The (Sometimes) Uncomfortable Work Of Faith

Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him.” Matthew 2:13

They had a house to stay in, perhaps rented, and the gifts from the east had been given. Joseph may have settled into his new business with jobs lined up or a timeclock to punch at his employer's place. They were settling into Bethlehem, and what better place for the Son of God, child of David, and future King of Israel? Well there could be the force of prophecy at work in the land and their new baby had a LOT of prophecies working on His young life. Well this latest visit from the angel of dreams brought what a young family dreads - an uncomfortable flight in the dead of night, leaving without saying 'goodbye', the terror of getting caught and killed by the armies of the evil king, and oh, moving to a new place in a foreign nation. If all that doesn't test the faith of a young man and his bride, I'm not sure that anything will.

The testing of faith may be uncomfortable for us, maybe even terrifying, but fear not, the Lord is always with us!

Bucky

Great Joy

When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy.  Matthew 2:10

The wise men from the east had made it to Jerusalem, and were from there directed to Bethlehem by Herod. This may explain one reason they were called wise, them being one of the very few groups of travelling men to stop and ask for directions. The star they had seen in their homeland had apparently given only a sort of over-this-way sort of direction to get them on the road. One might ask why the star didn't direct them around Jerusalem and so avoid stirring up Herod, but that would be to forget about prophecy. The stop in Jerusalem set fulfillment of prophecies in motion, and then as they were leaving the star appeared to the wise men once more and they rejoiced. The purpose in Jerusalem accomplished, the star then leads them directly to the house where Jesus and His mother are staying. 

When they saw the star again, the wise men rejoiced with great joy, but when they saw the newborn King, they fell down and worshiped. Oh yes! God's Son has come down!

Bucky 

Waiting For Him

And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was just and devout, waiting for the Consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. Luke 2:25-26

We are waiting for Him, and so too was Simeon, but the scripture does not say how long this man waited for the Lord's Christ. Many generations have waited for the return of our Lord Jesus, and yet He has not returned. We think it would be an easier wait if, like Simeon, we knew it would be within a man's lifespan. What a fine joke it would be if the Lord kept that one waiting person alive for oh, fifteen hundred years or so. At present, there is no temple in Jerusalem for the person to wait in, but those final years could begin at any moment. Without a scripture telling us, we have no idea how long Simeon waited. And, without a day, hour, month and year, we have no idea how long until Jesus returns. All we have is that Simeon waited, and that is our task as well, just to wait on Him.

I hope you had a grand Christmas this year. And now, we can wait for the next one!

Bucky

The First Message: Do Not Be Afraid

Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. Luke 2:10-11

A strange thing had come to the shepherds that night near Bethlehem and they needed some calming words to still the fear that had come over them. Look, the angel said to them, it is good tidings of great joy. For the shepherds it was a simple fear - angels did not normally appear to them suddenly in the darkness. It was a mercy that just one appeared at first, because the heavenly host came just as suddenly and they had a message too. Without that first one to ease their fear, those shepherds might have taken flight before the message could be delivered. Strange, unusual, uncanny even? Absolutely, but this was and is the most unusual birth in all of history. And yet, the baby to be named Jesus also came into the world in the usual way. When the shepherds arrived to see the child, they may have wondered who could be afraid of the little baby. And yet, the powers of darkness called for child sacrifice before that birth and they have desired it since that time, so they must be afraid of something to come from the birth of a child. The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world has been born in Bethlehem! Such tidings of gladness and joy for us and those shepherds.

Have a Merry Christmas Day in Christ our Lord!

Bucky

It's Close!

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:
Glory to God in the highest,
​​And on earth peace, goodwill toward men! -- Luke 2:13-14

The holy day is close, but should we celebrate it? Before we all jump to "Of course we should!", let's check the scriptures. In our verses for today, it seems the angels thought so as a multitude of the heavenly host gathers to celebrate the birth of Jesus. In a few moments the shepherds who stood sorely afraid will think so too as they visit the divine birthplace. That's one powerful heavenly recommendation, and one rather mundane earthly one. Whether you feel powerful and heavenly this morning, or more along the lines of those shepherds, the answer would seem to be a hearty, "Yes! Let's celebrate the birth of the Christ child!"

So, may you all have a very, merry Christmas!

Bucky

Save The Innkeeper!

So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.  Luke 2:6-7

The season of the celebration of our Lord's birth has come this year, and as usual I get to save the innkeeper. Often I and many other writers and preachers do this by pointing out that the scriptures do not say that there was one. However, for those who like to add a greedy innkeeper to the story, there certainly could have been one. The opportunities available to the residents of Bethlehem when that decree went out from Rome may well have allowed a man of a certain, shall we say, business sense, to seek a position as keeper of the guesthouse or inn in order to fleece the tourists coming back to register. This same man may have gone on to a lucrative career as a tax collector in the following years.  It is possible that no room at the inn may have been due to Joseph and Mary not being able to pay quite as much as other guests in town. Of course debating whether there could have been an innkeeper takes away from the important part of the scripture: God came down and was born in Bethlehem. 

And there in the verses is that cute little baby Jesus wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger. 

Have a sweet and happy Christmas in Christ our Lord!

Bucky

The Son Is Conceived

Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?”

And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.  Luke 1:34-35

This did not happen in the usual way, as Mary indicates by her question. Which could tend to make one a bit curious as to the means and methods employed in the accomplishment of the task at hand. However, this idle curiosity may never be satisfied. Ya know, a little privacy for the Holy Spirit and the young lady, please! 

When it comes to matters of faith, we don't always get to know how the thing is or was done. A man was born with eyes that did not provide sight. Jesus gave the man sight without transplants or surgeries or anything that we can see in the Bible. In another case there was spit and mud involved in the sight restoration. Imagine the shock and outrage if an eye doctor tried that method later today! And yet in both cases we do not know the mechanism or means by which our Lord's healing worked. The holy mud? That I believe was not needed by Jesus, but as a little boost to the blind man's faith. Sort of like the little assurance Mary needed as Gabriel told her, the Lord will take care of it. 

Faith, it's what makes a believer out of us!

Bucky

The Place, But What Day?

But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
​​Are not the least among the rulers of Judah;
​​For out of you shall come a Ruler
​​Who will shepherd My people Israel.
  -- Matthew 2:6 from Micah 5:2

Hundreds of years before Christ was born, the place was named by the prophet. Our Lord Jesus has a great many prophecies about Him, His birth, and even His return. That alone serves to remind me that there is something special about this man who was born in Bethlehem.

So, we have the place, but about that 'when'? Yes, there does seem to be something rather more special about that time and date. There is doubt that He was born on December the 25th, and it may be that He was not even born in 1 A.D. It seems that the when is something held extra special to the Lord God. We see that in the day and hour of our Lord's return, since no one knows that but the Father in Heaven, not even the Son.

In some things, we just keep our faith in Jesus!

Bucky

Everyone To Your City

And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city.  Luke 2:1-3

Everyone to your own city, get back there, let's go! For a Friday, imagine a world ruler sending out the decree today, that everyone must go back to their own city to be registered. Try to imagine billions of people griping about doing it online instead. The next verse would throw even more confusion into the works, as Joseph went up to the city of his lineage. City of my lineage? According to the powers that be, a whole lot of us over here, come from this place over there, and we're pretty sure they don't want us back there, so...help! Even comparing it to our time, we can see that this decree would cause a huge inconvenience to everyone. As our Lord's time to be born arrived, even the Son of God had to be born in a stable because of that decree from far away in Rome. 

A world ruler, Ha! Try to imagine that happening anytime soon. Like a great many Bible prophecies though, it will take dern near forever to arrive and yet arrive faster than anyone thinks possible. How does He do it?

Merry Christmas!

Bucky

O Bethlehem!

Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Luke 2:8

Joseph and Mary arrived in Bethlehem because they were of the lineage of David. The shepherds were in the field keeping watch over their flock. About a thousand years ago in time from that night in Bethlehem, David was in the field keeping watch over the flock when Samuel arrived to anoint the new king of Israel. Jesus, the child born that night in Bethlehem is the Good Shepherd. If I sat down to write a book and made up stuff like this, it would be dismissed as too far-fetched for even a suspension of disbelief. And yet the question marches before you, will you believe in the Son of God?

Rejoice, for unto us a Child is born!

Bucky

It's 3:00 AM, Wife!

Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife, and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name JESUS. Matthew 1:24-25

Up to this point, Joseph had been thinking a quiet divorce would fit the bill for Mary's sake. However, he has the first of his angel dreams and it comes with a command. We might assume that ol' Joe waited for the dawn, but the scripture says that he was aroused from sleep - could just as well have been earlier. Of course it may have been tough to find her room as Joseph didn't even know her at the time. Yeah, we're not that slow. Imagine Mary being awakened by her betrothed in the dark of the night by a shout at the window, "It's 3:00 am, wife!" However it happened, the Lord worked it out between the mother of His Son and her husband.

I wonder if those angel dreams of Joseph's were precipitated by Mary's dad dismissing his future son in law as a 'dreamer'...

Love to you this Christmas season!

Bucky

Too Unbelievable?

“Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”  Matthew 1:23

This one prophecy trips up many a person, including Mary when her time arrived. Centuries before the blessed event, the prophet Isaiah passes along this word from the Lord. And it begins with the part that tripped up Mary, virgin + conception = eh? She had likely been taught about the birds and the bees, as we used to say, and one of them was missing. The angel Gabriel then assures Mary that it is possible for the Lord. Next, those hundreds of years before even Mary and Joseph were born, God called it a male child. While this one might seem easier with a 50/50 chance, how many of us can even tell if our family will be around in a few centuries? And then comes that name we do not use often enough, Immanuel. The name that Gabriel appeared to refute when he told Mary to name the kid, Jesus. We know now that the 'they' was not the parents, but those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God, or God in the form of a man, truly God With Us - Immanuel. 

So unbelievable, or at least unbelievable without help, and we too would be among those unbelievers without the help of our Lord's dear Spirit. Blessed be the name of Jesus who is Immanuel. 

Bucky

Pondering Things

But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. Matthew 1:20

The leap to the angel part of this verse is quite understandable. But for a few moments this morning, let's think about Joseph's thinking. One thing we can notice right away is that Joseph didn't take the Hollywood route of immediate, blowing up, self-righteous anger. Joseph also thought his decision was already made in the previous verse, and that he would quietly put her away. "What?!" the movie exec shouts, "there's no movie in quietly! We need emotional outrage and fireworks!" Well, not everyone is like those shouting, overemoting actors we are presented with these days. Joseph was doing as all might want to do a bit more of these days, he was pondering things. An emotional explosion over things isn't the only way to live life, in spite of how popular that seems to be in the social media of our age.

So, Joseph finished pondering things and got on with his plan... heh, heh, until the plan was changed for him!

Do not be afraid, you and I may have our plans changed by the Lord today too!

Bucky

An Unbelievable Birth

Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. Luke 1:26-27

We could list the many things odd, different, and unusual about our Lord's birth and family, but you have seen those already. It may be that the Lord made sure His birth was unusual enough to comfort all those in the coming ages whose birth or raising did not fit the usual or ideal pattern of their culture. But nothing is quite so unbelievable as an angel walking in to say, 'Hey virgin, you will be pregnant in the morning by the power of God's Spirit! Congrats.' Uh, huh, the first thing to do is go and tell Dad, because surely that prophecy from Isaiah will be the first thing he thinks of when he hears the news, right? We know that Joseph, the betrothed, did not believe Mary right away, as he prepared to quietly end the engagement. Was all of Nazareth then waiting to see who the kid would look like and wagging their tongues with guesses? Actually, that would be kind of normal.

The method of our Lord's birth is so unbelievable that only faith can bring us to believe it. And faith is the domain of the Lord's Spirit. Hmm, it seems that Mary and all who believe know the work of the Holy Spirit inside of us!

Love to you by the unusual faith we hold in Christ Jesus!

Bucky

Christmas Breadcrumbs

So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations, from David until the captivity in Babylon are fourteen generations, and from the captivity in Babylon until the Christ are fourteen generations. Matthew 1:17

Interesting, but just how important is this symmetry of generations really? Well, it delighted Matthew after he wrote down this long list of generations going back to Abraham, and that gives us a breadcrumb along Matthew's trail to follow to the man. As we read the Christmas story and pass along the bits that delight us, we too leave a trail of Christmas breadcrumbs telling something of ourselves. You may have noticed that I like to pass along the awesome surprise of those shepherds watching their flock by night. "See, it's good news, Avi, quit shaking and let's go to Bethlehem!" Yes, I like that something capable of inducing such fear brings only good news, happy news, and long awaited tidings to those serving in a most humble occupation. The pretty celebrities and swell royals of the time probably had little or nothing to do with those shepherds. God sent His messengers out to the field though and not to the palaces of the land to announce the birth of His Son. And at this time from a distant land, some observant wise guys are on the way to see the newborn King too!

Have a happy Christmas!

Bucky

A Christmas Job

Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night.  Luke 2:8

We work jobs to pay for the cost of living. Sometimes the cost of living runs a little wild and gets out of the control of those we elect hoping they will make it a little better for us. We gripe and moan a bit, and those shepherds out in the field likely had similar conversations in their day. We are about 3 weeks from Christmas Day, and by now you probably know whether you have one of those Christmas jobs; the ones where a person must work through the holiday. The shepherds had just such a job, but they didn't know it in this verse. This is one of those setting verses that get us going as we know that the knowledge of their Christmas job is about to be announced to them in a spectacular way. So spectacular is the announcement that these shepherds will find themselves sorely afraid. But the news is nothing but the good news of our Lord's arrival! 

The good news of Jesus Christ may come as a shock to someone, but announce it anyway!

Bucky

Just Standing There

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

Each Christmas season I come upon this passage of scripture and try to imagine the expression on Zacharias' face in that critical moment. It surely must have been priceless. In the usual Biblical understatement, the next verse says that he was troubled, and fear fell upon him. If angels told tales as we do, the statement might be more like, "Dude, you should have seen your face!" But perhaps angels do not understand that sort of humor we have. Instead, the angel had an equally startling message for that old and shaken priest, it was baby time! Zacharias reaches down and picks up his priest hat for the second time in as many minutes. 

Angels and old folks having a special child, the Christmas story is filled with startling moments to gain our attention. Some use that as an excuse to call it a myth, others... we just believe and rejoice! 

Have a faithful Christmas season!

Bucky

Something Grand Comes

But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both well advanced in years.  Luke 1:7

We do not know from the scriptures how they knew it was Elizabeth, but between Zacharias and his wife they could not produce a child. The story would not be quite the same if God had selected from among the Israelites a couple who had already produced a dozen children but hadn't had any for a few years. A late surprise blessing has happened to many a couple through the ages. It is like God wants to set the stage for His works with a bit more difficulty than the norm. This of course we know from many stories in the Bible. Daniel wasn't lowered into a den of kittens; that wouldn't be much of a story. Some of us might even consider that a bit of Heaven. Instead we read a grand story of famished lions, a concerned ruler, and an angel. Wonders indeed! 

So, if your circumstances seem a bit strained, perhaps God is preparing your story for His grand entrance and a mighty work. 

Marvel and wonder fill your works, O Lord!

Bucky

Just A Little Star

Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.” Matthew 2:1-2

It must have been quite the shock for Herod the king to be told by these travelers that the King of the Jews had just been born somewhere out here in his kingdom. And this birth had special significance, it being announced by a star seen way out East and all. Perhaps these wise but somewhat naive men from the east thought that all Jerusalem would be celebrating this birth, but they in effect told Herod, "You ain't the real king, ding-a-ling!" They also could not know of the doubts concerning Herod's ancestry and that he reigned only at the pleasure of the Roman occupation forces. This little star over Bethlehem generated a question that hit Herod like the proverbial arrow to the heart!

For us, that little star resting over a house in Bethlehem signified the human birth of the Son of God, the King of kings! Let us be merry as we celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus.

Bucky

We Are Fruit Filling

Those who come He shall cause to take root in Jacob;
​​Israel shall blossom and bud,
​​And fill the face of the world with fruit.
  -- Isaiah 27:6

We read of the fruit of the Spirit in Paul's writings, but is that the prophecy here in our verse today? It may be part of it, but that fruit may be literal too. The phrase, those who come, speaks of persons and peoples to us. As the Israelites are already rooted in Jacob, it would seem that others will come too. Those who believe in Jesus, such as you and me, will also take root in Jacob and produce fruit that fills the face of the earth. Did you want to think of yourself as the fruit filling of faith this morning? By that odd metaphor we are in the baking stage of this pie of faith, and there can be some conflict as we bake and boil together in this fruit filling. Even as we bump up against one another in this hot mixture, let us recall the words of Jesus and love one another!

Now go and have a fruitful day in Christ!

Bucky

The Season Has Come!

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

Some might think it too early to begin writing about Christmas, but Isaiah and Micah didn't think so way back in their day. Hundreds of years before that first Christmas day, these two prophets began spreading the good news of the coming birth of Messiah. Micah named the place and Isaiah gave us several names to call the coming Savior. We like to start the season with this prophecy from Isaiah about a Child and a Son. It was Isaiah who also gave to us that holy name by which we have come to know God's Son, Immanuel, which is literally translated God-with-us. On a night some centuries down the road of time, Immanuel would be announced to shepherds by angels, and the joy of the Christmas story rolls on through many more centuries.

Have a merry Christmas season in Jesus our Lord!

Bucky

Being Thankful

Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. Colossians 3:16

A grateful attitude, or gratitude, is essential to begin the Thanksgiving holiday. Some among us have already traveled to their celebration destination and others are on the way. I will travel just a few blocks tomorrow for my celebration of thanksgiving to the Lord. For those doing the hosting this year, you deserve thanks too! Let us not, in our happy delight, forget to give the most and best thanks to our God and Savior this Thanksgiving.

Thank You, dear God for Your Son, Jesus!

