Mercy on Jacob

For the LORD will have mercy on Jacob, and will still choose Israel, and settle them in their own land. The strangers will be joined with them, and they will cling to the house of Jacob. Isaiah 14:1

The history of Israel is not one of constant faithfulness to the Lord their God. We can read it in the Bible histories of the scattering of the ten northern tribes, and in the captivity in Babylon of the other two tribes. Many of the injustices seen in our land today we can read of the same thing in old Israel. Unbelief was common in those olden times, as was idolatry, adultery, and many other trespasses against the Lord. And yet, there is mercy for Jacob and the Lord will still choose Israel, as we can read in our verse for today. The faithfulness of the Lord never ends. What sin lurks in your past or mine that the Lord cannot show mercy and forgive? You can probably find the same sin committed somewhere in the history of Israel. The Lord always remembers His work and His promise. Fear not!

Rejoice in the mercy of our Lord God!

Bucky

Time Of Love

“When I passed by you again and looked upon you, indeed your time was the time of love; so I spread My wing over you and covered your nakedness. Yes, I swore an oath to you and entered into a covenant with you, and you became Mine,” says the Lord GOD. Ezekiel 16:8

A time comes, or has come many times already, when you or I may feel ashamed, unloving, unrighteous, and basically inadequate for the Lord. What we have from the Lord is the promise that we will never be left that way, were not left that way, and that He has covered us with His love. Yes, there are horrors in the past of each of us, whether caused by us or suffered by us or both. The Lord wrote to Jerusalem by Ezekiel that it was at that awful moment came the Savior and her time of love. The world to us looks absolutely horrible in so many ways in our time, but perhaps we are coming into a time of love. Watch for the Lord's work in all of this. See if prophecy does not unfold before our eyes in this time we live.

Pray for the strength to endure!

Bucky

Well, Then There's That

But I am like a green olive tree
in the house of God.
I trust in the steadfast love of God
forever and ever.   Psalm 52:8 ESV

A long climb up a steep mountain or something like it may have been mentioned by me last week. This week seems much the same. Well, then there's this war, not a rumor any longer, but actual war in Ukraine. When I am disappointed in the world situation, which seems rather often these days, it is to verses and passages of the Bible such as this one from David I turn to for comfort. In the end times, which are now, and in the great tribulation that is to come, many people will turn to something for comfort. We read the Word of God and pray, but others will turn to other devices, activities and substances for their comfort. We may want to look to our nation though, the powers of this world may be counting on the U.S.A. to turn away from God. In fact, it may not be about who is living in our White House, but where our faith is that causes the powers of the world to deem the time ripe for conquest.

Have a prayerful day in the Lord Jesus!

Bucky

Not Even The Next Hours

Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is. Mark 13:33

The fallibility of myself and others has been given to my attention in these later days. A warm weekend brought out some bugs, and they have suffered because of it this cold week. The assembly of a book shelf came to a halt last night when I found the factory had shorted me by one screw. During the assembly project, I played a list of top tracks on a streaming service from a band popular back in the 80's. Suddenly, after 15 heavy metal tracks came the sound of a Disney princess and a bunch of Chipmunks singing about Christmas. Then we went back to the metal for track 17! And I wrote to you on Monday about not writing about cold and death, not knowing that merely two hours later we would learn of the passing of our friend. Plus the cold came on Monday whether we wanted it or not. As a foretelling prophet, I can't even tell you the next hours, much less years and centuries in the future as God did through His prophets. Truly as our Lord Jesus said in our verse for today, "Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is."

I cannot promise you a wonderful day, but if you will turn to the Lord Jesus, then you will enjoy time with our wonderful Savior!

Bucky

Cold, Death, And Others

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. Matthew 6:34

And that Jeopardy question is: What are things you would rather not talk about on Monday morning? Yes! Good work. How about those things Jesus brought: life, joy, peace, kindness, hope, and of course, the love of God. Those are better subjects to begin the week. There are armies of arguments stalking the land regarding doctrine and actions that others think we should have or do. What would I have us recall on this Monday? The star shining in the darkness, guiding the seekers from the East to the Christ child in Bethlehem. The heavenly host singing for joy to God above the shepherds in the field of the reason for rejoicing born in a stable. It is good for us to recall the promise our Lord Jesus made to return for us and to bring us to His Father's home. And of course, that God so loved the world that He sent His only begotten Son on a mission of salvation. Let cold, death and the others wait as we rejoice in Jesus Christ our Lord!

May your Monday be filled with the eternal joy of the Lord!

Bucky

Seeking Their Way, Not The Truth

“If You are the Christ, tell us.”
But He said to them, “If I tell you, you will by no means believe." Luke 22:67

It is a part of our Lord's trial before the Sanhedrin, but the prosecution has already decided the case and the judgment. Jesus had previously told His disciples to not throw their pearls before any swine, and in this show trial the oinkers are carrying the prosecution. In our verse for today, our Lord is examined before the court, but states that they will by no means believe His answer even if He states it. This is of course not how a trial is supposed to go, as the entire procedure is to find out the truth of the matter. If a person decides the answer before the trial, then there is no hope for finding the truth no matter how many times it is stated. And what is left is a round and round sort of useless discussion that resembles what is going on here in my writing. We would call it a waste of time. And yet, testimony, even in a show trial, is recorded. And if one enters a trial not wanting the truth, but only his or her own way, then that too is recorded for us to read these many years later. 

