At The Overwhelming

From the end of the earth I will cry to You,
When my heart is overwhelmed;
Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
  -- Psalm 61:2

As a little sheep from the Lord's pasture we are often overwhelmed by events and emotions. While it is not always the answer to run away from troubles, it is always a great answer to run to the Lord with our cries. 

It will not surprise any of you to learn that this is from a psalm of David. It seems that when seeking out verses about worry, fear, or overwhelming, I will find that David was one who knew these things from his experiences. At the ending of this year, any of us might feel that overwhelming sorrow, despair, anxiety, or other crushing feeling that brings us down, down, to a heartfelt wail to the Lord. David published his overwhelming in a song. We can bring ours to the Lord in prayer. "Lead me to the rock that is higher than I," David wrote. We know this Rock as Jesus the Christ. Our Lord Jesus knows the weakness of every sheep in His flock. Come to Him little sheep and wail your hurt to the Good Shepherd. 

Place all of yourself in the hands of the Shepherd!

Bucky

Be It Resolved

So they resolved to make a proclamation throughout all Israel, from Beersheba to Dan, that they should come to keep the Passover to the LORD God of Israel at Jerusalem, since they had not done it for a long time in the prescribed manner. 2 Chronicles 30:5

Israel in the time of Hezekiah had done the backsliding thing and failed to keep the Passover as prescribed. This is one of two instances of the word resolved found in the NKJV of the Bible. In both cases, the key is not making the resolution, but in the doing of it. So...in our verse for today we can congratulate them for making the proclamation? Yes, the performance of the Passover we can leave between them and God for today's lesson. What we want to gain from our resolutions as we prepare for the new year lies in the doing. They made the proclamation as resolved. Therefore go carefully with your resolutions this year. After the 'Be It Resolved' on the proclamation, be sure there is the doing with commitment. Else, it would be better for us to have not resolved it.

Be it resolved in Christ our Lord that we do what we resolve to do! Amen.

Bucky

Love's Conveyance

He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.  Colossians 1:13-14

To convey is to transport or carry something to a place. The man who died on the cross believing in the kingship of our Lord Jesus was conveyed that day to Paradise. To convey is also to bear a message from one to another. As we have received the message of our Lord's love for us, so we in turn convey that love to others who have not yet heard the good news of Jesus. How do we convey this message? Some say actions are best to show the love, while others say that words tell it best. Use the means and methods God has given to you, and I will carry the message in the way that God has blessed in me. 

We are borne to the kingdom on a conveyance of love!

Bucky

Happy Christmas!

Then the dove came to him in the evening, and behold, a freshly plucked olive leaf was in her mouth; and Noah knew that the waters had receded from the earth. Genesis 8:11

Nope, no symbology or foretelling in this verse. That the angels appeared to the shepherds at night in Luke 2 and make us think of an evening birth is just coincidence. Then our Lord was baptized by John with water and the Holy Spirit of God came down like a dove, just happenstance. Then Jesus said that He was the true vine and we the branches, just a mere trifle. Then Daniel foretold that the Messiah would be cut off at 62 weeks in 9:26, and that would not make us think of a freshly plucked olive branch even if Isaiah does name Him the Prince of Peace in his own chapter 9. And Noah knew that the waters of judgment had receded from the earth. I just don't see how we can see anything in this verse relating to anything else.

It requires a lot of denial to not see the beauty of the foretelling of our Lord Jesus from Genesis to the Revelation. We have peace with God through that little dove and olive branch born in Bethlehem.

Have a happy and joyous Christmas Eve in Christ our Lord!

Bucky

Happiness And Cheer This Year?

And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”  Revelation 21:4

Christmas time is here, but is everyone feeling the happiness and cheer that is expected of them? The song from that famous Christmas special begins like this:

Christmas time is here
Happiness and cheer
Fun for all that children call
Their favorite time of year.

When Lee Mendelson wrote the lyrics for the well known Vince Guaraldi tune, even poor Charlie Brown didn't get the feeling we are supposed to have at Christmastime. Some depend on family to help with the cheer, and this year the weather will prevent some Christmas reunions. Others by reason or circumstance don't have families to go home to this year. And then there is me with what seems to be my annual Christmas downer message about those who have suffered this year. Mental illness is often highlighted at this time also, simply because so much happiness and cheer does go around the world for a few days and the sufferers cannot participate. It just isn't everyone's best time of the year. It will happen, and no one needs to regard themselves as worse or less because this year does not bring the happiness and cheer. In fact, a time comes soon when God wipes away the tears from our eyes at a moment when it seems like happiness and cheer would be the order of the day. So, pray and be understanding of those who struggle through the holidays, and be glad as much as you are able this year. 

Rejoice in the Lord! He returns soon to wipe those tears from our eyes. 

Bucky

Abba, Father!

Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit.  Matthew 1:18 

This morning we woke up in the frozen north. There are many places further north and higher up that might be colder at this moment, but at -17°F and with a new covering of snow, we are there in spirit and in circumstance.  Looks like the high in the Bahamas will be about 77° today. It is a contrast to be sure. Another one is that you and I are not betrothed this morning and one of us has not been found with child. However, my ridiculosity is not the important point but that little prepositional phrase there in the verse, 'of the Holy Spirit'. Most societies do not want to admit to a breakage of the rules when it comes to marriage and engagement. And it was especially important in Mary and Joseph's time since those rock-chuckin' Judeans seemed always ready for a stoning. That they had other methods to deal with unwed pregnancies appears in a later verse. But, can we so easily get past that little phrase, 'of the Holy Spirit'? There is the Christmas miracle. Jesus' daddy was the Holy Spirit! 

Merry Christmas to you, and may we say with Jesus, "Abba, Father!"

Bucky

It's About Light

Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”  John 8:12

Isaiah spoke the promise that those who walked in darkness would see a great light. Jesus presented Himself to the Pharisees and others gathered there as the fulfillment of that promise. As you will know from your Bible studies, this immediately provoked a division among those listening to Him. Some called Him a false witness, others decided He was a blasphemer, and a few believed in the Lord Jesus. To believe in Jesus as the Son of God and our Savior remains the central choice in this life. Those who love the darkness don't want to go there. And Christmas is such a great time to celebrate the Light of the World too. Refusing the Light of the World, they miss out on so much during this time of His birth celebration. 

We can pray for them to receive our Lord and Savior,

Bucky

Food On My Mind

Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. I have given you all things, even as the green herbs.  Genesis 9:3

After Noah and his family landed on Ararat, this dietary change was given to them by the Lord. We can hardly imagine the change from what was before the flood to what came after. However, there was also this, "And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be on every beast of the earth." (9:2) So, it wasn't like Noah could just run up and take a bite of these moving feasts, er, beasts, but the art of pursuit and hunting came to be. Does that mean that the wedding feast of the Lamb told in the Revelation will be more steak or more potatoes? It may be both, or neither. For in each great change in the word there tends to be, well , great change. If the washing of the flood brought one change, what will the washing of the blood of the Lamb bring to us? Even sticking with the diet theme, as I have food on my mind this morning, we can hardly imagine what food will be served at that great feast. New wine would be a good thing to count on, Jesus made that promise to us just before the cross. 

Challenges abound, but Jesus has blessed us this morning!

Bucky

Fallen For It

Behold, you trust in lying words that cannot profit.  Jeremiah 7:8

If I brought this to you today, you might think that I'm referring to your latest Wall Street venture. It seems that there is always a false prophet willing to lie when it comes to stocks these days. When the message comes through one of God's prophets though, we can be assured that it wasn't about investment advice. Judah in the time of Jeremiah was looking quite a bit like a nation we are familiar with today. 

So, along comes Jones with some advice for us. How do we tell which are the lying words and which are not? Perhaps you know a Jones and can tell us to never  believe anything he says. However, there is another thing about this hypothetical Jones of ours, he is the minister of a popular Christian church. What do those people know that we do not? Or, perhaps they are all fallen for it. We can only go to the Word of God in prayer and meditation to seek an answer. Depending upon what you or I think we know, as the Proverbs tell us, carries too much risk. Better to trust in the Lord! 

Keep a warm heart for the Lord in these cold days!

Bucky

Beginning The Age Of Faith

Inasmuch as many have taken in hand to set in order a narrative of those things which have been fulfilled among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word delivered them to us, it seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write to you an orderly account, most excellent Theophilus, that you may know the certainty of those things in which you were instructed. Luke 1:1-4

Was Luke even there? We like Luke for his work as a detective and investigative journalist in the stories of Jesus. Like us, Luke probably never met Jesus or even saw Him from the outside edge of a multitude. Instead, Luke spoke with Mary, and many others to gather material for his report to Theophilus. Luke had to believe first, just as we do. Luke lived at the beginning of the age of faith. And as we read of angels, shepherds, jumping babies, and sudden outbursts into songs of praise, (and that is just in the first stories), we read that something huge, strange, and world changing is at work in Judea. However, we must first believe in Jesus or these marvelous stories will not live in us.

Have faith and joy this Christmas!

Bucky

Storehouse of Snow

Have you entered the storehouse of the snow, or seen the armory of the hail, which I reserve for the time of trouble, for the day of war and battle? Job 38:22-23

A storehouse of snow? It would be tempting to think that some of that snow has got out and come here this past day. However, this snow in that particular storehouse has a reservation on it. The reservation is for the time of trouble, and the day of war and battle. While we might say that these are troubled times, a quick read of the Revelation tells us that we are in the 'not yet' times. The questions God poses to Job and the judgments revealed in His Revelation are much more serious than our smaller challenges we face today. God does not love us less though when our daily problems are easier than a storm of 75 pound hailstones or a third of the oceans turning to blood. Our problems are enough for today, and the Lord's love has not stopped.