Bucky

A Powerful Promise

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.  And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.  If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.  John 14:12-14

As the long-time readers of this devotional will know, I once tried to use this passage to ask for something I did not need and that was likely not in line with God's will for me. The experiment showed that I could not even ask the thing due to a restraining influence in me. So, due to the recent pushback from several quarters on the Rapture theology or Dispensationalism, I wondered how so many could have faith in Christ that the Rapture will happen. And there was this passage of scripture. The Rapture can happen in the twinkling of an eye, as Paul tells it, because so many who believe in Jesus have asked in His name for this to happen. Does this go against the will of God? I should think not, as He is not willing that any should perish and God desires that all should repent and come to Him. Does this leave room for some to endure to the end and be saved as in the Olivet Discourse? Yes indeed. Could a person have faith in Jesus for salvation and not believe in the Rapture? This would tend to explain how two can be working together in a field and one taken while the other is left behind, since with any two people both could believe in Jesus. 

So, some believe and use our Lord's powerful promise in one way, while others who believe use it in another way, and yet both are called by the Lord to do this? Sure, the Lord has a variety of workers in the field! 

We all need faith in our Lord Jesus,

Bucky

The Earth Is Full

He loves righteousness and justice;
The earth is full of the goodness of the LORD.
  -- Psalm 33:5

It does not seem so when we look at the news of the day that the earth is full of the goodness of the Lord. That the media does not report it does not mean that it is not true. We tend to forget that it may be simply easier to report all the evil in the world. Here in our verse for today we read of two things the Lord loves, and one that He provides to all the earth. Goodness often seems so far away from us, and yet we must not be looking well when the earth is full of it. At times we may wonder how Jesus could stand to be with all the evil He saw in the earth. Maybe He didn't look at that all the time and saw something we struggle to see: an earth full of the goodness of God!

Look with new eyes in Christ our Lord!

Bucky

When We See Him

For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant,
And as a root out of dry ground.
He has no form or comeliness;
And when we see Him,
There is no beauty that we should desire Him.
  -- Isaiah 53:2

The tough selection process, the professional makeup and lighting, and somewhere under there was a pretty face already. Are they not beautiful and desirable to the eyes? Yes, we live in a celebrity sort of world. According to the prophecy of Isaiah, Jesus would not even warrant a notice in the casting offices of today. However, Jesus was the living word of God made human, and once He began speaking and healing, people noticed Him. God did not send His Son with a celebrity kind of physical beauty, but He has been celebrated by many for a long time now. When we realize that so many celebrities of the day have nothing more to offer than what they look like, then perhaps we begin to understand why a worldly standard of photogenic beauty just wasn't good enough for God's Son. 

Have a happy day in Christ our Lord!

Bucky

Something So Dangerous

For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Hebrews 4:12

You have been handed something powerful. And maybe you and I do not realize yet just how powerful this thing is that we read and quote to one another. We fear any government or corporation having a device that discerns the thoughts and intents of the heart. And yet, here is this thing delivered up to us to read and study. Weapons of all types are feared and some would pass laws hoping to eliminate all of them. And here is this thing that divides joints and marrow. And not a person among us could tell us how or where to divide the soul from the spirit. And then there is this:

But Jesus answered him, saying, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.' " Luke 4:4

So, this dangerous thing also provides life to us? No worries though, the word of God belongs to God and He will take care of His word. If someone picks up a Bible and begins shouting it to the streets it will not cause mass carnage. Nor will the word of God 'go off' and hurt someone if found lying around a house as some say a firearm may do. While the word of God does discern thoughts and intents, it does not deliver them up to a secret government database somewhere to be used against us. The word of God is of course based in God Himself and He assures that its use is in faith and love.

Rejoice in the Word of God, it is powerful!

Bucky

A Bit Of Monday Praise

Then a voice came from the throne, saying, “Praise our God, all you His servants and those who fear Him, both small and great!” Revelation 19:5

I have heard that you are praising God all the time, and I just wanted to say this morning, "Keep up the good work!" You and I probably don't need any further demands on us this morning, as the Pharisees would lay on us, but we have the strength in Christ to keep on praising our Lord God. Praise tells our God that we acknowledge Him and know of our need for Him. Praise reminds us that we believe in Him and humble ourselves before Him. Each of us likely thinks we rank among the smalls this morning, but God hears the praise from all of us.

So, praise to the Lord God and Father of our Lord Jesus from all of His smalls today!

Bucky

The Hardship Of Waiting

You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. 2 Timothy 2:3

Kakopatheo is the Greek word used here as 'endure hardship' and the notes on it say that it is frequently used for the hardships of military service. Scrolling through the translations of the Bible on the ol' BLB*, some of the newer ones tend to add in the sharing part, while the King James and the NKJV are more individualized. As Paul is writing this second personal letter directly to Timothy, the former makes more sense. However, as a military veteran I also understand the sharing of those hardships together with fellow members of a unit or group. So, yes to both translations as the hardship is both individual and together. Hardship doesn't sound like much fun though.

When we mention hardship, our first vision of military hardship might be of the sweat-dripping private in full forced march mode, draped in body armor with a 60-pound pack and the platoon sergeant's dog Fido perched on top of that pack. The private is toting his rifle and dreaming of using it on poor Fido. While some of that does happen, Fido being a notable exception, much of the hardship comes from waiting. While in the military, one waits in line for many things, waits for classes, waits for formations, waits for someone upstairs to show up with orders (to put it politely), and in combat, spends a lot of time waiting for something to happen or not happen. And it does bear a certain similarity to the return of our Lord Jesus. At times we may preach, sing, pray, testify, and study the word, much of the time we are also waiting for His return.

So, you and me and the Spirit of our Lord, let us endure together the hardship of waiting for the Lord's return!

Bucky

* the website: blueletterbible.org

Are We The Biggest?

Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.  John 14:1

Today, I come to you from what may well be the largest sect of Christianity. Nope, larger than the Catholic or the Orthodox. Larger even than the sum of the Protestants and the many smaller cults and individuals. Yes, we are the worriers, the very ones Jesus addresses directly with His divine command in our verse for today: Let not your heart be troubled. And yet, there we are in violation of our Lord's commandment: worried. Why are we worried? The most likely causes are looking around at the world, looking at or within ourselves, or looking to our siblings in Christ for reassurance instead of looking to the One who saved us in the first place! The second part of this commandment tells it to us: believe also in Me. By this Jesus removes any doubt that He and God are One. For we know by the scriptures that to worship, trust in, or believe in any but God is to be guilty of idolatry. Therefore to believe in Jesus is to believe in God, or we are not but poor deceived idolaters. And I believe that Jesus my Lord could never command that of anyone! 

So, to me and all of us worriers: It is time to dissolve this awful sect by believing in Jesus and let not our hearts be troubled!

Bucky

What now?

You think you're better than I am,
using my humiliation as evidence of my sin.
-- Job 19:5  NLT

You think you're... and there are a host of judgments we add to those two words and a contraction to make ourselves look smart in our own eyes. When Job used it against his friends, he didn't have to read their minds as they had gone on at length telling him their thoughts. When we use the old you-think-you're, we often base our judgment on sketchy evidence and even mere wishes. Yesterday, we studied a story where the prophet Jeremiah was put in the stocks. He was humiliated but not by any sin he had done. Christians may be humiliated by persecutions, but our great lesson from Jesus and Job is that we cannot judge by the circumstances. So, when someone comes to us for help in a humiliated position, perhaps a bit of prayer would help us to avoid that rush to judgment. And maybe too we can avoid a sharp you think you're so... comment on our character. 

Wonder what made me think of this today? What did I do wrong now? Mayhap it was nothing like that at all!

Love to you in Christ our Lord,

Bucky

The Lord Loves

The LORD opens the eyes of the blind;
The LORD raises those who are bowed down;
The LORD loves the righteous.
  -- Psalm 146:8

The Sun seems to be coming up mighty early today, we must have done that artificial time-change thingy again. As far as I know, cold viruses cannot be passed via the Internet, so y'all don't have anything to worry about this morning from me. On the other hand, the Kleenex tissues have been assaulted by me all weekend long; their little wadded-up corpses piled up in the garbage cans testify to the ferocity of the battle.

So, what else to write about this morning than the love of Jesus our Lord? As we have studied the gospels, we see that the fulfillment of this verse from the psalm is our Lord Jesus. Since you and I want to be loved by Jesus, how do we become one of these righteous ones? The good news is that those are not the only ones our Lord loves, but to become righteous we believe in Him. Obedience to the letter of the law would also seem a way, but the Israelites and especially the Pharisees in our Lord's day proved that was not enough. It is an imputed righteousness from the sacrifice of our Savior on the cross that we have by faith in Him.

Faith in Him. It will seem too simple until that faith is tested!

Bucky

Christian Compression

But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in. Matthew 23:13

Christian what? Hmm, yes, Christian compression. Churches can unfortunately become quite proficient at this sort of thing. The pastor presents the molded ideal of the Christian, and then compresses everyone in the congregation to fit that mold. From that compression comes striving one against another, worry, dread, anxiety and depression since all of God's creations do not fit the mold. In these later years, culture has added another form to that mold - physical comeliness. And then one may even hear that there are a limited number of molds! We often fail to recall that the Pharisees had their ideal and 600 traditions to help them attain it, and then failed to recognize the Messiah standing right in front of their upturned noses. It may be that the better one is at fitting the molded ideal of a Christian, the more pride comes to dominate that unfortunate life. And then that one comes to sound like that publican in the parable, "Lord, I'm sure glad I'm not like that awful tax collector!"