What will be our testimony today? Let us speak of the One who is the Truth!

Bucky

She Was Shown To Us

Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls filled with the seven last plagues came to me and talked with me, saying, “Come, I will show you the bride, the Lamb’s wife.” The Revelation 21:9

The research project got to the end, and the answer was there all along. Who is the one Jesus is to marry? Some argue that it is Israel, others that it is the Church, and yet we can read that John was shown the Bride of Jesus. As I am one who does not like arguments, this is one that is headed off right quickly by one of the seven angels John sees pouring out the last judgments on the earth. The Revelation of Jesus the Christ reveals many things to us, and this one is not the least of them.

We read on to be shown this great city, and the question comes, "But who will inhabit this city, the Bride of Christ?" Ah, now there is a question. I can only retell that the Spirit and the Bride say, "Come!" Sounds like an invitation to me!

Let us go up to Jesus and His bride,

Bucky

Family Travels

David therefore departed from there and escaped to the cave of Adullam. So when his brothers and all his father’s house heard it, they went down there to him. 1 Samuel 22:1

Illness, injury, and other troubles cause family to rush to our side, as they did with David way back in the day. We had news here of a family on the way to their loved one yesterday, and it eased our burden greatly. Family can do things that even friends may not be able to accomplish under the law, as we found out when asking hospitals for news. It can be frustrating when you are left on the outside through nothing but the accident of familial birth.

You can see it coming though, and yes I'm going there!

In the new birth in Christ we are born into the family of God. And in the heavens and the new earth there will be no 'left out' for anyone in the family of God. I do not know whether we will look the same, be of one skin color, or of many more than we are now. I cannot say if there will be names of families such as we know here. But all those in the family of God will count on the name of our Savior and hold Him dear. That's the family for me, and that's the family for us all!

Have a great new day in the Lord's family!

Bucky

The Testimony Of Love

Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.  1 Corinthians 13:1

Happy Valentine's Day to you in the love of Christ Jesus! As the holiday is about love, it is to love we go on this day. The imagery of romantic love is used often to describe the lengths our Lord goes to save His people. And it is with this in mind that our testimony includes the love God showed for us when He gathered you and me into His flock. Ours may not be the most beautiful sounding, but let the love flow through us from our Lord Jesus. We have heard in our day some pleasing sounds given in testimony but lacking in love. The words may be well written and carefully rehearsed, but without love they are just noise; an actor delivering lines to the crowd. We are called to testify of love, His love.

Have a loving day in Christ!

Bucky

Struggles With The Word

But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him! Luke 12:5

Jesus told His disciples to not fear those who could kill the body and do no more. Then comes the verse that I struggle with, the one we read for today. The question is: so many times the Lord tells us to not be afraid, but then here tells us to be afraid of the very One who tells us to not be afraid! How can one be afraid of the One who loves us?

Paul may have part of our answer in the two persons we are: the old human who inherited the sin of Adam and Eve, and the new human who has been given the renewal of our Lord's grace. The former should certainly fear God and the judgment that casts out those who do not believe in His Son. The latter no longer fears this by faith in the sacrificial death of our Lord Jesus Christ. However, there is a second part of the answer for this new person in Christ. The word used as 'to be afraid', phobeo, has another usage: reverential obedience. Here is where the work in Christ of the new birth comes into this journey we have from salvation to sanctification and justification. We are no longer terrified of our Lord God, but we have a reverential obedience to Him as our Father God.

There, my mind is at ease on this now! May the love of our Lord God guide you this day!

Bucky

Put On The New

and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness. Ephesians 4:24

The old person of the flesh that clings to us so tightly at this time may object to our learning of the spirit of the new human that Jesus has placed within us along with His Spirit. However, what has changed? Do we show this righteousness and holiness as Paul said? One analogy that came to me this morning is that dog. No, not the family pet or the friendly one next door, but that dog over there. You know the one that is kept on a short chain and it annoys him all day long. Frustration is the poor thing's daily existence. He is totally dependent upon his owner for food and water because there is nothing he can reach and nowhere he can run. Leave aside the deplorable owner for a bit and consider his behavior. Growling, whining, gnashing his teeth at all who approach. You just know that if he ever got off that chain it would be a bloodbath and you hope to not be a part of it. And then it happens... But what a delight the doggy is off of that chain! Running from person to person, greeting each one with tail wagging and happy kisses. Who is this angelic copy of caninus horribilis? Why do we find it so difficult to emulate the renewed pooch?