We will be moving about a bit less freely today in our little town. The blizzard did not miss us this time.

Love in Christ,

Bucky

Warning Words

“Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore hear a word from My mouth, and give them warning from Me. Ezekiel 3:17

Yesterday, I got the quilts out from their storage. The day belied the need for them but warning words had come from the watchers. To the north we have blizzard warnings this morning; for us only a winter storm watch. Either way, our autumn comes to a close about a week early. We too have a duty as watchers for God to warn those who think things will simply continue on to some far distant conclusion. Reading in the Revelation this weekend, there is a warning there too of a storm coming. Do we continue on as if this storm will never break over us, as the world wants to do, or do we give warning words? Imagine some friends leaving to go north into that warning zone this afternoon in a car unsuited to traversing a blizzard. We would warn them.

Have a great and exciting week in Christ as we watch for Him!

Bucky

For Us Today

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Hebrews 13:8

There are those times when one might think that to live back then, any then will do, that things would be just so much better as we walked with the Lord. This statement from Hebrews is one of a great many in the Bible directed at us as we try to deceive ourselves into thinking that this other time would be better for us. We are given today, right now in fact, and that is it. Flying in the face of my youthful desire for several science fiction shows, I can no more go forward or back in time than I can wish myself to Jupiter. While you and I can both imagine ourselves in another time and place quite easily, that isn't living. The wonderful reason that we live in the here and now is that Jesus our Lord stays the same, perfect and wonderful, everyday as He walks with us and we with Him.

Persevere and continue on the way with our Lord Jesus!

Bucky

The Fringe of Power

Wherever he went—in villages, cities, or the countryside—they brought the sick out to the marketplaces. They begged him to let the sick touch at least the fringe of his robe, and all who touched him were healed. Mark 6:56

Reading this small portion of Mark this morning, do we need to wonder anymore why the Roman soldiers divided and drew lots for our Lord's garments. These were objects of magic power! I have to wonder though, did they continue to work when no longer on the holy and, at that time, dead body of our Lord? It is stories such as this one from Mark that caused a huge trade in holy objects of yesteryear to tourists of many types in the Middle East. However, like those desperate people reaching for the hem or fringe of our Lord's robe, I cannot help but think that they missed the target. Jesus did not say that these people got it. He said the Roman centurion understood it. Yes, the one who thought himself unworthy to have the Lord in his house, and knew that it was the authority in Jesus that was the real power to heal. Even the woman who first touched that holy hem was told that it was her faith, not grabbing a bit of cloth, that healed her. We are not missing something today by not being able to reach for His robe, trust in His authority today.

Have faith in our Lord Jesus, whatever answer to prayer you receive.

Love in Christ Jesus,

Bucky

Born Again

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

Reborn in Christ, born again, it is the most basic of the fundamentals of our faith. And yet, we hardly understand it any more than Nicodemus did back in the day our Lord spoke these words to him that night. Of course the first and tallest step to enter the kingdom of God was taken by our Lord Jesus when He paid the ransom for us on the cross. After that it became real easy, right? Wasn't there something about being directed to the left or right as we walk? No, after Jesus paid our ransom, all we have to do is go be reborn.

You may have attempted an explanation, seen the look of incomprehension on your audience, and asked to start over. Well, that isn't really starting over since they all heard that first attempt. Or, you may have been on a project team that reached a roadblock and heard someone say, "We need to back up to the start, and try a different path." Both sound a bit like starting over, but they are not. What Jesus told us to do by the Nicodemus meeting was far more profound. Reborn? How do we...? And we are in the same baffled place as the Teacher of Israel. What Jesus calls for is so deep and so far from our experience and knowledge that it must be the work of God's Spirit. What is our part in this? Believe.

Believe in Jesus, and be saved!

Bucky

The Time Of Struggle

And Jephthah said to them, “My people and I were in a great struggle with the people of Ammon; and when I called you, you did not deliver me out of their hands. Judges 12:2

From the wars and rumors of war, we might think the time of struggle is now. However, the folks of Jephthah's time would make their case for their day just as well. And then there are the struggles that come to us on whatever days they will come. Some of these struggles are great and some are little, but come they will. For a nation or a people there will be times of greater and normal struggles too. As Jephthah found, there will also be times when we count on a friend to help out and help does not appear. He was later delivered by the Lord, which as we know from our struggles is where he should have turned in the first place. No blame from us to Jephthah though, for how many times have each of us tried to win the struggle alone only to come to the Lord later after our strength has quite failed to win the day?

To the Lord in prayer with you!

Bucky

Oh Sister, We Will Miss You...For A Little While

For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 4:14

We who believe in Jesus the Christ bear a certain weirdness in the sight of the world. The coroner may say they died, but we say they have gone to sleep in Jesus. Some will say their condition is permanent, but we see from this side the temporary nature of it. We miss our brothers and sisters in Christ for a little while. However, that little while is not that of forgetfulness but of an eternal reunion soon to come.

I read with delight the obituary of a sister in Christ. The delight was not of course for the sorrow her husband and children must endure for a time. Nor was it over the loss her close friends will feel. The delight is found in the testimony of this obituary to the love of Jesus in her life. Rich men may try to make much of how they will give away an enormous fortune when they die. But a testimony of the enduring love of Jesus and His salvation even as we go to sleep in Him, now that is a treasure for all of us to share in!

May we all in Christ bear such a lovely testimony on our sleeping day,

Bucky

He Is With You

And it came to pass at that time that Abimelech and Phichol, the commander of his army, spoke to Abraham, saying, “God is with you in all that you do.  Genesis 21:22

Now those are words of encouragement! It is a thing we forget at the worst of times, and fail to remember at the best of times. That God is with you and me should be a foundational thought in every moment, but is it always so with us? For those who refuse to believe, it is one of the most frightening of thoughts to occur to them. For those of us who believe in God, we sometimes try to go at the problem alone through our pride. Even in a moment of fear, when it seems that the thought of God with us would be foremost in mind, we tend to tremble in our misery for too long. It is past time for us to remember the name, Immanuel! We say it as 'God with us' but recall it personally too - God with me!

Rejoice always in Immanuel!

Bucky

It Can Happen To You!

Now Boaz said to her at mealtime, “Come here, and eat of the bread, and dip your piece of bread in the vinegar.” So she sat beside the reapers, and he passed parched grain to her; and she ate and was satisfied, and kept some back.  Ruth 2:14

He noticed her! Men are not always given to noticing things, sometimes we can be downright dense in that way. In Ruth we are told that age old story of man and woman. As Boaz first asks who this young woman is, and then tells her to come and sit at mealtime, the reapers no doubt do the  usual nudging and pointing to each other, knowing as everyone does who is not directly involved what is going on in this circumstance. And within a couple of chapters in scriptural time, they are indeed husband and wife. Awww! 

Of course, it will not escape your notice in reading the story that Boaz redeems Ruth, and the word is not used lightly in the scriptures either. It is a picture of Christ our Lord and His bride foretold in this story of the ancestors of Jesus. Redemption can happen to you! And it will, for our Lord Jesus has noticed you and me, and the time of the wedding comes closer with each passing day of this walk with Him. Our Lord has paid the price for us on the cross at Calvary. And now we wait for the proper time, because this most important of weddings cannot be rushed. Christ the Lord will be married to His betrothed, and every one to be saved from the world must be born, and grow and live. So when will the time be? I don't know, no man does. 

Rejoice, the time of our Redeemer comes quickly!

Bucky

A Week

“For after seven more days I will cause it to rain on the earth forty days and forty nights, and I will destroy from the face of the earth all living things that I have made.”  Genesis 7:4

Sometimes we may entertain ourselves with thoughts of the end times and how it would be nice to know the date. We may want to give some thought to being content with what God has given us by His word. Noah got a seven-day notice from the Lord. A week. Think what you or I might do with seven days before the destruction of all living things. A week. This is not an exercise to put your witnessing on the spot. You've done that. We know the time is short in a general way. This is about keeping faith in the Lord when suddenly the stress goes right to the top of the scale. A week? Was repentance a thing in Noah's time? Were prophets sent out to warn the world? Noah and the kids were busy loading animals right up to the fateful moment. Was there no time for prayer for the city down the valley, the town on the hill? Was prayer even a thing in Noah's time? A week...so long when we await something we desire, but so short when given notice of the world's end. 

Thank You, dear Lord, for the blessing of life in Your Son, Jesus!

Bucky

That Story Of Repentance

​So the people of Nineveh believed God, proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least of them. Jonah 3:5

We often think of the great turns in the Bible such as, Paul meeting Jesus on the road to Damascus, or Gideon taking up the leadership of Israel in a time of oppression, but what about this city of Nineveh? Israel and Judah struggled for centuries to believe God, but Jonah walks into Nineveh one day and the entire city, great in extent, believes God! And as we read in our verse today, they did something immediately to show their belief. Word got to the king of Nineveh, and he sent out his word saying, "Let's repent!"

That such a great city can believe God and repent of their evil ways gives me great hope for a great nation of our time. Notice how the repentance in Nineveh began with belief in the people, what we would call a great awakening, then the ruler responded to the will of the people and led the city to repent. And God relented of the destruction that He had brought near to that great city. All of that started with believing what God had to say.