Trust in our Lord's salvation. He may grow you too 'big' to fit in a compressed ideal!

Bucky

Why Are You Weeping?

Now when she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” John 20:14-15

First the angels wanted to know why Mary was weeping, then Jesus himself asked the same question: Why are you weeping? Not only do the questions point out that the reason for weeping has gone, but how far Mary is in what she thinks she knows from what is going on. The Proverbs tell us to never rely on what we think we know, and yet we too are in this time of weeping. We have many reasons for this, but like Mary we need to get to the 'He is risen' part. We weep with Timothy when Paul writes that he has finished the race, but Jesus is risen. We weep with one another when a beloved passes on, but...He is risen! We weep over the groaning and the dying in this world, but our Lord is Risen! At times it seems that we have so far to go to get to our risen Lord Jesus, but as Mary found, He is not so far from us.

 

Praise the Lord, He Is Risen!

Bucky

God Is Near To Us

so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us;  Acts 17:27

Pardon me a moment while I upset the physicists and correctomizers out there. These past few days I got to experience a bit of the olden times as the early cold snap caught me in the middle of a window replacement project. Yes, I have five single pane windows just like our grandparents did back in the day. And one could actually watch the cold seeping in and freezing ice inside the house on those panes. Today the cold temps are to move on and we will continue the project. And Halloween is over, woohoo! Plus ten months of this year have passed... how did that happen? And, what's with that verse up there? Are you just going to babble away the morning? Beware the writer's babble! It's a thing. 

Paul spoke to the Athenians one day about a particular monument they had there in the Areopagus. And what he said here in our verse for today might cause an unbeliever to have a few hairs stand right up on end. God is not far from each one of us! Sometimes we are led to think that spooks and spectres might be close by. And maybe it's true because they like the company of God too! As we believe in our Savior, let us welcome the company of God near each one of us. 

Have a wonderful new day in God's company!

Bucky

Incentive To Pray

One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up. Luke 18:1

Last week my story of long ago came out a bit more, but there is always the temptation to talk about me. However, there is also that pull of the Spirit to talk about the Son of God. While my story and His story do walk hand in hand at times back in the day, it is the journey with Him now that we like to talk about. In Luke 18, Jesus tells the disciples a story to emphasize the need to pray without giving up over any issue that has gone unanswered. The woman in another story who suffered for 12 years could be another example. How many times did she pray over her problem? We likely couldn't count that many even if we did know each instance. Each of us likely has one or more long term problems that give us incentive to come to the Lord in prayer. If nothing else we are all getting older, and that alone gives reasons for prayer and supplication as we break down like old machines in need of constant repair and maintenance. Whoops! Sorry, what a way to start your week on a sour note.

Thank you, dear God, that we are getting older and growing day by day closer to our meeting with Your Son Jesus!

Bucky

A Bowl Of Stew

And whoever gives one of these little ones only a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, assuredly, I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward. Matthew 10:42

Forty years ago today the temperature on Grenada was at the opposite end of the thermometer from what we have here this morning. From the tales of this week, I saved for this morning one of an act of Christian kindness very much in line with what Jesus said in our verse for today. This was not done by me, but for me in that place of heat and war.

The first day on Grenada the fire team was sent way up the hill to man a checkpoint near the governor's mansion. (Everything on Grenada seemed to be either way up or way down, making the truck rides every bit as hair-raising as most any combat can do.) I do recall that first night there trying to sleep in the heat and rain in the open beneath a number of houses that could hide any number of ill-intentioned folks with rifles. The next day my fire team was recalled to the battalion area to guard the perimeter in a bit of a foxhole that didn't quite meet the ideal we had been taught. Little wonder, as Grenada was mostly rock, and I dutifully stood up to my knees in that rocky foxhole. You should know that quite a bit of a Marine's body will fit into one of those when a couple of rifle shots were heard from the hill overlooking us on that line.

A couple of days of mostly boredom went by, then the lady who had watched me for much of that time from her porch across the road came out of her house with a bowl and spoon and gave it to me. The bowl was of course filled with some kind of stew or soup. I did not point my rifle at her and give the 'halt who goes there' challenge as I had been trained; there are times when a little discretion is called for and this seemed to fit. This stew was delicious! I do not think it was all down to the circumstance, nor by comparison to those picnic lunches we had packed in the funny red-brown plastic bags (MRE's). Soup or stew, it was just really good stuff.

The charity was in that she did not have to do that for me. The lady may have wished all of us gone so that things could get back to normal for her and her neighbors. She did this thing though, and I never learned her name. I did take the bowl and spoon back with my thanks to her on that porch, thus leaving my post for a brief time. I'm sure my fire team leader saw it along with officers who were keeping an eye out for us, but no one called me down for it. In trying to keep it short, I have gone on at length, but here is my story of a kind act by a lady in Grenada who certainly followed the teaching of Jesus in this moment forty years ago.

May God bless her today as He keeps her reward by His promise!

Bucky

Youth At War

And Saul said to David, “You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him; for you are a youth, and he a man of war from his youth.”  1 Samuel 17:33

Today a mere 40 years ago was that day for the youth of my unit to go to war. And we knew that it was a shootin' war by now from the evidence we heard all the previous day and night. However, to our relief, mostly, the war had moved off to other parts of the islands by the time we landed on Grenada. Why mostly? In our youth and with all those months of training, we wanted to get into the fighting, much like David did in our verse today.

Saul would spare David in the unequal contest with this battle-tested giant of the Philistines, but David and the Lord convinced the king that this thing could work. The rest of that tale is well-known to us. As for those young Marines of that time forty years ago, we got to come home... in a roundabout way, to a much cooler place, but that tale is too long for this writing today. David went on to be king of Israel. To my knowledge none of our Marine unit has been crowned king of the United States yet, but ya never know!

To God be the glory!

Bucky

A Bright And Glorious Future Mired In Tales Of The Past

For ask now concerning the days that are past, which were before you, since the day that God created man on the earth, and ask from one end of heaven to the other, whether any great thing like this has happened, or anything like it has been heard. Deuteronomy 4:32

What does one do when the first wave goes ashore, but you ain't on it? On this day forty years ago, I waited with my fellow Marines and knew the answer to that question. Scuttlebutt (rumors) run rampant through the unit, gear is checked and rechecked, and you wait for actual news from your commanding officers. We also listened to the radio station in Grenada, sound clips from which you may hear somewhere today, as we waited anxiously.

Yes, it is another tale of the past. As I have endured to the age of 60 now, I seem to be involved more often in groups of old men sitting around telling tales of the past as we await our bright and glorious future. What hope do we have for such a future, one may ask? Well now, there is a tale we can tell also! This tale is of our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ. Ask from one end of heaven to the other, and know this great thing has happened. And He gives us the promise of more great things to come!

In Christ our Lord,

Bucky

On This Day

But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; and behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left alone there with the kings of Persia. Daniel 10:13

On this day forty years ago, I stood on a ship thousands of miles away and heard the news from Beirut, Lebanon of the loss of 241 of my fellow servicemen. Later we would learn that 58 French paratroopers had perished in the same way - a truck bomb and a suicide bomber. We didn't know at the time, but it was the opening of a war that continues to this day around Israel. What we did know was that we were due in Beirut next. Military service had suddenly become much more serious.

How does this tie in with our verse for today? Some of you will know already that Michael, we will learn later in the same chapter, is the prince of Daniel's people, Israel. We see already in the verse that this prince of the kingdom of Persia is the one who prevents a messenger coming to Daniel for 21 days. This is one of those verses in the Bible that tell us of a larger conflict going on in the unseen realm. This knowledge helps us to understand why nations and peoples act the way they do at times in history. It is not an easy concept to grasp and quite a bit frightening in its implications. This is one of those things that shakes the foundations of all that we think humans can and do control in this world. Scary.

All the more reason, I believe, to go closer to the One who is called Almighty. How do such unworthy sinners as ourselves do that? By the way He gave to us, His Son Jesus the Christ.

Bucky

Him Too?

But the chief priests plotted to put Lazarus to death also, because on account of him many of the Jews went away and believed in Jesus. John 12: 10, 11

Now the world has poured out its hatred on Jesus and Lazarus has already suffered the one death penalty, so what is this about him too? Well yes, Jesus still lives and He has raised Lazarus from the dead, so the chief priests want to, what, put him to death again? Wouldn't even the simplest of them know that Jesus could just raise Lazarus up one more time? How many times do you suppose it would take before they got it? Wait, I've begun this today with four questions, don't I have anything to state this morning?

Sometimes we marvel at how the chief priests, scribes, and other religious authorities of the time of our Lord just refused to believe in Him. And yet it is not at all different now. Even we who believe might fear death too much given how our Lord can so quickly raise us up from the grave. Look at the news today. How long did you want to stay in this world before we go to live with Christ forever? Like our brother Paul, we do not forget that we have a mission to work on before our Lord brings us home.

Have a fruitful day in Christ Jesus!

