Who Is God? Part 8

And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” Genesis 2:16-17

Lawgiver answers our title question this week. The first law or commandment with a penalty came in the Garden of Eden with the verses we read this morning. So, as lawgiver answers one question, we in our culture today might ask one question in return: What gives God the right to make that first law? While any of us might simply accept God's right as being God, that is circular and unlikely to sway an unbeliever to read any more of the word of God. As we have read only a short but important part of the Bible at this point in Genesis 2, we already have one big reason God gets to give the laws: Creator. From the first verse of the Word of God we have God creating all things. We do a similar thing in life today. If you own a house then you have house rules. The first law was a test of Adam's obedience and trust in his Creator, and the first warning that things would not go his way if he decided to test this one house rule. And since we read through chapter 1 that when God speaks, things come into being. It would seem to follow that to disobey and do what God had said not to do then the penalty part would indeed follow. And that will be a story for another day!

Rejoice in our Creator and Lawgiver, and of course obey Him!

Bucky

Questions Shutdown

And no one was able to answer Him a word, nor from that day on did anyone dare question Him anymore. Matthew 22:46

Chapter 22 of Matthew has a series of questions posed to our Lord Jesus, until this verse at the end where the questioners were shut down. Do you mean they had Jesus right there and sought no more answers? Was there to be no more asking, seeking, and knocking? Of course from the Word we know that by Pharisee, Sadducee, scribe, and Herodian, they came to test our Lord and were sent away answered. These were not seeking but thought they knew the answer already and wanted to disprove the Lord's ministry and His claim. Instead one and all received such astonishing answers that they were shut down for good. The invitation for those who are seeking the Lord remains open. Ask Him what you do not understand, seek Him for what you do not know, kn0ck on the door of His tomb...and see that no one is there! 

We have a living Savior, and He is the answer to our questions! 

Bucky

A Message To Us!

For His merciful kindness is great toward us,
And the truth of the LORD endures forever.
Praise the LORD!   Psalm 117:2

Looking for some mercy in the Old Testament, I searched this morning for 'merciful'. Now there are many verses for Israel, as might be expected, but this one I saw from its rather brief context in the shortest of psalms is a message to you and me. Yes, the psalm begins, Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles! That's us! Could this diminutive song be perhaps written by one of us too? It may be, but the important point for us is who this merciful One is, and that is the Lord. We need His mercy as much as His people in Israel. We also praise God to note that His truth endures forever. And His truth we know from John 14 is none but Jesus Himself! It may be the shortest of psalms, but we derive great hope from our Lord and Savior.

And now, let us do as the psalm sings, Praise the Lord!

Bucky

Fear and Great Joy

So they went out quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to bring His disciples word. Matthew 28:8

We have read and heard this verse many times, especially at Easter. How often do we consider the conflict between those two emotions - fear and great joy? Those who had met the angel in the tomb might be able to better explain to us how both of these large feelings could exist in them at the same time. However, we might know ourselves from the thoughts of death we experience at funerals or during illness. For that pairing of emotions does explain how the believer in Christ approaches the tomb as well. We fear death in the flesh and yet at the same time feel the stirring of that great joy we have in Christ Jesus. Conflicting and complementary at once, by such feelings we see our state as both born fallen and born again redeemed.

Praise God that one will fall behind us soon!

Bucky

Who Is God? Pt. 7

The LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there He put the man whom He had formed. And out of the ground the LORD God made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Genesis 2:8-9

The Lord God is a farmer, or you might say, a gardener. We see in this passage that the Lord plants and places, grows and provides. The Lord will place the man and then in verse 15, we see the man following in the Lord's footsteps by tending the garden. The Lord, Him we call Father, first taught the man to farm or garden. We can see here that the Lord loves beauty with His provision also, for the trees that provided food were also pleasant to the sight. We understand from what came later that this was not a place for weeds and thorns, but of produce and pleasant viewing. The Lord's garden was a delight!

Rejoice! The Lord will make all things new once again and soon.

Bucky

Turning The Mind To The Word

Beat your breasts for the pleasant fields,
for the fruitful vine,
for the soil of my people
growing up in thorns and briers,
yes, for all the joyous houses
in the exultant city.
--Isaiah 32:12-13

The drought in the west of the nation comes to mind easily from my location, but thorns and briers in the word of God often speak to the cares of the world. One of those cares may be the cost of a little exultation. With inflation taking off like the best top fuel dragster these last few months, we certainly have plenty to worry about when it comes to costs. During those times of increased care and worry, it may not be easy to turn the mind to the word of God. The times of celebration and exultation are of course no easier. We are faced with thorns and briers right in among the pleasant fields and fruitful vines. All of it seems to conspire to remove our thoughts from the One who saved us by His Word. Jesus reminded us in John 16:33 that He has overcome the world, and He told us of tribulation in the world at the same time. Turn the mind to the Word, for that is right where we are this day.

