jesus might seem, well, imminent? 

This new Christmas where the Good Shepherd gathers His sheep so swiftly from the world seems just so, what is the biblical term? Oh yes, it seems so AT HAND! He is coming soon! 

Bucky

God With Us

He will pass through Judah,
He will overflow and pass over,
He will reach up to the neck;
And the stretching out of his wings
Will fill the breadth of Your land, O Immanuel.  Isaiah 8:8

Immanuel, a name of Jesus we do not use nearly enough. A search in God's word shows that the more famous verse from Isaiah 7 is the first time, and it is quoted in Matthew, but then there is only this lesser known verse in the next chapter of Isaiah. We are not the only ones who do not use Immanuel very much. Perhaps it is something that does not come naturally or easily to us and thus requires much practice and effort. This fits in with the fruits of the Spirit and the joy of the Lord. The good things promised by our Lord do not come easily to us and our fallen birthright. Grumbling and complaining come more swiftly to us in the test than do songs of praise and worship. Fleeing from fear is easier than facing it. And as unbelief is our natural state, many find it far easier to maintain than the faith in Jesus that saves life. Ah, but what joy to say the name and know the meaning of Immanuel! Gladly will we practice and work toward the knowing of His holy name by saying it often with respect and devotion. Immanuel, God-with-us, how we love to hear the name of our Lord Jesus! 

Merry Christmas in the love of Immanuel!

Bucky

A Gift For Us

For unto us a Child is born,
Unto us a Son is given;
And the government will be upon His shoulder.
And His name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.  Isaiah 9:6

Yes, it is time to write about the greatest of gifts God gave to us, His Son. The names of this Child point to someone rather special. Not just anyone will be called Wonderful or Counselor, but that doesn't narrow it down enough for our Lord's prophecy. We have Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace, and these names can belong to only one was born and given. While some in the end times will try to make them fit another, only Jesus carries these names with lawful authority from His Father, God. 

Therefore, each day unwrap a little of that greatest of gifts by the study of His Word. Reveal a bit more of the gift through sharing His good news with a friend. Open the gift a little further in prayer. And of course, rejoice in the gift of God since that is what the Giver of the Gift longs to see in us. 

Have a rejoicing Christmas this year!

Bucky

Changes In The World?

In his wisdom, the LORD will send great disaster;
he will not change his mind.
He will rise against the wicked
and against their helpers.  Isaiah 31:2

On Sunday morning, I joined the church service when the live event posted to Facebook and shortly my mother joined us from her home which is hundreds of miles away from our little town. Yes, Sunday morning services are changed somewhat from just a short time ago. We had a virtual turnout of 15 on the event at one point, which is the most I have seen thus far. Great changes have swept the world, but are they permanent? Is this but a test from the Lord which will soon be completed and things ease back toward what we have become used to doing? Wisely, I think,  many have said that there will not be a return to what we did and where we were before this began earlier this year. Those changes are not all bad. Many churches did not consider an event broadcast of their services each Sunday and are now doing so. I look forward to many live Christmas services this year that would have been resisted by many last year for various reasons. What was the province of the megachurches with their access to professional level personnel and equipment has become commonplace in the small churches using what they have and putting the good news of Jesus Christ out there for all. 

Praise the Lord,

Bucky

All The More Reason

But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you.  Matthew 5:44

Made it through another tough anniversary. No, not an ex-spouse from an ex-marriage as many observe each year. My anniversary is first from Beirut, Lebanon where Marines gave their lives for our country on that day in 1983, and then a more personal anniversary from a Friday in 1998. On that day I had one of those temporary homes that we have here on this earth and I was trying to make the trip from far away. Twenty two years later, I still have not made it back to that home. But that is another story. 

This morning, I was met with the opportunity to pray for a group of people I do not know and whose problem does not affect me at all. The thought came to me that this is all the more reason to pray for them. I have nothing at stake in the problem or the resolution, why should I care? And this is of course where we are called to care, love and pray.