Bucky

Our Testimony

Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but you do not receive our testimony. John 3:11

Our testimony is of course just as Jesus said: speaking of what we know and bearing witness to what we have seen. In this age I have seen a great skepticism growing. A book comes out where a person has seen fantastic things and borne witness, putting their testimony out there for the skeptics and critics to savage without mercy. Near-death experiences have been dismissed en masse by one critic as 'heavenly tourism'. I would rather stay there I think, but I also cannot think of a better place to tour! Our testimony is a report of what we see and know, and Isaiah asked in 53:1,

Who has believed our report?
And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?

​The Lord gives some fantastic testimonies, and some are hard to believe at first. Does that mean we are to believe uncritically every wild testimony that comes along? No, of course not. But go first to the Word of God before scoffing at the bearer. There you will find such calm, mundane books as Daniel, Ezekiel, and the Revelation. Is the wild new testimony as far afield as disembodied hands writing on walls, wheels within wheels ridden by monsters (as the world might call them), and great red dragons spewing forth floods? Maybe that new testimony is not so unbelievable after all?

Remain in faith, Jesus may send a fantastic witness to you too!

Bucky

Far-fetched Revelation?

But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. Matthew 24:37-39

Is the Revelation given by Jesus to John so far-fetched and far out there as we might think at first? Looking into the teaching given by our Lord in Matthew 24, we tend to go look in the Revelation after that. And, yes in some chapters it is quite far out there, fantastic, and strange. But in other cases not so much. The four horsemen in Chapter 6 are quite similar in prophecy to Jeremiah 15, and false prophets are common in the preceding chapter too. The martyrs revealed by the fifth seal are foretold by Jesus in Matthew 24. The first two woes on the other hand are quite unique to the Revelation with detailed descriptions of demon armies causing pain and death. The time of the Apocalypse though? Much like we see today, as we can read in our scripture passage. It also fits any of several hundreds of years before us, so maybe it will be today and maybe not.

We have but to keep watch and look up, for our redemption draws near!

Bucky

Full Wages

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

We often get hit with the wages of sin thing, but there is another wage paid in this parable from our Lord Jesus, work wages. You Bible scholars may recognize right away our verse for today from the tale of the landowner who went back at times through the work day and hired more workers even unto the last hour.  The good news for us in this is that the last-hour workers were paid the same as those who committed to work early in the day. We can look at this in light of history, those who join the work of the kingdom of Heaven in the last days can receive the same reward as those who followed Jesus in the first century with Peter and the gang. We can also look in terms of a lifetime, in that we who did not put our hands to the plow at a young age will be paid the same as those who, like John the Baptist, recognized their Savior even from before birth. And there is even the Israelites and Gentiles in the first-last thing. 

This little verse from that parable? Be sure that we do not judge the good works of our Lord as somehow unfair due to an expectation we cooked up all by ourselves. 

Have a wonderful new day in Christ the Lord!

Bucky

Until Then

Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season? Matthew 24:45

The war goes on and now there is suffering on both sides of the Gaza fence. However, those statements from our Lord Jesus recorded in this same chapter by Matthew still hold true - we don't know the hour or the day of His coming. Until then, we have this mission from our Lord of providing the food of the word in due season. How do we know this is the word and not, you know, eating food that we are to give? Jesus told of Himself in John 6:35, "I am the bread of life." All of us in this little audience together could not feed the 7 or 8 billion people on the planet even for one meal, we'll need to bring our loaves and fishes to Jesus for that. What we can do each day is to faithfully spread around the words of the bread of life.

Trusting in Him!

Bucky

P.S. This does not prevent us from giving in other ways too, but watch out for the scammers!

Suddenly

Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left. Matthew 24:40-41

Anytime Israel is attacked we are wondering if this time is that one leading to end times and the Great Tribulation. At such times many who have some knowledge, but do not yet believe in Jesus, will be asking questions about the Rapture, as if it is some train or boat they do not want to miss. Well, yes, they are indeed on to something as the verses here, and those like them in Luke and Mark, all speak of keeping watch and the suddenness of the event. The two verses for today frightened me as a young teen in church since the preacher was not heavy on assurance that I would be in the half taken and not left behind. Those two last words weigh heavily on those who have reason to believe they might be...left behind!

The two verses for today, and the ones like it Luke, do not specifically say where these ones will be taken. However, if we read the preceding verse in Matthew 24 and the one following, both are about the coming of the Son of Man, our Lord Jesus. Therefore, where He is or is going, we want to be with Him, and thus we do not want to be among those left behind. And we keep watch for His coming even as we do not know the day or hour. So unknown, and yet so suddenly.

Rejoice in His coming for the watchful!

Bucky

Endure To The End

And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved. Matthew 24:12-13

At the end of a list of things such as tribulation, hatred, and that rather alarming 'killing you' bit, we have abounding lawlessness and cold love. These verses in Matthew 24 are just the sort of ones to publish the good news, that is the gospel, and have everyone scared and quaking in their boots. How is that good news again? Enduring to the end to be saved? I don't want to endure any of these things! Of course enduring all of that alone would indeed be beyond us individually. Our Lord has promised to never forsake us, and to seize hold of that promise we have only to believe in Him. To those who believe in Jesus, this is the assurance we need to face the tribulations, small or large, that we must face in faith as we follow our Lord.

His love will never grow cold!

Bucky

Not Yet, He Said

And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.  Matthew 24:6

Many wars and rumors of war have come to pass in our lifetime. Yet when Israel, as it figures prominently in end times prophecies, comes under attack we often get a little fearful that the end has come.  Yesterday the question no doubt came up in services all over the world, is this it? Nope, not yet, He said. Whatever nations rise up one against another we have this assurance from Jesus that the end is not yet.  And there was this earthquake in another place this weekend too, for another 'not yet' sign to watch. And yet, we certainly do not lack for people and places to pray over as wars and earthquakes are devastating to lives and property wherever they may occur. So we watch, without forgetting to pray for friends and enemies alike as our Lord commanded us. 

On the other hand, if this weekend is but a diversion and suddenly a group of nations named in Ezekiel attacks from the other directions, well then, we will be close to the end! 

Live and love in Christ our Lord,

Bucky

Deception Work

Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There!’ do not believe it.  Matthew 24:23

The ones from verse 5 claiming to be the Christ have indeed come in our time and done their deceiving work. Here in our verse for today we have rumor doing its deception on some people who must be set up for it without preparation. They must be in a desperate state, which would point to tribulation, but not prepared by the word such as believers are now. The Rapture has received quite a bit of pushback on social media these days. However, these desperate people ready to believe the Christ has come could be set up by being left behind. Without the guidance of the Church, and with the Restrainer removed so that the Antichrist can have his way for a time, those who are seeking but not yet believing will be in such a desperate state. 

Proof? Hardly, that's a lot of if-then, could be, maybe, and so on. The Rapture itself is a structure of faith not spelled out directly for us in one place and in chronological order in the Bible. We have this invitation to study the clues, to ponder, meditate, and discuss among ourselves several disparate scriptures which could mean our great hope for the snatching away from this world. It is that faith thing that we work out and cling to on our journey home to Jesus the Christ!

Have faith and do not doubt!

Bucky

See All These Things

Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near—at the doors! Matthew 24:33-34

We know from their testimony that saints down through the centuries were convinced that the glorious return of Jesus would come in their lifetime. So, who, we must ask, did not see all the things they were supposed to see? And next, is it us who has not yet seen all these things? Reviewing Matthew 24, we can see that everyone has seen some of those things. It is not hard to see that none of us who look for our Savior have seen all of those things. Some of the things Jesus promises before His return are so far out that we can easily doubt they will ever be seen. And yet, by the Spirit we know they will be seen. So, how long then? I don't know! Hallelujah!

We wait together in faith,

Bucky

Called Back To The Old

And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. Matthew 24:10

If this verse today was an item on a checklist for the end time, then we could checkmark it without the slightest hesitation. However, these things have all been happening since the verse was written down by Matthew way back in the first century A.D. So, any other signs of the times to watch for to clarify the when? Wars and rumors of war? Check. Earthquakes in various places? Check. Abounding lawlessness, false prophets, famines and pestilences? You bet! So, are we there yet? What is an "abomination of desolation"? Should that have capital letters? When we get to verse 15, we are brought to a halt. How can we know those final years have begun if we don't even know what the thing is we are looking for? It is fun that as we get this far in the first gospel of the New Testament, we are called back to a prophet of the Old Testament for further research.

Dear Daniel, what did you have to say about this abomination of desolation?

Love in Christ Jesus to you this morning!

Bucky

Permanence

And Jesus said to them, “Do you not see all these things? Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down.”  Matthew 24:2

The disciples received a lesson in permanence from their teacher as they tried to show off the great construction of the temple. Perhaps they thought He would be pleased by the efforts of their people, but instead they found out it would be utterly thrown down. Experience has shown me a few things that were not permanent. You will have similar lessons from life on this earth. History shows us that governments are not permanent. Age has a way of showing us that our bodies are not permanent. So what do we place our faith in that is permanent? In the Revelation we find one who is, who was, and who always shall be. That sounds like permanence. Throughout the Old Testament we find references to the everlasting God, and even some that speak of everlasting to everlasting. That sounds like permanence too.  Therefore we believe in God and His Son! And we rejoice in the offer of eternal life given to us by the Son of God too. See John 3:16 for that offer. 