Peace, joy and love to you in Christ the Lord!

Bucky

Attractive Loyalty

Loyalty makes a person attractive.
It is better to be poor than dishonest.
--Proverbs 19:22

It seems so obvious to us when we read the proverb, but when we go to work on our attractiveness this morning it probably will be with the aid of a mirror, brush, razor, makeup and other tools of the trade. Loyalty likely will not enter into the picture until we read our verse for today. Oh, loyalty makes a person attractive, that must be how those stars in Hollywood got their fame and fortune. Yeah, that's it, sure it is. The world may consider loyalty as weak, stupid, or even a failure to capitalize on advancement opportunity. Unless of course a person becomes a corporate officer and gets caught in dishonesty. Then suddenly loyalty and honesty are sterling qualities that should be found in all those in authority. Yes, those old proverbs collected by Solomon have a message for us in this age.

Have a loyal and honest day in our Lord Jesus; it makes you attractive!

Bucky

A Little Cheer

But Jesus turned around, and when He saw her He said, “Be of good cheer, daughter; your faith has made you well.” And the woman was made well from that hour. Matthew 9:22

Cheer may be one of those words where we know what it is or is not, but have never tried to form a definition. "Be of good cheer," our Lord said to the woman. She had suffered long with her illness and it likely showed in her countenance. Jesus informed her that a change had come by first commanding a show of happiness, gratitude, relief, and peace - any of these can go into a feeling of cheer. She may even feel like shouting out her cheer to the glory of God. Cheer goes into Christmas so well that even those who refuse to celebrate it notice the effect it has on you and me. And in the face of tribulation that we will have in this world, Jesus reminds us to be of good cheer. (John 16:33) Cheer just seems to make us happy, and happiness makes us want to cheer. 

Sin may darken the world, but be of good cheer. Jesus returns soon!

Bucky

Who Is God? Pt. 6

And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being. Genesis 2:7

Dr. Frankenstein had a fantasy in which he could give the breath of life to his creature. It is a work of fiction, but give it a try. Gather some dust from the ground, form it into a human shape however you can, and make a couple of nostrils on it. Now, breathe into those nostrils and make it live. We don't even try, because we know that something God has is not ours to give in that way. He made a pile of dust into a living being. By this Adam's children became both earthly, from the dust, and godly, from the Lord's breath of life. Not only can we not breathe life into a pile of dirt, we do not even know how to go about making an eye from this dust. Too big and complex for us? How about one cell? Can we make a cell from dust? Yes, it is still far too much for me too. All the more do we wonder, how did God do it?

Who is God? God is the One who gave us life!

Bucky

Take Ownership

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David when Nathan the prophet went to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.

Have mercy upon me, O God,
According to Your lovingkindness;
According to the multitude of Your tender mercies,
Blot out my transgressions.
Psalm 51:1

This lesson from David's life has been taught many times, but that doesn't mean I won't bring it up again! Yes, the story has all the lurid sins that make up many a movie script in our time: temptation, lust, wickedness, adultery, attempted coverup, betrayal, and murder. Then the sinner goes about making plans for his new bride and son. Ah, but God watches always and sees His anointed king going about business as usual without the least sign of remorse. With God's word in hand, Nathan the prophet finally tells a story that outrages the king so much that death is decreed for the sinner. It is that classic story where everyone seems to be in the know but the protagonist. Finally, Nathan has to point out plainly and bluntly that it is David who is the miscreant in the story. Then, like that proverbial ton of bricks, the king sees his sin for what it is - transgression against God the Father. And our lesson begins with this model of confessional prayer. 

Your or my latest sin likely did not involve betraying a loyal soldier to his death after sinning against the man's marriage. At least we hope it wasn't that heinous. And thus do we declare our will that this sin against God or that other one is not as bad as those in the Bible stories. Hmm, yes, probably should ask the Judge and not the accused which crime is the worst of the worst. And so, whatever sin we have committed, we look to David's prayer to the Lord. Mercy, he asks, but not based on any thing the sinner may have but to those qualities the Lord presents to us in His goodness: lovingkindness and the multitude of His tender mercies. And finally the taking of ownership, David asks for a blotting out of his transgression, in other words, forgiveness of sin. 

May our confession be deep and heartfelt, and may we in Christ sin no more. 

Bucky

Heat of Summer

For day and night your hand was heavy upon me;
my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. Selah
Psalm 32:4

The heat of summer dries up our strength these many years later, and we have something in common with David. We don't like our strength to falter by way of heat or sickness, or even old age. However, the laying down of our strength often brings to us the realization of God's strength. Would God's strength then go to work for us sooner if we could back out of the way? Just lay down all our tools and let God do the building?  It sounds tempting, which is of course something to be wary of in this life. There are lessons learned by the expending of our strength and lessons that come when God steps in with His strength. It is also then that we remember that all strength is given by God and even in our work it is the Lord who has enabled us. So, thanks be to God for His strength and ours! 