May our great nation believe God today,

Bucky

Freely Thanksgiving

And when you offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving to the LORD, offer it of your own free will.  Leviticus 22:29

The gathering at the annual feast begins to close toward the dessert, and as the main course dishes are picked up someone in a clear, loud voice offers up thanks to the host and hostess. Suddenly, everyone feels it...the obligation. I shall be impolite and rude should I not now offer up a thanks with the chorus, one thinks. Why did I purpose in my heart to wait until after the pumpkin pie? The next one anguishes.  Why are we all thinking in a Biblical idiom? Another wonders almost out loud. Yes, it has become the annual feast of the giving thanks obligation, and the Lord wants none of it. Freely giving gratitude to the Lord is the sacrifice our God calls for in our verse for today. Courtesy is a fine obligation to fulfill, but our Lord desires the genuine and freely-given thanks from the heart. 

Thank You, dear Lord, for the week of giving thanks!

Bucky

We Can Pray

With the force of a flood they shall be swept away from before him and be broken, and also the prince of the covenant. Daniel 11:22

One short trip to the news media sites of the world and the forces of the world become apparent. Just one me cannot stand up to the forces I see in the reports. And yet, we read from Paul's letter to Ephesus that there are forces in the spiritual realm behind and beyond those forces we can read about and see. So, do I add to my tiny force my brothers and sisters in Christ? Yes, but we together would no more slow down the forces of the world than just me alone. When the flood comes, as Daniel foretells, I am not even the smallest of impediments to its flow.

However, Daniel received the word of this prophecy from someone. And as we read in the prophecies throughout the Bible, there is this someone telling of how this force will act and where it will go and what success or failure it will have. That's the one I want to know. How do we contact that one when the forces try to overwhelm us? From the Bible we know who this one is, and He is God the Father who came to Earth in His Son, Jesus. And the method of our contact is of course that we can pray.

It seems such a simple thing, but simple is nice in a world grown complex. Pray with God and rest in His love!

Bucky

Where Strength Comes From

Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works. John 14:10

Jesus shows His disciples and us in this verse a holy relationship with His Father and His Father with Him. And our Lord showed Himself completely submitted to the Father in authority. And then there was that bit the flesh does not want to read: the miracles of our Lord Jesus were done by His Father who dwells within. Sorry, old once-born flesh, there are no magical words or lengthy incantations we can gain to do miracles. In fact we see here that miracles are the works of God alone. But wait! Did not Jesus say that if we were to believe and not doubt, then great works would be done for us? How, O us of the shaky faith, will we ever come to not doubt without the Spirit of our Lord within us and complete submission to the Father? And did we miss the bit about 'for us'?

Have a great and faithful day in Christ the Lord, and Him in you too!

Bucky

Now That's A Name

And he answered him, “It is I. Go, tell your master, ‘Elijah is here.’ "  1 Kings 18:8

This sort of thing can only be done by someone whose name is known, at the very least known to this master. The pomp that appears in this verse shows us that this name is known far and wide though. If I walked up to the White House in Washington D.C. and stated my name in just this fashion, it would likely not get beyond the front door without some form of derisive laughter. Even if I tried to use Elijah's name, it wouldn't work as so many have been named after the prophet in the years since that time. However, in this time and place in the scriptures, Elijah the prophet of God had a name that carried a ton of weight. At this particular time in scripture though, the name of the Lord and His prophet was about to carry a lot more weight in Israel as Elijah was here to call out the 450 prophets of Baal and the 400 prophets of Asherah to a little contest on Mt. Carmel. And we know where that went! There is however a name that is known even more than Elijah's.

Rejoice in the name of the Lord Jesus, He has a name that is known!

Bucky

Not By The Law

And by Him everyone who believes is justified from all things from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses.  Acts 13:39

Have you got the lusts of the flesh under ironclad control? Is your every moment obedient to the law of Moses? Congratulations, you and the Pharisees have much in common. I fear there will be a great shock when you meet Jesus though. The Pharisees were proud of their strict law keeping, but our Lord took issue with them and pointed out what the scriptures had to say about their merciless law enforcement and traditions. 

Then there was the rest of us, the once-born sinners who depended upon the mercy of Jesus to become reborn saints. A woman caught in adultery? Not only were we not qualified to throw stones, having done it by deed or thoughts ourselves, but we don't want to kill someone with rocks or by any other means. We want to sit there with Jesus and draw in the sand. Children would know exactly what our Lord was doing down there and would have been there with Him before us.

Yay, let's get down with the Lord and play in the dirt. 

Grace to you and me from our loving Lord Jesus and God our Father!

Bucky

A Wise Request

Now give me wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people; for who can judge this great people of Yours?  2 Chronicles 1:10

A wise request as we know from our Bible training. And God acknowledged this request from the heart of Solomon with wisdom and knowledge, plus wealth, power, and honor. We do not get to rewrite the Bible histories, but rather we learn from them. One question does come to mind though. Could Solomon have asked to be relieved of the lusts of the flesh? Peter and Paul both went on about it in their letters. Jesus made us understand that even the thought of such was sinful. It seems like removing the lusts of that old man of the flesh might be a great relief to any of us. God could certainly do something like that, but that He does not do so speaks to a use or purpose for it that our Lord has in His plan for us. This struggle that we and Solomon face until we go to that eternal rest in Christ must therefore serve the Lord's good purpose too. 

Thank You, dear Lord, for the struggles of this day!

Bucky

Undecided Still

Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the LORD your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you. Deuteronomy 31:6

The news did not carry reports of the change some had promised. It seems that in many places the near balance in our voting remains. We are undecided still, it would appear, or perhaps we are just strongly decided in two opposite directions? However, in asking for some encouragement this morning, the Lord pointed out this verse to me. And does it seem to you like we have been here before? Election results such as this may lead many to wonder, "What purpose does my voting serve?" I guess at least it maintains the balance. The Lord has better words for us though, "Be strong and of good courage," He says to us as we face the challenges ahead of us this day. Even more encouraging is to not fear or be afraid of them, whoever your 'them' may be at this time. This is no idle command though, for the Lord your God and mine, goes with us and, no forsaking us is His assuring promise.

No matter who wins what office, God never leaves us!

Bucky

Crazy With Idols

A drought is against her waters, and they will be dried up.
​​For it is the land of carved images,
​​And they are insane with their idols.
  -- Jeremiah 50:38

There is just something in the air of an election time that makes me think of verses such as this one from the prophet Jeremiah. Drought, images, idols, we have it all in this nation, and the insanity as well. Does that make us stand out from among the other nations this year? Not at all! It was pointed out to me that at least four major river systems have historically low levels this year around the world. However on Wednesday, when or if the election does not go as some might think, then we may have a bit more insanity on our side for a brief moment. When we read further into Jeremiah's prophecy though, we see that this is not something any nation should strive to qualify for. Prophecies from the Lord about Babylon or Babylonia are something to avoid. Worship the Lord our God, rejoice in His Son, and reject idolatry.

Have faith in Jesus. He returns any day now!

Bucky

P.S. Vote too!

Look To Him

Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. Colossians 2:8

We appear to have a contest in this verse: the tradition of men and the basic principles of the world, against Christ. Those three accordings are not going to come to an accord. We have seen before how we are given one Spirit by Christ, and then the world and the flesh vie against it. And of course Jesus told us how many would choose the wider way toward destruction and few the narrow gate toward Him and life. Those who choose to believe in Jesus are always outnumbered it seems. 

But then, there is the Christ! He rose again on the third day. He is the Shepherd who laid down His life for the sheep. He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. He is the light and the life. We are outnumbered, but it surely doesn't feel like it when we look to Him. 

These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”  John 16:33

Love to you in Christ our Lord,

Bucky

Worry Over The Faith Measure

For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. Romans 12:3

Do I have enough faith for the mission in front of me? It is interesting, even a bit amusing, that we must have faith that we have enough faith. Paul states that each of us has been dealt a measure of faith. Can I see that in drams, grams, ounces, or feet? And what would it mean to me if I knew that I had xx units of faith? The measure of faith that God has dealt to me tells me that to worry over it will not increase it. But instead this worry strains my faith a bit as worry is sin since Jesus our Lord commanded us not to worry. That one trips up many a saint who might think their sin is kept well under control. Then we ask about that worry over the faith measure. Ach, no!

Yes, in Christ have faith that each of us has enough faith, even if the measure seems as small as a grain of mustard seed.

Blessed Jesus live in me, please!

Bucky

Two Will Be

I tell you, in that night there will be two in one bed: the one will be taken and the other will be left. Two will be grinding together: the one will be taken and the other left. Two will be in the field: the one will be taken and the other left.” Luke 17:34-36

Back in the dim ages of time, or when I was a teenager growing up in that little church on Oak Street, this passage terrified me. The pastor made clear to me that on no account did I want to be left behind. The terror of those words stayed with me until other business such as work and school brought me back to the world of reports and textbooks and all the stuff that work entails. Years later, and all or almost grown up, the big hit in the literary world was, Left Behind, the debut novel of the long series of books. Yikes! Here we go again. A few more years pass by and now I study the word of the Lord in earnest and try to make sense and apply passages such as this one. Taken where? What do I do to prepare? And terror of terrors, what happens to that one of each pair left behind?