Thank You, dear Lord, for the permanence of Your great love!

Bucky

Beware The Creep

For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.  Matthew 5:18

Why do we continue to study the scriptures? Surely by now we have read all of the Bible at least once. Is that not good enough? One reason to study comes from the creep. No, not that guy who hangs around in Walmart. The creep that comes over time to a project or a life. You may have been there before. The company needs more storage and a metal building is approved for construction about half a mile from the headquarters building. It begins simply as a warehouse with no services but electricity for lighting. Then the facilities director tours the site and has to go. You know, she feels the urge that comes from too much coffee in a long meeting. Half a mile suddenly seems way too far to be away from a certain facility. The project just crept a bit. Then another department needs a space for an important function and since this project is already approved, a little change won't mean all that much added cost. You have been there and seen the simple warehouse that grew into a 3-story addition to the corporate headquarters site. In a similar fashion, we can see how the Pharisees did not sit down one day in 982 B.C. and hash out 600 traditions to add to the Law of Moses. The creep set in with just a few or even one tradition, and then it got out of hand somewhere. When Jesus arrived in Jerusalem some years down the way, He found a bunch of rule-spewing dragons who had lost their way and could not recognize the Messiah standing before them. They did not fulfill the law, Jesus did!

So, after you groan over the length of that paragraph, study the Word with the Lord! And avoid the creep. 

Bucky

But To Fulfill

Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. Matthew 5:17

The new covenant given to us by Jesus is remembered each time we take communion or the Lord's table, and each time we read in the New Testament of the Bible. In keeping with our Lord's mission of salvation, He explains in our verse for today that He came to fulfill the old covenant. We know the old covenant from the Old Testament books of law and the prophets. In the sayings of Jesus, He gave to us a couple of chances to obey that fulfillment by what is known as the Golden Rule (Matt 7:12), and by the two greatest commandments (22:36-40). It does not require some dispensation of insight from above to know this, Jesus states it at the end of both scriptures. While we do like to search the scriptures to solve a mystery, we also like it simple, and Jesus simply states how to fulfill the older while living in the new covenant.

Praise God for the simple!

Bucky

My Mighty Plank?

Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.  Matthew 7:5

Speck-bearer, I know thee, and with my mighty plank shall I smash thee with vigor and force of will! Yes, easily do we often stand on the wrong side of our Lord's lesson from His great sermon. Striding through the world we swing that plank in the eye and think that we are 'doing good'. Standing a little ways off, it is so easy to see all the things that other person should do to become perfect in our judging eyes. Of course with that plank hanging out there, we kind of have to stand some distance away. Yes, sir! A lot less criticism from us and a lot more love toward them could go a long way toward what our Lord Jesus taught us. 

Brother, help me to pluck the plank, that I might see clearly!

Bucky

The Teacher Said

In this manner, therefore, pray:
​
​​Our Father in heaven,
​​Hallowed be Your name.
  -- Matthew 6:9

"In this manner" sounds like a basic lesson, a beginning. Jesus our Lord did not follow this prayer word for word as He spoke to His Father in Heaven. Yet some today only speak the words as quoted in the Lord's Prayer. But, we look and there appears to be no provision of praying for someone as we like to do. Plus, Jesus had just said, "...pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you," (5:44) Like the Beatitudes began the great sermon of our Lord, so this model of praying begins our education in prayer. It does not appear meant to be the end of the lesson as our Lord's earlier command to pray for others shows us. Also we have the wonderful prayers of our Teacher in the garden at Gethsemane showing us there is much more we can say to our Lord without the vain repetitions He told us to avoid.

So, yes, go and pray! As our Lord said, start by acknowledging whom you are speaking to.

Bucky

Let Your Light Shine

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.  Matthew 5:16

Intention comes up much as our Lord Jesus gave His great sermon. The Pharisees who prayed on the street corners intended for themselves to be seen and glorified. Jesus came down on them. Letting your light shine before other persons by good works glorifies God. But how do we be seen without desiring to be seen? We need some good help in this. The light that shines from us lives in us only because He gave Himself for us. As we learn in John 8:12, Jesus is the light of the world. But wait, didn't He just say in v14 of the great sermon that 'you', as in those He was speaking to were the light of the world? So, it would appear that the light of the world can shine through and from any who do good works. Jesus would later say in John 9:5, “As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” This light therefore is not dependent upon His physical presence in the world. Of course to do good works without self-centeredness, we must have His Spirit in us. 

Whew! I feel like that confused pioneer who, when he was told to circle the wagons, took off on a run around the wagons. There are those times when I feel like a tiny transmission hooked up to the massive power of the engine that is the Lord's Word, and immediately I start slipping and spinning as it overpowers my abilities. Perhaps it is like trying to grasp the light of the Sun in my hand. It just isn't possible for me. 

Have a wonderful Friday in Christ Jesus as we ponder on His light!

Bucky

Starts So Easy

But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’ shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire.  Matthew 5:22

Hell fire certainly brings to mind an earnest desire for avoidance as even earth fire causes pain and harm to us. This passage of the great sermon begins with murder, and it starts so easy since most of us can easily say with ol' Jethro out in the sticks, "Ah ain't never kilt nobody!" But Jesus doesn't stop there and goes on to even the act of calling your brother out as "You fool!" Ever since I became a brother at a young age, I know that brothers can act and speak quite foolishly at times. This makes obeying this verse today all the more difficult. However, we know from the context that Jesus means everyone - all of our brothers and sisters in Christ and all of those who do not believe in the Lord yet. Difficulty and challenge pile up so quickly in the great sermon until we think that only perfection can make it. Well, funny you should go there! Jesus brings up that very thing at the end of Matthew 5. In the end, perfection must come from the One who can accomplish the perfecting, the Lamb who is found worthy. 

Praise God for His Son!

Bucky

​One Such As Me

But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.​ Matthew 5:44-45

I want to do good for those I love. But here the Lord commands doing good to those who hate me. I tell ya, brothers and sisters in Christ, my first inclination is not in this direction! And so we have that lifetime battle of the lust of the flesh, which wants to punt the haters, and the new spirit given by our Lord. This new spirit of the Lord must first halt the reaction of the old water-born man to the perceived injustice of being persecuted or spitefully used. Then the new spirit can give the Lord's kind of response in love and blessing from one such as me.

What a change the Lord has wrought!

Bucky

The Difficulty of the Simple Answer

But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one. Matthew 5:37

We have seen some impossible things in the great sermon, but what about something more relatable? It likely will not take each of us long to recall an incident where we should have stopped our talking with a yes or a no, because all of the words spoken from that point on only dug a deeper hole in which to bury ourselves. We then recall the words of Jesus and feel a strong inclination to obey them next time. Of course in this section of the scripture, Jesus forbade the uttering of oaths. You know them by experience most likely, the things where we call God, or Heaven, or Earth to witness us promising that our will be done. As Jesus will teach soon in the great sermon that we should pray that God's will be done, it may be a problem if we go about swearing by God that each of our wills be done. Yes and no, so easy most of the time, but so difficult for us to just stop there and not add a bunch of words that will get us in trouble!

Let God's will be done! Amen.

Bucky

In The Heart Too?

You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.  Matthew 5:27-28

We have looked at some 'impossibles' in the great sermon thus far, but this one may be for some the nemesis that tops 'em all - lust. We may think this sin was easier to avoid back in the days of the law of Moses since they actually had to commit the action to be guilty. Jesus upped the game when He said that just thinking the thoughts committed the sin. Yes, that fantasy reel rolling along in the mind brings the same condemnation as the physical act. Some ministers in past times took the extreme step of banning marriage in order to combat lust. No word on whether it worked or not; the congregations gradually died out when no children were born. So, is lust unbeatable to us? Must we only run from it as Joseph did with Potiphar's wife? As with all the other things we have studied in this great sermon, the answer lies with the minister, Jesus of Nazareth. 

Believe in Him, walk with Him, follow Him, and trust in Him. 

Bucky

Not Even Close To Ready

But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. Matthew 5:39

Are you ready to go to Heaven? Yeah, sounds great, let's go! That would be the response of a person of the world; the one who thinks just anyone can show up for the wedding and get in. Those who believe in Jesus would rather that we have the invitation in hand and the proper clothing on our bodies. As we have read the Beatitudes and found ourselves lacking, so the great sermon goes on about our state of unreadiness. Don't resist an evil person? That is exactly what we want to do when confronted by one. And never mind that almost anyone could fit our definition of evil when they don't do what we want them to do for us! Then the evil person gave us a hearty slap across the face. Nope, not even close to ready as my first thought is not to stand up, face that evil person, and offer to take another whack. All of His great sermon it seems to me is for getting us to come to Him for help and salvation. So many things in that sermon did not come in my original package. Rebirth must be the only option.

Rejoice in the rebirth of our Savior, we surely need it!

Bucky

Blessed Are You!

Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Matthew 5:11-12

So, the last Beatitude doesn't look quite like the others because the 'are the's' suddenly change to 'you'. Whereas before one might duck down a bit and say, "Meek and pure? I'm not there yet! No need to persecute me." Suddenly we are looking straight down the barrel of reviling and persecuting when the Lord changes to the direct address pronoun, "You!" Gulp, me? Yes, you, rejoice and be exceedingly glad! But, persecution, reviling, false evil words about me, and more persecution like the prophets of old? I'm not sure I want to go there!