My guess is that the chain on the old human did not entirely fall off just yet, and occasionally it catches on the things of this earth and gives us a good yank by way of reminder. Our Lord may be in His eternal wisdom removing the links of our chain one at a time so that we do not get too happy too soon. There are temptations and powers in this world that we must not greet joyously as a long lost friend. The finish of His work is sure and certain though!

Rejoice, His freedom is near!

Bucky

Something Was Changing

Then He said to them, “But now, he who has a money bag, let him take it, and likewise a knapsack; and he who has no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one. Luke 22:36

Jesus had just reminded His disciples of that time when He sent them out with nothing but their clothes and how they had lacked for nothing. But here they are told to prepare and to take supplies with them and... weapons! It tells of leaving home. Probably not the news the disciples expected that day. Something was changing, and they were to gather the stuff of a journey into enemy territory. Or so we might think in our distant age. However, those disciples were raised on the scriptures and they may have rejoiced in the conquest of Israel they thought was about to begin. They would certainly need the power of God for a conquest of even one of the many Roman provinces with just twelve sword-toting disciples and one leader. Before we go too far down that road though, we know from the newer part of the scriptures that this conquest was not yet for those twelve men. Jesus had told them what was to come, but it was easy to not believe it. We have the testimony of what happened with Jesus, and it is still easy to not believe it.

Something changed in us though, and believe in the Lord Jesus we do!

Love to you in Christ,

Bucky

He Manages The Crossing Over

​Remember the former things of old,
​​For I am God, and there is no other;
​​I am God, and there is none like Me,
  -- Isaiah 46:9

We tend to remember our former things of old, but here God tells Israel to remember His former things of old. And one of these is of course that crossing of the Red Sea in the Exodus. Now to someone hundreds or more years later, this was no small task. Just as it is for us, it was easy for them to not believe such an incredible story from a distant past. However, that story is such a great allegory for our walk with Christ today. First there was trust in God. How else do you make one foot step off in front of you when you see a canyon with walls of water stretching out before you? "Go there," he said, "easy for him to say!" The way of escape was not an easy one and went against everything the Israelites thought they knew about water and the world. We also face our walls of water as we make the crossing of this life. Death seems to loom over us on each side, but by trusting in God we have that one path of dry ground to walk on. Did those Israelites, as we often do, walk the path crying in fear? Probably to begin with, but it likely dawned upon them that God could take each and every life whenever He pleased, and moment by moment their confidence in the Lord grew until they could see the end and knew the Word passed to them by Moses was true.

Walk with faith in God, and don't fear those walls on either side of us, trust Him to manage the ending!

Bucky

Let Us Write Of The Lord

Son of man, write down the name of the day, this very day—the king of Babylon started his siege against Jerusalem this very day. Ezekiel 24:2

The prophet was commanded to note the day. But what a day to note! A siege was not fun on either side of the wall. Attackers would do their thing, defenders theirs, and people would die. Later, there would be boredom and hunger, and so on until the siege came to a conclusion. Ezekiel had already demonstrated the end of this particular siege, and it was not good for Jerusalem. And yet, the Lord would have the prophet note the day for posterity. Seems like maybe some counting would begin from the date of this day. While we cannot know certain days, the Lord through the prophet Daniel did give us some Sevens to count. Tick-tock, when does that last Seven begin? Until it does, let us write (sing, speak, preach, witness, et al.) of the Lord and His wonderful mercy and saving grace!

Have a beautiful Friday in Christ the Lord!

Bucky

The Solo Ascent

“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.  John 15:5

We have seen this verse not so long ago right here, but it seems that we need it back again. It is a constant temptation to do something for the Lord on our own. Whether it be resolutions, or a plan of improvement, or cleaning up this life, or even following those teachings of Paul, Peter, James, and the whole gang that present a plan for the ideal church person, we fall into climbing that mountain alone. The solo ascent, how proud one might be to reach the peak. But this mountain is not the usual rocks and snow that we see in the Rockies or the Andes. This mountain is that perfecting required to enter the gates of Heaven. Or is it? Jesus in this verse speaks of us bearing fruit right here, today, in this place. Even in that we need Him, "for without Me you can do nothing," our Lord said.  

Today's worries are enough, let our Lord lead us up the mountain in His way and in His time.

Bucky

A Container For The Testimony

And you shall put into the ark the Testimony which I will give you. Exodus 25:16

The artisans were given instructions for building a container. A special container, for it would hold the Testimony of the Lord written by His hand on the stone tablets. We are often shown two big rocks carved in the shape of tombstones with large writing on them. It must be that someone thinks God is big so therefore He must write big and needs big tablets to write on. The thing written on these big stones is usually a list of ten commandments...in English. Was that the writing of God on those tablets? We cannot know by visual inspection at this time. However, there may be a different container made more recently by an artisan that we can hear from today. That container you may be familiar with, for it is you and me. All those who believe in Jesus become containers of His testimony. In fact we are all sent to spread His good news to all the nations. At this moment today, you and I are the containers God has made and we bear the testimony He has given of His Son, Jesus the Christ; the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.

O lovely container of Christ's testimony, bear your light unto the world this day!

Bucky