My discovery for today? The mens and the womens are not there. Nope, the Greek word used was duo, and it means two or the twain (KJV). So, the married couples are not off the hook, it could be a man and a woman in bed, or two men, two women, two children, and so on. The prevention measure of only going out to the field with someone of the opposite sex, not going to work. A man never getting caught grinding grain? Nope, won't stop the taking away. Each of the examples given are normal daily activities of the time. So, perhaps we need to be prepared in a different way... His way.

Be saved. Be ready. He comes!

Bucky

Here I Stand

"...knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified." Galatians 2:16

It was on this date in 1517 that Martin Luther posted Ninety-Five Theses on the Power of Indulgences on the door of Castle Church in Wittenberg. Sometimes that great story from olden times is lost a bit in amusement due to one of those odd quirks of language that happen in history. The Diet of Worms was an assembly called to deliberate an important matter. The group had a summons from the emperor and a serious charge. In modern American English the phrase conjures up an image of the latest fad eating restriction with a repulsive main dish. For Brother Luther, this assembly was serious indeed, and he would in time be excommunicated from the church. The title comes from three words of his answer given to the Diet refusing to renounce those 95 charges against the pope and the church, "Here I Stand."

It says something interesting about this Diet and those in charge of it that they wanted the messenger to 'take back' his message in place of, oh, denying it, answering the charges, or maybe giving them due consideration.

Of course the words from the Word that began this protest were in our verse for today. Justification by faith and not by a person's resume or a bit of loot handed to the pope.

Happy Reformation Day!

Bucky

So We Can Blame Them Of Course

Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem? Luke 13:4

Jesus asked the question in our verse for today to address a blaming issue. Why do we want to know the fault or sin of the victim? So we can blame them of course. Falling construction projects appear to be a problem in many ages and ours is no different than the one Jesus lived in it would seem. As the news method of the day told the story of the 18 dead at the Siloam tower, Jesus asked His question. It would be so easy if everyone who died in an accident would be kind enough to take Paul's place as the worst of sinners. If only the most public and, in our humble opinion, worstest and most heinous of sinners died in accidents or from diseases, then we would always know that everyone else who died must have done something wrong too. That we would be still alive to do this blaming would by default then let us off the hook for sin. The only problem being that it just doesn't work that way. Jesus excluded no one by letting those folks know back then that all of us need to repent.

And that is how salvation begins, with repentance!

Love to you in the name of Jesus the Christ!

Bucky

Don't Leave Your Joy Behind

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

These disciples would see Jesus again quite soon, but does this promise continue for now as we await our Lord's return? Our Lord returned also in the form of His Holy Spirit. Therefore we have reason to rejoice right now too. In Philippians, Paul called us to rejoice in the Lord always. So, don't leave your joy behind when you go to work, to worship, to learn, or wherever you may need to go in this life.

We have joy in the Lord Jesus!

Bucky

It's A Mystery!

Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed— 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 15:51-52

Aww, these verses again? Paul was goofy. Nothing ever happens like this. Yes, what we call the Rapture from the Greek word Paul used for 'snatched away' tests our faith daily. It does not seem to have happened last night, and another birthday, anniversary, or holiday, has come and just nothing. We feel the ravages of older age with each passing year, and well, there seems to be a bit more ravage today without that escape Paul teased us with. Of course we may be looking at it wrong. Maybe the Rapture was never meant to be an escape cord for us to tug on, but a hope we keep in the ol' salvation traveling case to look at now and then. Each passing day is not then a disappointment that it didn't happen but another day to glorify God in the spreading of His gospel. Here comes another day for more lost sheep to be recovered by the Good Shepherd and brought back into the fold. Let us rejoice in this new day!

Whether we sleep with the dead to be raised incorruptible or remain awake with our fellow sheep to be changed, we will rise up to meet our Lord Jesus when He calls!

Bucky

And She Was

And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed to the LORD and wept in anguish.  1 Samuel 1:10

Do men and husbands make the same mistakes they did way back in ancient times? Let's just look at one little story for this morning and see for ourselves. Our verse for today speaks of Hannah, wife but not yet a mother of a son. A fellow would need to be a bit of a brick to not see a problem with Hannah in this condition, and her husband offers his own form of help. "Ain't I better to you than 10 sons," Elkanah says one night. The scripture is silent on how well his couch felt that particular night in Israel. 

Hannah turns to the One who she knows by faith can help her in this matter, but she does so not quite privately. While she does not speak aloud, she is one of those who like to move her lips as she talks in her mind. This may not be as common as it is today, but Eli the priest, proving that men of the cloth can be just as dense as other men, thinks that she is drunk. "Put away the bottle and go sleep it off, ya drunk," Eli does his religious and civic duty only to run smack into Hannah's quite lucid explanation. Only then does Eli the priest offer a blessing and an assurance. Hannah goes her way relieved and faithful, and the rest of the story brings to us one of the great servants of the Lord, her son, Samuel. 

The jury retires to deliberate for a world record 37 seconds, and the verdict is: Yes, men today are just as capable of being complete dunderheads as Elkanah and Eli were in their time. Perhaps with the intervention of our Lord's dear Holy Spirit we can learn the art of listening and not rushing to conclusions. Amen.

Bucky

That's Nuthin'

Later He appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table; and He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen.  Mark 16:14

Ah, Saturday! I got up late, did my stroll late, cut up some branches and lopped some little trees growing where they ought not to be, and then I had breakfast late. Now Uncle Arthur and Aunt Idis have stopped by for a visit. So, what better to entertain them than to try typing while they chatter on? If you suffer from the arthritis also, then you will understand my familiar terms to ease the pain a bit. Of course my case is minor compared to many, and I'm not speaking of the one-uppers whose brother, sister, aunt, or odd cousin Beauregard from Biloxi had such a case of it that no one can dare to compare.

We used to have one of those old coots come into the office to one-up every story heard 'round the coffee table until, in his firm opinion, my boss done him wrong. Back in the early days, this coot would even hear a story out and actually start his story with, "That's nothing..." Can you imagine the callousness it takes to hear a story of suffering and dismiss it immediately with that sort of statement? That describes the unbelief Jesus met with in His eleven remaining disciples quite well. 

Yes, the Lord rebuked these eleven men for their unbelief. It is this unbelief that keeps the unbeliever in condemnation. Hmm, unbelief to unbeliever, brilliant flow of words there. Hope you kept up with that! It must be Saturday morning. No blame from us though as we were born unbelievers too and only through the miracle of Jesus and His Holy Spirit do we come to believe Him and His story. We have discovered the grief God has with those who refuse to believe the story of His Son Jesus and the cross. Unbelief is one saying, "That's nuthin'! " to the greatest story ever told of our salvation and hope in Christ Jesus. 

And now, have a great weekend in Christ our Lord!

Bucky

Longing For The Day

Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.  Revelation 1:7

Whether the week has wearied me, or the night's sleep was interrupted too much, or a little sickly sickness has a hold of me, there are those days when I long for the return of my Lord Jesus. When this verse comes along in the Revelation though, I find it hard to understand the wailing. Whatever can be the matter with them? 

Of course we know that there are those who refuse to believe in our Lord Jesus and they do not look forward to the time of His return. Some go so far as to refuse to believe there even is a Him to look forward to or that He has a Father in Heaven. To deny such love and goodness as our Lord offers to us would certainly cause us to wail. So, perhaps that is the reason for all the wailing. 

Praise God that He is here right now, today, in the presence of His Holy Spirit in us!

Bucky

Parables Of The Kingdom

Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with my own things? Or is your eye evil because I am good?’ Matthew 20:15

That one little question at the end there shows how different the Kingdom of Heaven is from us. We know from reading the parable that the landowner of the vineyard decided to pay those who had worked but one hour a full day's wage. Those who had worked the full day grew an expectation within themselves and then protested when the landowner did not do as they expected. This demonstrates that what we think of God when we read the Bible, may come from expectation arising from an evil eye. The question might be stated, "Or is your eye evil? Because I am good." Recalling as we read that the punctuation we see was added later. God's love and goodness are constants, and yet when we read the tales of war, battle, execution, punishment, and others in the Bible, we might judge God based on our evil expectations. That you or I do not understand all that God does about the world and what must happen does not make His actions or commands evil. And still, in order to see the love and goodness of God we must repent and be saved by faith in His Son Jesus Christ. Right then we understand everything, right? Nope, then the journey toward understanding begins.

By faith we know the landowner of the Kingdom of Heaven is doing exactly right. No one said it would be easy though.

Bucky

That Guy Over Thar'

He is the Rock, His work is perfect;
For all His ways are justice,
A God of truth and without injustice;
Righteous and upright is He.
  -- Deuteronomy 32:4

That guy over thar', he ain't perfect. Of course there are those in this world who will call out my imperfection due to misuse of the written language we share. There are others who will condemn me for using traditionally male terms. They need not worry, I have a great many imperfections beyond those trifling matters. I would list them for you, but you don't have that sort of time this week and I would likely mess up some of them anyway. Wouldn't it be just like me to list an imperfection only to find out that I am actually perfect in that one thing? I'm not sure what perfection even is in this world of the fallen humans.

However, it seems there is a person, a being, who is perfect in His work according to Moses, whose song provides us with this verse for today. Now it would appear to my meagre reasoning skills that in order for one's work to be perfect, the being would need to be perfect as well. But wait, wouldn't Moses be one of those imperfect fallen ones littering this world? How would he know perfection when he saw it? And now we see that faith was just as important in the Old Testament as it is in the New Testament time we live in.