Imagine a state governing body has passed a law wherein the governor, the legislators, and all government employees are allowed by this law to kick puppies into the path of any vehicle they choose and for this the puppy-kickers receive a bonus on their paycheck. Most everyone would pray for and even work for the ending of such a terrible law. No faith in the Lord's Christ would be needed for such an effort. Now imagine a law has been passed that prevents only a few wealthy folks far away, none of whom you or I know, from buying another toy each of them really want. Do you care that they acquire yet another toy? No, probably not. And yet, this might be all the more reason for us to pray for them.

And then, Jesus took it one big step further. He said to pray for those who throw rocks at us, have us thrown in jail for our testimony, even have some of us killed because of the name of Jesus! You might think that those things do not happen here in this civilized land of religious freedom, and be correct. But our Lord said to pray for those who tell lies about us, try to stop our worship services, prevent the pastor from endorsing a political candidate, or even say that thing about how Christians are all hypocrites! Are we to pray for them too? All the more reason, our Lord has given to us, to pray for those who hate. 

Have a great weekend in Christ the Lord!

Bucky

Take Heart, He Comes Again!

“Therefore you now have sorrow; but I will see you again and your heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you.  John 16:22

In the immediate sense, Jesus spoke to His disciples about that time between His death on the cross and His resurrection when they would sorrow. He assured them of His return from the grave and their joy. However, we who live so many years later also see a fulfillment in the time of faith and not seeing our Lord each day by sight, and that great time when He will meet us in rejoicing and our joy will not be taken away, ever. Sorrow almost seems a constant companion to us in this age, but Jesus truly is our constant companion through His Spirit. One day though, His wonderful gracious majesty will come to get us from this place of sorrow and give to us a joy that will leave us singing in awesome joy, "Immanuel!" 

So, take heart followers of our Lord Jesus, He comes again!

Bucky

Rest Or Sloth?

‘Work shall be done for six days, but the seventh is the Sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death.  Exodus 31:15

A cold and cloudy day yesterday, but the silver lining was that I got the chance to try out my new quilt that is a gift from my sister. Comfy and cozy, I didn't want to get up after lunch and return to work! The quilt was just right for a little early afternoon warm nap. A little rest at the right time is good for us, but how much rest before we are lazy and slothful? One day each week under the law was quite simple: no amount of work was allowed upon pain of death. The Sabbath, 24 hours, one entire day from sunset to sunset. How well have you or I done at doing no work of any kind for a 24 hour period? On the other hand, we might take too many moments on the other six days stretching them into hours when work should be underway. 

It seems a balancing act that is tough to solve. We need rest, but we need work too. If a person has rested so long that a gurney or crane is needed to remove them from the house to the hospital, then yes, most of us can tell that the rest went on too long. Many of us in our lifetime have erred in the other direction and gone to work or school with an illness that should have kept us home resting. Some have even carried out their death penalty by working themselves all the way to that fatal reward. Was he or she selfless to the point of death, or just unwise and driven by guilt and shame to avoid proper rest? We have one of those questions where each of us must go to the Lord and ask Him! 

Praise the Lord for any and all of those questions that bring us to Him and His word for instruction!

Bucky

You Shall Make...Boxer Briefs!

And you shall make for them linen trousers to cover their nakedness; they shall reach from the waist to the thighs.   Exodus 28:42

Aaron and his sons had holy duties to perform before the Lord, and they had some human needs too. In this case, the Lord ordered some boxer briefs made of linen for His priests to wear. One can almost hear the other folks in the congregation saying, "Hey, where do I get me some of those?" And a new segment of the clothing industry was born. When we fail to pray over needs that we might think are too private, basic, or worldly for the Lord our God to pay attention to, then we fail to give Him the chance to provide for us in all our needs. The Lord here makes sure the priestly pudenda are covered, and that Aaron and his sons are comfortable in their duties. Jesus gave to us His Spirit to dwell in us, and God knows our every thought. So, what need do we have that is too base or dirty for our Lord to provide for upon our confession and request? 

Thank You dear Lord our Father for Your kind and loving provision this day,

Bucky