Have a blessed and  hot day! Sorry about the heat of July, but the seasons will come until He does!

Bucky

A Time Is Coming

Look, a time is coming - and has come - when you will be scattered, each one to his own home, and I will be left alone. Yet I am not alone, because my Father is with me. John 16:32 NET

For much of the time recorded in the gospels, Jesus had this group of people following Him around. Our Lord often went alone to pray some distance from the group, but they were there nearby. Then, Jesus made this extraordinary prophecy that went against the sworn word of His followers. They were shocked, scandalized, with a 'we would never' ready to speak against this serious charge. All the protests would come to nothing though, as we know who would be proven right in the end. Peter even threw the rest of the gang under a bus and said his protest with an "even if all the others..." None of the others went where Peter did with his three denials in one night. And all of us others must learn the lesson they did back in the day. Protesting the Lord's prophecy, though it may speak of a terrible betrayal, changes nothing. Better to spend the time preparing a repentance and apology!

Glory to God! That Jesus our Lord prepared the way for us to return to the Father.

Bucky

Who Is God? Pt 5

And God said, “See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for food. Genesis 1:29

A few miles down the road from the Garden of Eden, Abraham will name a place Jehovah Jireh, which means to us, The Lord Will Provide. The provision of the Lord is seen by us several times each day in what we eat. To this day we enjoy the first provision which was fruits, nuts and herbs. Later changes in what we or Israel may eat come when Noah lands after the flood, in the Law given to Moses, and in a dream given to Peter. You can easily think of many other ways in which the Lord provides for us. So, for the fifth part of our Friday series, we have: provider, as in the Lord is our heavenly Provider, or as George Washington liked to name Him, Providence.

Thank You, dear Lord God, for providing for us this day!

Bucky

This Is Stupid

And when Pharaoh saw that the rain, the hail, and the thunder had ceased, he sinned yet more; and he hardened his heart, he and his servants. Exodus 9:34

Last night I thought of my friend Kevin from quite a few years back in the day. Kevin and I served in the Marines and until he went and got married, we watched many movies to pass the time. There was a point in the movie last night where I just knew that Kevin would have muttered, "This is stupid." Most of the time I agreed with him as not all the movies we saw back in those days were well-written and edifying in their performance. The same line might be used for those who endure some tribulation in this life, and then fail to repent of sin, ask forgiveness of God, and rejoice in the salvation of Jesus Christ.

In our verse for today, we see the result of a hardened heart, not only in Pharaoh but in his servants as well. We wonder at it, and then go ask God for some sign to show the unbelievers what our God can do. We may want to review the plagues God brought upon Egypt for Moses, and the response of Pharaoh. We may look at old Pharaoh and say the line, but a hardened heart is far worse than a stupid one.

Have you met a hardened heart? Pray for your neighbor until God softens that heart.

Bucky

Message of Hope

​​Say to those who are fearful-hearted,
​​“Be strong, do not fear!
​​Behold, your God will come with vengeance,
​​With the recompense of God;
​​He will come and save you.”
   Isaiah 35:4

We have a host of reasons to be fearful in our hearts these days, and so did the people in Isaiah's time and many others. Isaiah urged us to encourage one another with words of good hope. Be strong and do not fear! The words of faith spoken by God's people have a powerful effect on others, and so many need the words of encouragement in these dark days.

With words such as these in the scriptures, it is easy to see how the Judeans might wonder why Jesus did not get busy with that revenging thing. However, our Lord was about the last bit first, He came to save them and us from our sin. The vengeance part is shown in the Revelation, and His time for that is coming too. Until that time, we have the honor of passing along a message of good hope with the salvation of our Lord Jesus. Therefore:

Be strong, do not fear! And rejoice in the salvation of Jesus the Christ!

Bucky

Who Is God? Pt. 4

Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” Genesis 1:26

In today's study on God, we must address this one verse in the first chapter of the Bible where we come to the statement that God is an 'Us'. As in plural, more than one? Yes, that is what the scripture says when it reaches the sixth day of creation and humans, man and woman, were up for our beginnings. The best explanation for this does not come for more than a couple thousands of years. John wrote his gospel account and the story of the Revelation he witnessed as what may well be the final two books of the Bible to be written and disseminated. Both books reveal the Word, and God, and the Spirit, as being aspects of God. Of course, once we see this, then we see the Father, the Son, and the Spirit throughout the pages of the Bible. Aha, we say, even in the first verse of Genesis we see the Spirit of God hovering over the face of the waters. Yes, once the key unlocks the lock, we are able to see. It is left to John those many years down the road to explain where the Son, the Word of God, was in the Creation, but He is certainly there for us.

May the Lord Jesus watch over you as we begin the holiday weekend this evening!

Bucky