By faith we know that God is perfect and it shows in His Son too!

Bucky

Grace To You From God!

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.  II Corinthians 1:2

How dare he! How presumptuous to speak for God and Jesus in the giving of grace! We might take this stance with one of our brothers, but what good would it do the church at Corinth or us for that matter to have grace from Paul? It would of course do you no good to have grace from me. Every one of us needs the grace of God obtained through the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ. And so Paul, Peter, and all those who believe pass on to one another the grace of God and the Lord Jesus Christ. This grace is not for keeping to ourselves, though it is indeed how we live in Christ, but grows with the sharing one to another. And neither does it need to be one way between us but you can pass some of God's grace along to me and I to another person, and so on. 

Oh the wonderful sharing of the grace of God given freely to us through His Son and by His love! 

Bucky

Fulfilling His Law

These things I command you, that you love one another. John 15:17

Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law.  Romans 13:8

As for what love is and is not, Paul gives us much help with that in 1 Corinthians 13. We may wonder how to fulfill this law without messing up the least jot or tittle, but not for long as Jesus gave to us the commandment to fulfill it. Paul then passes this along in his letter to the Romans. The new-found love we have from the Spirit of God in us imparts to us a desire to love God and one another. How sweet it is that this also fulfills that rather large and complex thing passed down by Moses called the Law. 

Jesus is the way, and He shows us the way!

Bucky

Fingerprints On A Life

Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour.  1 John 2:18

Reading a book about a consulting firm, I had never heard of the name but I could see right away their fingerprints on my life. Specifically on some of the more emotionally painful moments of this life that is. Whether from an emulator or directly, the methods of their madness are all over the corporation that many of you know and shared with me in earlier days. These methods, as you have already figured out, have nothing to do with the Golden Rule or loving one another as our Lord commanded us. However, there are many other fingerprints on this life, some from brief touches of acquaintance, others the firmer prints of friendship, and one set from a pair of nail-scarred hands. It was this last set that upheld me when the painful marks were made on my life and these hands hold me still. You will know these same hands by your faith in Jesus the Christ. The most prominent fingerprints on this life are His. 

Yours in Christ our Lord,

Bucky

Don't Go Where Those Thoughts Go!

“For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. Matthew 15:19

Those thoughts come like evil bats swooping in the darkness. Where do they come from? Why do we endure them? Thoughts of lust, greed, pain, violence, and many others invade the peace of the mind. No problem, I'll go to the Bible. Samson? There was a violent fellow. David? Woof, that guy had a lust problem. Moses? Didn't he murder that Egyptian? Yes, the great names of the Bible struggled with those same thoughts we do battle with daily. We are even assured that Jesus faced the same temptations as we do. It seems to be a problem of this world. And then our Lord Jesus knelt in prayer and asked that we not be taken out of this world!

Faith says that all things are worked together by God for our good. Faith tells us that it is not our efforts, weak as they are, that save us. Faith by hearing the Word of God tells us that Jesus has this all under His sovereign control, even as He allows some to choose evil ways. It is beyond our understanding, but faith reminds us that Jesus saves.

Faith, the substance of things hoped for,

Bucky

When The Judge Comes

So David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the LORD.”
And Nathan said to David, “The LORD also has put away your sin; you shall not die.  -- 2 Samuel 12:13

How often it transpires in the world that only after it is well-known to others that the guilty one will admit the sin? I finished a story this week about just such a man over in Great Britain. The man was in charge of managing entry to an event for the first time, he made mistakes, and then when tragedy came he lied about the cause of it. I was struck by how very like Adam and Eve he was when God found them hiding from Him. Adam pointed the finger of blame at Eve, Eve in turn blamed the Serpent. This man however rode the tale of his lie for 27 years through investigations, inquests, and trials before admitting his fault and his lie.  Adding to the suffering of the bereaved, the press ran with the lie and spread the story worldwide. As you might imagine from living in this world for a time, not everyone apologized sincerely or even at all when the truth finally came to light. 

When the Judge comes, and nothing is hidden from this judge, some will have believed in Him and already confessed their sin, others will cling to the lie that He does not exist, and some will trust that they are good enough. Of course, we know there will also be those who blame others for their sin. 

Confess and repent to the Lord Jesus. His salvation is a great way to go!

Bucky

The Sky Go Boom-boom

Indeed these are the mere edges of His ways,
And how small a whisper we hear of Him!
But the thunder of His power, who can understand?”
  -- Job 26:14

Thunder and the Lord are associated quite often in the Bible. Even in this age a loud thunderstorm can terrify or alarm us with its volume. With no control over the blast of sound, humans and beasts alike have been stopped in their tracks by fear. In 1 Samuel 7:10 some Philistines tried to sneak up on Israel during an offering until the Lord sent such a thunder that they were struck with confusion. A little baby talk in the title today does not wipe away our respect for the power of the Lord's thunderstorms. However, we also know that is but one of His creations, and that likening His power or voice to thunder is our poor attempt to compare the power we cannot measure with something at least familiar to us.

Great and awesome is the power of our Lord!

Bucky

Not Even A Breeze

After these things I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, on the sea, or on any tree. Revelation 7:1

No wind, not even a breeze. I often think of this verse as the number of whirligigs whooshing through the sky grows in many parts of the world. No wind means a time of no wind power, but will it wait for the world to be only using wind power? What might be more interesting in this verse is the confluence of four's - four angels, four corners, four winds. What does it mean, this four, four, and four? Will the earth need to be stopped in its spinning for this to work? Of course the attention grabber is no wind, not even a breeze. Think just for a moment of the odors we hope the wind will disperse and blow away each and every day. How long will this last? What if that smell from the sewage treatment plant just grows outward in a foul cloud with each passing day? Wait, the four's, what about them? Another verse in the Revelation that blows up with questions the more we try to unravel it!

As always, let our faith in God be our comfort!

Bucky

Discerning Love

And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment. Philippians 1:9

Would discerning love that Paul prays that we have mean a time could come when I don't give something to one who asks? If a well-known alcoholic asks to borrow some money in front of a liquor store, then yes, that might be a time to refuse through discerning love. You have likely noticed that 'well-known' fulfills the knowledge part of that prayer from Paul too. Enabling a bad habit or addiction is but one of many examples we could think of where the urge we feel might not be the most loving answer. But refusing is so hard! Yes, it can be that the harder way is the one to take. I have seen my brothers and sisters in Christ struggle in this many a time. I have caved in to the urge a few times and thought later that I didn't do the right thing. Learning by experience can be a hard way to take too. Yes, I once bought a thing for someone that I should not have done. 

Praise God that even when we dumbly set aside the discernment He gives, He teaches us still. 

Bucky

Heaven Rejoices Over You

I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance. Luke 15:7

As the dawn breaks this morning... good grief, is it that late already? Yes, it is October and sunrise does not mean early for the remainder of the year. Have you stopped this Monday morning to consider the rejoicing in Heaven over each one who comes in repentance to our Lord Jesus? Once you and I were that one, the one who was rejoiced over by the heavenly host. As we have grown in the knowledge of our sin, we might even wonder who these 99 just persons could be? But then perhaps it is that beam in my own eye that makes those others look so wooden? Why would you or I be carrying that old thing around? Trust in the saving grace of Jesus! Look around with eyes made able to see by our Lord and notice the work He is doing all around us and in us.

C'mon sheeps! Let us follow the Good Shepherd!

Bucky

Terror Of The Lord

They shall go into the holes of the rocks,
And into the caves of the earth,
From the terror of the LORD
And the glory of His majesty,
When He arises to shake the earth mightily.
  --Isaiah 2:19

The fulfillment of this verse for today is found in the Revelation when the Sixth Seal is opened, or what we know as the Wrath of the Lamb. Anyone who has seen a lamb likely thinks this is some sort of opposite joke. For a lamb on its own, much like human babies, is not capable of terrorizing anything in its cute little wrath. (In a short span of time human babies will develop the terror of the cry, but that is a story for another writing.) The wrath of the Lamb might appear to be nothing to worry over except for the prophecies in Isaiah and the Revelation. It amazes us that so great is the terror of the Lord in this that people will seek the shelter of holes in the rock and the caves of the earth during a terrible earthquake.

Do not be afraid, there is no condemnation for those who believe in Jesus the Christ.

Bucky

We Need Our Redeemer

Where then is my hope?
As for my hope, who can see it?
Will they go down to the gates of Sheol?
Shall we have rest together in the dust?”
  -- Job 17:15-16

Job was in a bad way, having lost his children, many servants, all of his livestock, and his health. However, Job was not looking forward to some final party at the gates of Hell. In a few minutes of Job time, the man would find his hope when speaking of his living Redeemer. (Job 19:25) In the Psalms the people sang of their Redeemer:

Then they remembered that God was their rock,
And the Most High God their Redeemer.  (78:35)

Indeed when we feel down it is to the Lord our Redeemer we must turn our thoughts. We will of course need good help in this as a downward path tends to continue down without some of that assistance in turning around. A maelstrom of the mind does not reverse course except some mighty power work on it. Yes, we need our Redeemer, and as He Himself said, we can do nothing without Him. 

Praise the Lord God, the Almighty One for His Redeemer! 