In this study of the Beatitudes, you and I can notice one thing about them: they describe quite well the life of Jesus. Mourning, meek, merciful, and the rest of 'em, He lived all of the blessed qualities seen in the Beatitudes. They are indeed a map to Him, and of Him. And, as we believe in Him, Christ Jesus will take us on this journey with Him. Do you not see your heart as pure yet? He will take care of that in His good time. Not sure you can complete the journey to persecution? He has been there and will get all of His sheep through it too!

Have a wonderful day in Christ our Lord!

Bucky

Happily Persecuted Do You Say?

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake,
​​For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  Matthew 5:10

If the neighbors, those you and I are to love as ourselves, reject the light we bear so much that it turns to persecution, then we have cause for rejoicing. I don't know why that doesn't make me feel like rejoicing. As our Lord Jesus spoke in the Gospels, it seems that we often run into commands and promises that seem to go against the grain of our feelings. Stephen probably didn't get up the day of his execution feeling happy to be killed. And yet the Lord was there with him to give such an amazing testimony of his faith in Christ Jesus. Stephen's blessing must be that he saw the kingdom of heaven open before him. The blessing we get from the Beatitudes may not be an immediate sense of pleasure that we are familiar with as happiness. It may well come in a similar manner as the woman in labor, an example Jesus used, seeing her newborn child. When it seems like the blessings of the Beatitudes are not blessings at all, remember that the Beatitudes are the beginning of the great sermon showing us not only how far we are as sinners from the Lord, but how far Jesus our Lord will take us in His great work.

Let us rejoice in Christ Jesus!

Bucky

A Map To Jesus

Blessed are the peacemakers,
​​For they shall be called sons of God.
  -- Matthew 5:9

So, this one does seem doable at the first as well. Become a diplomat and make peace between warring nations, or perhaps become a judge and settle disputes between the companies. Sorry, we don't get off so easily. Nope, go and make peace between Mr. and Mrs. Jones over there as they are going at it again for all the neighborhood to hear. After we have become proficient at that sort of peace, let us make peace between God and all the sinners of the world. Oh dear!

I haven't resolved any marital wars in my life, how could I ever make peace with God for all of us? And if I try to force peace on anyone am I not working against Jesus, who came not to bring peace but a sword (Matt 10:34)? This one is as frustratingly far from me as the Beatitude we looked at yesterday. But wait! Didn't Jesus give us His peace, and not as the world gives? (John 14:27) Surely then this set of blessings is not an accomplishment I can produce, but that map to Jesus I need. While I can do works that show my faith, who is really doing the good works here?

Jesus is, and He does!

Bucky

Arrgh, He Went There!

Blessed are the pure in heart,
​​For they shall see God.
  -- Matthew 5:8

If the Beatitude about mercy seems the easy one, the next one brings the feet of clay right back to the Earth they came from. I can't speak for you, but my purity of heart just ain't. And one prophet of old agrees with me with a direct quote from the Lord:

The heart is deceitful above all things,
And desperately wicked;
Who can know it?
  -- Jeremiah 17:9

So, if the Beatitudes are the map to Jesus, who will lead us on the journey from ain't pure to purity? Of course it makes sense to us to ask the One who gave us the map. For it was Jesus who said to us... wait for it... "I am the way, the truth, and the life!" (John 14:6).

Follow the Way by way of His map!

Bucky

The Easy One, Right?

Blessed are the merciful,
​​For they shall obtain mercy.
  -- Matthew 5:7

Mercy, it appears the obvious child among the Beatitudes. Then a circumstance arises that causes one to question which is the path of mercy. Is it mercy to put the suffering one to death or is it murder? And does it make a difference whether it occurs on the battlefield or in the hospital? What about the little mercies? A debt of a few hundred dollars too much to forgive for you, or is only ten dollars enough to bring on the firm response? Jesus didn't set a dollar limit here for us, and actually said to lend to those who can't pay us back (Luke 6:34-36). What if the poor dumb deadbeat spends money like it grows on trees and keeps coming back for more?!! We tend to think the mercy one is easy and obvious, and then comes the situations and circumstances where it may not seem so easy to choose the merciful way. However, we know who to ask, right?

Seek the answer in prayer!

Bucky

To Be Filled

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
​​For they shall be filled. Matthew 5:6

When a person hungers and thirsts, he or she longs to be filled and satisfied. For some time in life, I longed for righteousness in others, and I had a few criticisms to help them get righteous. Then came the time that Jesus sent His law and prophets to tell me that this was a personal quest; a longing that needed His righteousness to fill the void in me. Jesus even gave to me an illustration involving beams and motes to remind me that my righteousness wasn't helping anyone, and it certainly couldn't fill me. Yes, indeedy, dear ones, this blessing is meant for those who see and hear their sin and long to be filled with the righteousness of the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Lots of folks stroll about whacking one another with those beams. The need for a filling of righteousness sits a bit closer to home. Hopefully it will wash away that mote in my eye!

O to be filled with His righteousness!

Bucky

He Rewards The Meek

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

Traditions of men and basic principles of the world sound good to us. That is to say, they cause a yearning in the flesh to be thought smart or even brilliant by agreement with those things the world loves us to believe. We will not find the good news of Jesus Christ in this as the world and its prince would rather we not believe in Him. One example lies in strength: the world would have the strong take over the earth. Which sounds good to those who have strength, but what about those who by age, injury, condition or circumstances have no strength of mind or body? Jesus stated the third Beatitude has the meek inheriting the earth. Inheritance means the meek one didn't earn it for himself or take it by her strength. By this prophecy of our Lord, no amount of accumulated power can gain the earth in the end. 

The inherited earth, a place for those meek ones our Lord loves!

Bucky

Achieve or Receive?

For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:20

So, we left off with a question on Monday. Why should the poor in spirit change if they already have the kingdom of Heaven? That question brings up the kid's question from the back seat on a long trip: Are we there yet? So, what do we need to achieve to become poor in spirit? How do we know when we are there yet? Perhaps it isn't so much an achievement, but a state we find ourselves in. If you grew up like me 'in the church' as they say, you may think that the Beatitudes are a set of achievements. Goals to mark off on a list of things to accomplish. Then we come to a statement by Jesus that puts those who may be the best lawful accomplishers in Israel's history down as a bar to be exceeded. You may read it again up yonder in our verse for today. And if that isn't enough for your goal setting, try out verse 48 where you must be perfect!

Perhaps we can be blessed in the Beatitudes when we see that this is all a journey we go on with Jesus our Lord, and that He is in charge of the destinations. The whole achievement misunderstanding falls apart on the second one anyway. Who would want to achieve mourning?

Love to you in Christ our Lord,

Bucky

Until He Gave

Blessed are the poor in spirit,
​​For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
  -- Matthew 5:3

Books and sermons have been written about the Beatitudes, so condensing each one down to a paragraph may not satisfy your longing to know. Speaking of longing, the first Beatitude begins with a poorness, something of which we do not have enough. Those poor in spirit want or need more of it. But what is it? The Greek word is pneuma and has several similar meanings. One is the Holy Spirit, and given that Jesus breathed on His disciples and gave to them the Holy Spirit to dwell in each of them, that would be one lack of Spirit (or Holy Spirit). As the people were at this sermon listening, thinking, and deciding whether to believe our Lord or not, the other definitions do not seem to fit. So, the poor in spirit are those who seek to fill what has been said to be a God-shaped hole in each of us. We do not have to become poor in spirit, but were born that way. Until He gave to us His Spirit, we had no way to obtain what we needed.

But wait. If the poor in spirit are happy in their blessing, and they have the kingdom of heaven already, why should there be a change?

What's this? A cliffhanger? Yes, more asking, seeking, and knocking seems needed for this answer!
Have faith in Jesus!

Bucky

Bridled Lust

For this ye are well informed of, knowing that no fornicator, or unclean person, or person of unbridled lust, who is an idolater, has inheritance in the kingdom of the Christ and God. Ephesians 5:5 Darby's Translation

Unbridled lust must then be something bad, as in not good for us, since there can be no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. It is likely that you and I have not felt unbridled lust since what we remember about that day when we fell to lust was the battle when the flesh tugged one way on the bridle while the conscience and spirit pulled the other way. The bridle suggests a powerful animal that we could not control without it. And, well yes, each of us has felt the power of that beast. Bridled lust does not make it a good thing by default, but rather something we must endure for a time. While we may think the cause is lost due to the sheer power of the beast, our salvation in Christ places another hand on that bridle, the hand of our Lord Jesus. Through faith in Christ Jesus we gain the strength to take the bridled beast into its stall. We will of course need to put it back from time to time as it is a clever beast always seeking to escape and run where it will.