Bucky

Our Guardian

Therefore, I will always be ready to remind you of these things, even though you already know them, and have been strengthened in the truth which is present with you.  2 Peter 1:12

It rumbles up from the depths of time, looking familiar, a repetition of something heard before. You could tell them the next part before they have finished the introduction. Is it the dreaded old man story? No, it is actually that lesson from the scriptures that you and I have heard many times. Peter addressed this in the beginning of his second letter in the verse we read for today. Always ready to remind us speaks to something repeated that, as Peter writes, we know already. So why do it? Of course it isn't for the moments of quiet Bible study or those times of meditation wherein it is easier to recall what we have learned already in the Word. It is for those moments when we need to be reminded most strongly that God is our guardian and watches over us constantly. 

Now, as you have a few moments to read this message, you already know that God watches over you. But then comes the time when the enemies surround you, the call to speak before the public has come, the unfamiliarity of court has you in its grasp, or maybe it is just that next doctor's appointment. Yes, it is that time of fear and trembling when all that you already know seems lost in the hairy, scary moment. That is when we need to be so familiar with that message of guardianship of our Lord God that it comes to us by the many repetitions as our faith falters before the fear. 

Did His Holy Spirit have to shout it to you that last time due to the great fear? All is well, that happens too; rejoice in His shouting ability to get that message of comfort through your fear. 

Bucky

Two For Love

And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?” Mark 12:28

Was this scribe a peacemaker, or did he want a summary of the law? A dispute can be a noisy thing, maybe this scribe knew the quickest way to quiet them all down was to ask the wisest one there a question that had bothered him for some time. The Law is large and disputes are many. That may be one reason why we are called brothers and sisters in Christ since disputes over scripture may resemble the casual squabbling of a family. Oh, look, now we're drawn into the dispute too! Jesus quickly cut through the dispute though with two answers for one most important commandment: love God and love your neighbor as yourself. It seems so oversimple at times that we are left quiet. 

Two commandments for love, please!

Bucky

It's All About Him

All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. John 1:3

So, it's Friday and that means another 'Who is God?' portion from the word? No worries, it's all about Him anyway, whether I title it that way or not. Many do not want to confess their sin, others do not want to admit there is a God to receive that confession. There exist even some who would admit to sin and believe there is God, but want to be judged on their works. The longer I walk this Earth, the less I want to be judged on my works. After all, how many good works does it take to make up for those briefest of lusting thoughts? Of course we believe in Jesus and it took only the one work. But it was His work, not any of mine. So once more it is all about Him... and you and me, and all of our brothers and sisters who believe in Him. Yes, the Good Shepherd will shepherd a mighty large flock one day and forevermore!

Praise the Lord for His atoning work, and His continuing work in you and me! 

Bucky

Asking God For Wisdom This Day

He who walks with wise men will be wise,
​​But the companion of fools will be destroyed.
  -- Proverbs 13:20

Troubleshooting the power grid in town on a rainy day at 5:30 in the morning must be difficult. I see three trucks meeting down the block, so I know they are having some of that difficulty. However, it would be far more difficult if the meeting took place between a half dozen people who knew nothing about power lines, transformers, utility columns, and other necessary equipment. In a similar vein, if one wants to be wise or increase in wisdom, we first ask of the Lord and then we walk with wise persons. While hanging out with fools might provide one with some examples of what not to do, it will in time make the one less wise and even indistinguishable from the fools.

You may have read the story of the two psychologists who experimented on their son by raising him with a chimp of about the same age. They expected the chimp to become more human-like, but terminated the experiment when instead their son became more like the chimp. It is of course always a risk to pass along a story such as this one since these can turn out to be urban legends. However, it does demonstrate well that knowledge is no barrier to foolishness.

Asking God for wisdom seems like a good first step for us today!

Bucky

We Are All Like

But we are all like an unclean thing,
And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags;
We all fade as a leaf,
And our iniquities, like the wind,
Have taken us away.
  -- Isaiah 64:6

An often used scripture, but dare we call it popular? The message of the Lord through Isaiah lays out the worst of us as a confession. And this sort of exposure of what rests like a filthy rag in all of us may not become the next popular hit song. Flattery would seem the quicker way to gain popularity. However, for all of the exposure of what we are, Isaiah also bears from the Lord great messages of hope and restoration. One might even gather from the book of Isaiah that we are the problem and the Lord has the answer for us. Wait, that could be said of the entire Bible. God has the answer, and God is the answer in Jesus the Christ.

Great is the saving grace of our Lord!

Bucky

What I Hate, That I Do

For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do.  Romans 7:15

Paul does not write his exact sin in this passage, nor do we need to enumerate the list when it comes around again in us. The sin was all of them in Paul, and he hated it. When I feel the need to review this passage of Paul's letter to the Romans, you can be sure that I too have gone and done what I hate. It is almost a dark comedy in which we are reborn in Christ, and then come over the years to realize more and more of the sin that lurks within us. Often that sin comes blurting out of the mouth and hurts others, and we hate that more. When will it stop? Let us ask the One in charge of our redemption! We are a work in progress, and there is no hope in us. Our great hope is in our Savior and Lord, Jesus the Christ. 

Dear Lord Jesus, please cleanse us from all unrighteousness!

Bucky

Who Is God? Part 15

And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more. Jeremiah 31:34

A two-fer this morning as we read this verse from the prophet, God wants to be known and will forgive them. This we read as not just forgiving some group of folks who lived long ago, but those of us who live right now believing in His Son. Notice how effective God's forgiveness is in that He remembers the sin no more. Have you ever forgiven and then tried to forget entirely the incident and memory of it? I have not been entirely successful in this. We do well to work on the seventy times seven times of forgiveness for this reason. Also we read today that the agnostic system which holds that God cannot be known will be abolished from the least of them to the greatest of them, by the Lord's command.

We love this day our Lord and rejoice that He wants to be known by us and forgives our every sin.

Bucky

A Private Moment of Disobedience

And they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.  Genesis 11:4

So, I lift my leg up onto a chair to remove my boot and... Aaugh! Great, horrible, giant bug, black lagoon-like, alien creature, God save the Queen, Help! As my older eyes do not focus closely very well anymore, I could not at first tell that it was two grasshoppers having a private moment on my pant leg. Why they should think that was the place for their little date night, I do not know. That was last night, on to more important matters.

We often read the Tower of Babel story and think that the Lord did not want tall towers popping up everywhere, but there is a measure of disobedience in the verse for today. God had twice by this time told His humans to be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth. This gang of builders built to avoid being scattered over the face of the earth, which was going against exactly what God wanted to happen. A few verses later, God scatters the reluctant ones over the face of the earth and gives them some language confusion to keep them apart. A tall tower wasn't the problem, it was the purpose of the tower and their desire to not do what God had told them to do. Many years later, an apostle of our Lord Jesus would say a similar thing in telling us that to know what to do but avoid doing it, to us it is a sin. A good effort in prayer and Bible study for us is to find out just what the Lord God would have us to do!

Have a great day in the love of the Lord!

Bucky

Sent Specifically

Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Loose them and bring them to Me.  Matthew 21:2

Did not the donkey and colt belong to someone? Will our Lord's disciples soon be arrested for theft? Apparently, the donkey and colt belonged to our Lord, and were tied there for the purpose of carrying the Lord Jesus into Jerusalem that day. The mystery of where this donkey and her colt came from will remain to us an unknown until we can ask the One who gave the orders that day. Transportation according to ancient prophecy was provided, and Jesus knew it as He made His way to Jerusalem. A couple of questions may come to mind from this. What mission will we be sent on with specific instructions that from our view may seem risky according to the Law? And what preparation for that mission was made long before we were born? 

As the disciples saw that day and we can read in our Bible, the way of the Lord Jesus has been prepared. Everything we need will be in place at just the right time. Has a mission come your way from the Lord? All that you need has been put in place for you. 

Great is the name of our Lord Jesus!

Bucky

A Constant As We Go

I make a decree that in every dominion of my kingdom men must tremble and fear before the God of Daniel.

For He is the living God,
And steadfast forever;
His kingdom is the one which shall not be destroyed,
And His dominion shall endure to the end.
   -- Daniel 6:26

Steadfast forever, the words about our God from a monarch of Medo-Persia, who had just observed the salvation of Daniel from a den of hungry lions. Darius was impressed, and we are as well. Comforted also are those who believe in Jesus and have the presence of our God a constant as we go in this world. Steadfast forever is the love of God our Father as we struggle against the challenges of this life. Steadfast forever is the promise of our Lord Jesus of His return and reign. Steadfast forever is God.

Love and hope to you in Christ on this Monday morning!

Bucky

Who Is God? Pt 14

Blessed be the name of God forever and ever,
​​For wisdom and might are His.
And He changes the times and the seasons;
He removes kings and raises up kings;
He gives wisdom to the wise
And knowledge to those who have understanding.
  -- Daniel 2:20-21

Daniel gives a wealth of characteristics of God for me to choose from today, but I think we must pay respect to God and one of the longest serving monarchs of His choosing, Queen Elizabeth II. Yesterday, one of the commentators on the news media called upon us to recall all the years of her reign. While this was likely meant to make us think of the events or the length, I found that I could not think of all the years as I had not been alive for several of those years. When I was born in what to me seems many years ago, the queen had already reigned for more than a decade. The length of her reign imparts a bit of stability to the world, I think, and we are grateful to God that it was so long. Yesterday, God gave the queen rest from her long labors. And on the same day God raised up a king.

September 8, 2022 was one of those days when history seems to pass by a bit more than usual. The ending of the reign of a queen who sat for seventy years on the throne gives one pause to consider what comes next. Of course the new king, important though he is, must come second to what God has coming for us.

Respect to our Lord God today, as He raises up kings and gives rest to Queen Elizabeth II,

Bucky

A Call For Repentance

And in that day the Lord GOD of hosts
Called for weeping and for mourning,
For baldness and for girding with sackcloth.
But instead, joy and gladness,
Slaying oxen and killing sheep,
Eating meat and drinking wine:
“Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!”
  -- Isaiah 22:12-13

Israel was called to repent before the Lord with weeping and mourning, but from Isaiah we see that they decided to have a final feast. Would a nation really decide one and all to go to their doom with one last party? It's a disingenuous question since we know that it has happened from God's word and that it will happen again. That great army gathered at Megiddo at the end will do it the day before their destruction. The kingdom of the Antichrist will do it as the people of God leave it at God's command. We don't have to be prophets like Isaiah to know how some people will act even to that last day before their doom comes upon them. 

We thank God for one another that we have answered the call to repent from our Lord! And we pray all the more for those who have not yet let the Lord Jesus save them. 

Bucky

Wonders To Deceive

If there arises among you a prophet or a dreamer of dreams, and he gives you a sign or a wonder,  and the sign or the wonder comes to pass, of which he spoke to you, saying, ‘Let us go after other gods’—which you have not known—‘and let us serve them'.  Deuteronomy 13:1-2

It does happen and we are warned to watch for the signs and lying wonders of the enemy. Many predict the future in various ways. Those who observe weather patterns predict what it will be like in a few days. Those who write science fiction extrapolate into the future the trends they see around them, and some have remarkable accuracy. However, there comes a type we are warned of much like the Israelites were in our scripture for today, that type who would lure the believer away from the Christ. Jesus said, "For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect." The elect are not so discerning in their own strength of course but are saved from this deception by the Spirit of God in them. 

We are safe in the hands of the Almighty! 

Bucky

Who Is God? Part 13

"To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, though we have rebelled against Him."  Daniel 9:9

Daniel lived during the exile, that time of punishment forewarned many times by the prophets for Judah's sin against the Lord. And yet Daniel here emphasizes qualities of our Lord that do not always go with our view of God in the Old Testament. Daniel had every opportunity to complain of the Lord's heavy hand of justice, and yet he chose to confess the rebellion of his people. Daniel might have asked, "Why me? I've been a righteous boy." And yet he took this opportunity to proclaim that mercy and forgiveness belong to the Lord our God. Today we still get much finger shaking at us from the pulpit, but there is this good news that mercy and forgiveness belong to our Lord God! We deserve the finger shaking, but we live because of God's mercy and forgiveness that came by way of Jesus His Son. 

Thank You, Lord God, for your gift of mercy and forgiveness,

Bucky

Belief In Christ Jesus

But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth, to which He called you by our gospel, for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14

It seems too simple for us in this advanced age and we yearn in the flesh for solid evidence to touch and see. Believe in Jesus? Don't we need a large rule book with a planned journey up an increasingly difficult set of tasks? What about believing those stories from that one book? Shouldn't the science of digging in the dirt have found one or more articles showing that this thing actually happened? Of course, when it comes to faith and belief, it does not necessarily change unbelief when a science such as archeology does find the ruins of a city right where the Bible says it was when a story happened there. When Jesus returns in His glory at the end, it is likely that many will still be heard to say, "I don't believe it!" For those who believe in Jesus though, we say along with John as the Revelation comes to a close: Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

Great is His faithfulness! He comes soon!

Bucky

A Contest Already Won

He shall speak words against the Most High,
and shall wear out the saints of the Most High,
and shall think to change the times and the law;
and they shall be given into his hand
for a time, times, and half a time.  Daniel 7:25

Yes, the days of this life come when the saints are easily worn out, but we play a match that is already decided and we cannot lose in Christ our Lord. The powers of this present darkness may send one who will think to change the times, but this day and this hour, no matter how difficult, cannot return and each hour and day is one period of time closer to our meeting the Lord Jesus Christ. The laws may change until one cannot but fall afoul of them doing the necessary tasks of this life, and yet, the day the change is made does not return and the Lord's return is one day closer. And we have His assurance in John 16:33 that He has already overcome the world. We put on the armor and fight the battle in Christ, but the outcome is not in doubt. We do but wait for that blessed day and hour when our Lord shall snatch all of His own from the world.

Rejoice in Christ, His victory is certain!

Bucky

What About Those Deeds?

But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been done by God.  John 3:21 LSB

A new translation of the word of God changes a little word in this verse from in to by, and it makes for an interesting question. Surely the deeds we do that are righteous such as preaching a sermon, teaching a Bible class, and many others we want to be seen as having been done by God. We give Him the glory in all good works, but what about those deeds? Not sin of course, but those deeds where we from ignorance make a little mistake that has a huge consequence. By this new translation this verse seems like an opportunity to blame the mistake on God. What an easy out for us bumbling, fumbling, stumbling learners in life! As the life of each of us who believes in Jesus is a witness to all, is the change so great though? Then, for example, if I make the mistake while doing all things through Christ who strengthens me, or, I blow it while counting on no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, does that change my testimony from living in Christ to "The Lord done it!"?  Of course the debate would rage on over the question if practicing the truth includes making mistakes due to ignorance. 

Gettin' kinda heavy on a Monday morning over one little word change. Glad are we to know that we do deeds in Christ, by Christ and with Christ Jesus! No need for a big debate for us, we will rejoice in this day in, with, and by Christ our Lord!

Bucky

Who Is God? Part 12

The eternal God is your refuge,
And underneath are the everlasting arms;
He will thrust out the enemy from before you,
And will say, ‘Destroy!'   Deuteronomy 33:27

We might hold ourselves as having some small understanding in some aspects of our Lord God, but then come words such as, eternal, everlasting, and forever. How does one who might live a century understand one who has been from everlasting and lives to eternity? There are some illustrations using a bird and grains of sand, or an ocean of water molecules moved one at a time, but my mind runs quickly into a limitation when large numbers are involved running out to infinity. What we can gain from this is the assurance of stability. Rome wasn't built in a day, but its days were numbered, and it is no more. Not so with God, who will be forevermore and is with us now and loves us. The eternal God who loves you and me will never leave us nor forsake us.

Rejoicing in Christ for eternity, sounds like a long time!

Bucky

Clinging To The First Birth

My soul clings to the dust;
Revive me according to Your word. Psalm 119:25

The basis of revival is to revive and that is to cause to live again. We walk with our Lord Jesus here in the valley of death's shadow and we have this problem of clinging to the dust of our first birth. Some of it is necessity, eating and drinking and the other things of this life, while other things are a desire to break away from our Creator, in other words to sin. Is it any wonder that even those who believe in Jesus will need to be snatched away when the Lord returns? Against this carnal urge is the revival of our soul carried out constantly by the Spirit of God in us. How can we help with this? The psalmist asked for revival according to God's word. And there is the place we must go for the good news of Jesus and our revival. The word, the word! The word of God is to us a releasing of our clinging claws in the dust, a trusting in the Word Himself in place of what we think we know.

Come today to the Word and live again in Him!

Bucky

Why An Alarm?

Blow the trumpet in Zion,
And sound an alarm in My holy mountain!
Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble;
For the day of the LORD is coming,
For it is at hand.   Joel 2:1

If we think of the Lord's holy mountain as it is in Isaiah 11, the one with the wolf and the lamb and no hurting or destroying, then sounding an alarm would seem pointless, a crass interruption of the peace even. Here the alarm is sounded because the Lord is not there yet. The day of our Lord approaches because of the promise of His return to His holy mountain. Obviously placing the wolf with the lamb today will result in one less lamb in the world. That day has not yet come for the wolf and lamb to lie down together. So, yes, sound the alarm as the day of the Lord comes upon the land. Who would sound such an alarm? The Lord's enemies are the most likely candidates, and they have good reason to tremble as His day comes upon them! 

No conflict here in the word, it is the same mountain at different times in the Lord's story. 

Love and joy to you in Christ our Lord!

Bucky

To Die Is Gain?

For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. Philippians 1:21

The pastor mentioned this verse yesterday, and so I thought what a great idea for a devotional on a Monday morning! This must be one of the strangest statements in the Bible to those who do not believe in Jesus, Heaven, or an afterlife. Understanding this statement from Paul takes faith as we learn to not cling to this life and yet to rejoice in it at the same time. At this point, I confess to not being entirely successful on either count. There is much pain in this life and rejoicing always, as Paul says in another verse from the same letter, is not always easy or even possible in my strength. With hope in Christ though, the latter part seems much the easier...er, until it comes to the actual dying part at least. I am, as are most of us, somewhat concerned over what form that transition to the gain will take. It would be an unusual person who wants to suffer long in making that final journey to be with our Lord Jesus. Like you, I hope for a quick, peaceful, and above all, painless transition that causes the least sorrow for those left behind. And then there is that Rapture hope of ours that means none who believe would leave each other behind!

To die is to gain Christ the Lord in His presence forever, Immanuel!