As in all things, we have good help in this,

Bucky

Recognize The 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

The house is dark as you are passing by, but a light shines suddenly in the darkness and immediately you recognize it as a refrigerator door opening. How do you know that so well? Experience of course. Jesus often spoke with the scriptures that the Judeans of His time would recognize by their experience. Matthew makes a point of showing the prophecies fulfilled by Jesus. When Jesus began to make claims of divinity though, His new light did not sit well with many of them... which was also foretold by the prophets. Those who believe in Jesus now also recognize His light by His Spirit and by His word. This too was foretold in the prophecies. In faith you and I may start to think that someone has all of this under control. Of course we do! Experience in the light of our Lord has shown to us that He is always ready for our next challenge, even the ones that come as a total surprise to us.

Shining in His light, shining forth His light, He is the Light!

Bucky

The Passions Of The Flesh

For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions which were aroused by the law were at work in our members to bear fruit to death. Romans 7:5

There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. Romans 8:1

Where am I in this? At what point along the scale from flesh to Spirit am I? Am I even saved given the passions of the flesh at war within me? Ah, young seeker, you have now seen the danger in grabbing one or two verses out of the entire letter to the Romans. This letter from the Apostle Paul needs its context as he lays out the whole case in which you and I appear as co-defendants for the crime of being born. If one thinks that seems unfair, then read of the cure in John 3, and how a man innocent of any sin died to make atonement in the final chapters of the gospel accounts. So, how does one summarize Romans to those saved by the blood of the Lamb but still traveling about in a carriage of the flesh? Born sinner becomes reborn saint; great is the salvation of our Lord Jesus Christ! For the details, see the gospels and Paul's letter to the Romans.

It's a journey. Keep your faith in Him!

Bucky

Take A Break

Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. John 14:27

How about a little peace on this Monday morning? With the news being served to us in the way that it is today - 'if it bleeds, it leads!' - there would be no way to not be troubled or afraid without the peace of our Lord Jesus. Let me correct that, one way would be a sociopath, but that doesn't seem like a good way to follow. For those of us with a conscience and empathy for our fellow humans, we could use a dose of the Lord's peace. We may need to take a break from the news to get that treatment, and taking a prayer or meditation break is a great way to get some peace. All those busy things can wait for a bit, answer the call of God for a little alone time with Him.

Enjoy God's peace today!

Bucky

He Went There!

If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also.  Matthew 5:40

A heart-warming movie came out a few years ago, and I still have a copy of it on the shelf. This movie became famous enough that with a few words you will know the title and story. However, these past few days the movie has gained a certain other kind of fame, lawsuit fame. Yes, he went there. A relationship can survive many tribulations, but sometimes the filing of a lawsuit brings to mind breakage and a kind of divorce. This morning after reading yet another headline on the case, the thought came to me of this teaching of our Lord Jesus. I wonder, can they go here in response to this lawsuit? Could I, given a similar situation? How about you? I can only tell you about myself, and I would not be able to do it in my own strength. Nope, this would be one for the Lord and His greater-than-me power and ability. I don't mean that I would count on the Lord to force me into it, only that in order to obey the teachings of my Lord, I need the Lord Jesus to strengthen me. I cannot know if that famous relationship can survive this, but already for me the movie will not have the same impact and heart-warming feeling that it did before. A lawsuit can cause ripples of damage expanding outward. Could what Jesus taught in today's verse fix that? 

May God give us wisdom in this,

Bucky

A Working Of The Spirit

And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. Luke 1:47

From the Song of Mary that burst forth from her when visiting her relative Elizabeth in the hill country. It is a blessing to read of the rejoicing of these two women as one carried the baby who would be John the Baptist and the other carried our Lord Jesus within her. "But such a song coming from her suddenly, really?" the unbelieving one asks. As this only appears in Luke's account, and he investigated the matter afterward, it is easy to find reason to doubt, if unbelief is what a person clings to. For those who believe though, this bursting forth into song becomes all the more believable with the passing years. I will confess to singing my prayers more often now than I did a few years back. This singing burst seems to happen more to my brothers and sisters in Christ all around me too. It is, we believe, but one more working of the Spirit of the Lord in us!

Have a rejoicing day in the Spirit of the Lord!

Bucky

Study The Opposite?

Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. Ephesians 4:31

A pair of siblings arguing drives a parent to send them to their rooms for a little peace in the house. Two persons fighting on the street move their friends to pull them apart before someone is seriously hurt. And a horrible sound arises next door, a married couple say the vilest things to one another leaving one to wonder how they ever spoke their vows in that church with those same mouths. We see the opposite of how we want to behave as followers of Christ and we understand why the apostle would write this way to the church in Ephesus. Studying the opposite (not practicing!) can help us to understand how the fruits of the Spirit will benefit each of us and all of those around us. Recall the last time you heard that marital spat before the breakup, all that bitterness, wrath, and anger caused quite the clamor! Is that how you would have the followers of Christ Jesus be seen?

As our Lord said, love your neighbor as yourself,

Bucky

As Changeable As The Weather

For I am the LORD, I do not change;
Therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob. Malachi 3:6

So, we woke up to a record low temp this morning, but could have record highs this week? Not surprising to us though, weather acts that way. Yes it is 46°F in my yard this August morning, jacket weather! As changeable as the weather is though, we have learned something else about the Lord in our verse today. A quick read through the Old Testament might lead one to believe the Lord was always ready to do Him some consuming. The Deluge, Sodom and Gomorrah, the drowning of Pharaoh's army in the Red Sea, and the conquest of Jericho might lead one to think a certain way of the Lord. And then there were all those laws with sudden death for breaking them. Yet, here we read that the sons of Jacob had one great hope to avoid that consuming, and that was that the Lord does not change.

It takes some study, but see the mercy of the Lord throughout the Old Testament. He loves you too!

Bucky

Not All Shepherds

Then the shepherds came and drove them away; but Moses stood up and helped them, and watered their flock. Exodus 2:17

We see in our verse for today the beginning of God's provision of a shepherd for Israel. Other shepherds would come including Joshua, David, and Solomon, but none quite like the Good Shepherd to come. Indeed we see that those shepherds in our verse for today did not act good at all! And this Good Shepherd would promise that more false shepherds would appear in the end times. Today we call them pastors, priests and other titles, but the shepherds who follow Jesus, the Good Shepherd, are those given to lead the flocks back to the Father our God. Be wary though, some shepherds take after the ones Moses met and will try to drive the flock away from following Jesus and the living water He has for us.

Be glad, little sheep, your Good Shepherd returns soon!

Bucky

Narrow Gate, Difficult Way

Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it. Matthew 7:14

If I were putting together an advertising flyer for life in this verse as a property, this is not how I would set about describing it. Narrow and difficult are far from the usual terms prospective buyers want to see in a new home. Life is a good one, but most owners of a new home want people to see it, even if they may not want everyone inside it. "Few who find it" is not the way to get those admiring views on that purchase that they just gave everything to the bank to gain. However, this is not a viable comparison. Jesus didn't set out to advertise but to testify. That means no forgetting to mention the bad stuff. So yes, the way to life is difficult, the gate to get started on the journey is narrow, and few can find it. If only we had someone to open the way and lead us to the gate. Hmm, who was that man who died on the cross?

Love to you in Christ our Lord!

Bucky

A Ton Of Guesses

And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you.  Matthew 24:4

The end times are endlessly fascinating to many of us, and we tend to take a ton of guesses over the when's and what's of the thing. The disciples were curious too, and they had the opportunity to ask Jesus those very questions. Every time I come to the revelation Jesus gives on the Mount of Olives, I am struck by His first answer, the one we read in our verse for today. Jesus tells His disciples and us that we are to take heed, that is to be cautious, watchful, and wary, because deceit will likely be the first thing we see. We know there is deception by the wild variety of guesses seen since Jesus gave His message so long ago. Some appear close to scripture and others are umm, wildly interesting. What do we know for sure? That we are waiting for the return of our Lord Jesus the same as a great multitude of our brothers and sisters in Christ were before us. 

Wait patiently a little longer, and take heed!

Bucky

Great Things The Lord Has Done

However, Jesus did not permit him, but said to him, “Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you.” Mark 5:19

Today's verse comes from that great tale of the demon-possessed man. Yes, the one with so many demons that they called themselves Legion. In this story Jesus gives to the man, and by His word to us, the essence of our testimony: tell of God's great works and His compassion. "Go home," the Lord says to the man, "and tell." It may seem to us a bit less than the starring role we had in mind in our new faith. And perhaps to the man as well, as there is a not permitted thing going on there. What was not permitted by our Lord to the man? Following Him.

We too may be confused by the how and when some are permitted to follow Jesus right now, while we are told to go home and tell of His great things. The disciples, following the Lord physically at this moment, would soon get that same lack of permission to follow when they watched our Lord ascend from the Mount of Olives. As of that moment, all of us are now awaiting permission to follow our Lord to our eternal home. The former possession of the evil minions may not have understood why some could follow Him now while others had to wait, but he did obey the Lord.

And as Jesus said, Do Tell!

Bucky

Time In The Word

I call to remembrance my song in the night;
I meditate within my heart,
And my spirit makes diligent search.
-- Psalm 77:6

Are there debatable subjects for the followers of Christ? Given the number of denominations and sects we see today, it would certainly seem there must be some reason for all that separation. One way to help prevent these schisms from our fellow believers may be for all of us to meditate on the Word of God and to make diligent search in the scriptures.

And remember to love your neighbor as yourself!

Bucky