Bucky

Who Is God? Pt 11

Now see that I, even I, am He,
And there is no God besides Me;
I kill and I make alive;
I wound and I heal;
Nor is there any who can deliver from My hand.
   -- Deuteronomy 32:39

In the Oxford dictionary the first definition for nice is: pleasant, agreeable, or satisfactory. And this is often what many expect of God and they may become angry at Him when their expectation is not met, such as with the death of a loved one. In the song of Moses, we read about God in a way that I have not addressed just yet in this little series: the God who kills. The first thing we note in our verse for today about the killing is that in the same line there is a conjunction whose function is to combine - "...and I make alive." Which reminds us of what Jesus said to us in John 10:17-18, where He told us of His laying down of His life and taking it up again. The first application of the line seems to be upon Himself. The next is in His killing of someone else - enemies of Israel, flagrant lawbreakers, or even a person we may know personally. That is where the cries of unfairness, injustice and "how could a loving God do this?" come into play. I guess that God is just not nice according to our standards. However, one suggestion for us is to avoid the claims of unfairness or injustices against our Lord and ask something like, "I know You have taken my loved one from beside me, dear Lord, but what have You done with your beloved?" You see, we also believe that killing is the Lord opening a door for us to be with Him, and eternity is the biggest part of being made alive in Christ!

Yes, God kills... and we are eagerly awaiting our turn to be with Him!

Bucky

A Donkey And An Angel

And Balaam said to the donkey, “Because you have abused me. I wish there were a sword in my hand, for now I would kill you!”  Numbers 22:29

Balaam apparently left on the anger train, because if a donkey you or I were riding suddenly turned and spoke to us, we likely would fall off the hind end in shock. Yet, the donkey speaks and Balaam responds in his anger as if donkey conversation was common in his day. This is one of my favorite Bible stories way back in the Book of Numbers, and likely at least part of the basis for the great Narnia books written by C.S. Lewis. Stepping into the story at the uh-oh point, as we are in this verse for today, we know that the donkey sees someone that Balaam cannot see. Take a moment to read the paragraph of the story just before the conversation begins, and one can see that the donkey is being entirely reasonable and faithful in the face of great danger. Many a donkey would likely have fled in terror! One can only imagine the look on Balaam's face when the angel of the Lord is revealed at last. 

Someone you know and depend on may appear to do you wrong. Perhaps he or she sees something, or even an angel of the Lord, that you cannot see right now. Give them the benefit of your love and faithfulness, as they have done for you these many years. 

May the love and lovingkindness of Jesus go with you today,

Bucky

The Disaster Of The Wall

But the rest fled to Aphek, into the city; then a wall fell on twenty-seven thousand of the men who were left. 1 Kings 20:30

These were the survivors of a losing battle with Israel. The city and its massive wall afforded protection from the enemy, or so they thought. That number of troops inside a fortification large enough to fall on them would provide a significant challenge to whatever Israelite commander had to fight them. But the story does not go that direction, instead the wall fell on those 27,000 soldiers of Syria. Had the nation not lost almost four times that number already in the battle, then there might be the story of the disaster of the wall told by itself and not as a following note. The larger number of dead in the battle overshadows what would be more than 20 times the population of our little town. And of course with those numbers of the dead, we might forget that the larger story is one of unbelief and disobedience to God our Father. Consequences of sin brought a large death bill to Israel and Syria in this story.

Okay, now I'm supposed to sign off with some bit about joy and peace? Yeah, well sin does not bring about those things, and sometimes we need to be reminded of that.

Remember the Christ who paid the price for our sin,

Bucky

By The Dark Of Night

This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.”  John 3:2

Within our verse for today we can pretend that we do not know this man's name. A not uncommon occurrence in the Bible, people often come and go in the stories without leaving their name. The signs of this rabbi had caught the man's attention though, and in his opinion no one could do them without having God along. However, this man must have been busy or did not want to be seen as he came to meet Jesus undercover of darkness. Of course this verse brings out the questions as we want to know who the man was, what was his occupation, why the sneaky visit, and if there is belief in his heart or just a flattering way of opening the meeting. Then, we want to know what Jesus will say to the man! 

We know the name from the famous story, but more famous still among those who believe is the response our Lord Jesus gave to Nicodemus including the eternal beauty of John 3:16. 

Thank you, dear Lord, for bringing this man to ask of you in the dark of night!

Bucky

Who Is God? Pt10

​In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread
​​Till you return to the ground,
​​For out of it you were taken;
​​For dust you are,
​​And to dust you shall return.”
  -- Genesis 3:19

A couple of weeks ago the focus was on God as lawgiver. When that law was broken God became the dispenser of justice to the lawbreakers. Dispenser of justice being a cumbersome way to write, 'judge'. We recall the chain of blame that came when God walked in the garden one evening and found, or rather didn't find, Adam at their usual meeting place. Adam blamed Eve, not his most heroic moment to be sure, and then Eve blamed the Serpent. God then judged them going back up that blame chain until He came to Adam, part of whose sentence we read in our verse for today. Death was promised in the law God gave for taking from that forbidden tree, and death was granted in the sentence.

Do you feel that urge to question God's right to judge? That rebellion is the inheritance we have from Adam and Eve, our ancient ancestors. That is the human nature our Lord Jesus works out of us by His dear Holy Spirit.

Love and joy to you this day,

Bucky

Where Are We Going?

They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain,
For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD
As the waters cover the sea.  Isaiah 11:9

As we follow our Lord Jesus, it may occur to us to ask about our destination. It should interest us, since the Bible indicates that the eternity to come will be somewhat longer than the time we will spend here. Throughout the word of the Lord there are prophecies and clues about this eternal home our Lord has gone to prepare for us. One such foretelling is our verse for today. If we read the news this morning, each of us will see the hurting and destroying throughout the headlines. It is not hard to spot that for us! The first line of God's promise today states that it will be no more. This speaks to a rather large change in us and all those who will be there on the Lord's holy mountain. How will this happen? The next lines tell us how, and what a promise it is! Full of the knowledge of the Lord, maybe there won't be quite so many questions to ask in eternity as we had thought? 

Great are the Lord's promises of Heaven!

Bucky

Plundered Palaces

Therefore thus says the Lord GOD:
​
​​“An adversary shall be all around the land;
​​He shall sap your strength from you,
​​And your palaces shall be plundered.”
  -- Amos 3:11

No one likes to hear that their nation is going down, and indeed will soon suffer a plundering of the palaces. A prophet might use different terms for us in this age because palace is not how most of us would describe our homes. However, the children of Israel living in Samaria received the word of the Lord through Amos the prophet, and it was not a warm fuzzy. If this were a weak nation, the Lord likely would not have needed to send His prophet. This then speaks to a nation confident in its military strength to defend those precious palaces. Sounds to us like many nations of some wealth and stability, including this nation in which we live. Anytime a nation gives glory to God for its raising up, then becomes secure in its own strength and turns its back to the Lord God, there will come a reckoning. Not everyone here in this land has turned though, so pray for the neighbors and praise our Lord God. The prayers of Christ's faithful ones may be all that stand between our nation and the plundering suffered by Israel, Samaria, and Judea in times past.

It is a privilege to pray to the Lord our God!

Bucky

Did David Know?

As for God, His way is perfect;
The word of the LORD is proven;
He is a shield to all who trust in Him.
   -- 2 Samuel 22:31

David reigned in Israel a thousand years before a descendant of his would let us know that He was the way, the truth and the life. So, did David know he was singing prophetic words in his song? Sure, we can see the connection now, but could David have known in his songwriting that John would write of the Word as a person in his gospel, or that Paul would issue every believer the shield of faith? One thing David could and did know was that trust and faith went hand in hand. To those who believe in Jesus, of course the words of so long ago connect quite well to the words of Jesus, John, and Paul. For those of us who now hang on every word of Jesus, we learn daily that His way is perfect. David had seen the word of the Lord fulfilled in many things, and so the proof was before him. The real question is not how much David knew, but do we believe his testimony? We believe David's witness in the same way we do John's and Paul's, by faith.

The Word of the Lord is proven in you and me by faith!

Bucky

Who Is God? Part 9

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. John 1:1

As I have been using the scriptures to discover who God is these past weeks, it will come as no surprise to you that God is intimately tied to His word. In our verse for today, John even states that the Word was God. Though we do not claim to be God, we have experienced a similar connection to our word in this life. If you don't think so, then simply say the wrong words at the wrong time, and watch the consequences. You may be connected firmly to those words for years to come! Not only does God not face that problem, but so perfect is His word that the challenge is to get us to believe His word. When in verse 14 the scripture reads that the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, we and others might find that just a little unbelievable, incredible even. John bears witness and we have to decide to believe it or to reject it. And from this and other passages in the word of God, we who choose to believe find the point of separation from the world. You and I cannot prove that God spoke His Word and it became flesh, but we were invited and enabled to believe it.

Grateful are we that Jesus is the embodiment of the Word of God!

Bucky

Making My Best, Better

Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.  John 14:12

In everything, my best could be better. But how can I do better than my best? It sounds a lot like that senseless giving 110% thing, as if the coach got a C- in his math class back in the day. Jesus is of course the answer to a lot of things in life, and this is no exception. My best in many things is pretty darn weak, either by a lack of knowledge or experience in the thing or both. My best in the things that I do have skills in is also weak from my Father's perfect perspective looking down from Heaven. However, He gave me (and you!) His Son...and some things to do in the way of missions and good works. 

It is from our Lord Jesus that I can do better than my best by way of His grace and strength. The missions may look utterly impossible for my means. That's a good thing, since if I could already accomplish the mission, then where would the glory be for God? The good works may seem a great burden at times. That too is a good thing as the strengthening of my Lord Jesus shines through in such moments. That is the work of my Lord Jesus in me, making my best, better!

It isn't a math conundrum, it's a good help solution! 

Bucky