The King Arrives

The next day a great multitude that had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him, and cried out:

“Hosanna!
‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!’
The King of Israel!”
 -- John 12:12-13

We name it Palm Sunday, and this year we celebrate it on April 2nd. It is the celebration of what Jerusalem thought to be the arrival of the promised king. But where was his army? Those few disciples likely did not have the look of a trained military. Some of them were even known to be Galilean fishermen. And for his war chariot, the man chose a humble donkey's colt. In this moment the expectations of many and the mission one man was on did not come together. The man on the colt would be crowned soon, but it was done in mockery and the crown was one of thorns. Some of those same palm branch holders may have attended Pilate's hearing and called for the crucifixion of our Lord Jesus. How easily do crushed expectations, even wrong ones, turn to anger?

For our part and in faith, we know that Jesus did triumph in His time. He died to make atonement for our sin and rose again on the third day as the King of kings and Lord of lords.

Rejoice in the Risen Lord!

Bucky

A Rejoicing Fellow

The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes.
  -- Psalm 19:8

We read our verse for today and recognize almost at once a psalm from David. He just seemed to be a rejoicing sort of fellow with his singing and dancing. Then we turn a page or two and read Psalm 22. Wow! What a change in the man. David was what some tried to stamp out a few years ago, emotional. Yes, the man after God's own heart could put on a rejoicing class for us, but he also felt the sorrow of this life. Which do we prefer? Why the rejoicing of course.

As Paul tells us in Philippians 4, "Rejoice in the Lord always. Again, I will say, rejoice!"

Bucky

Love And Commandments

For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.  Exodus 20:5-6

When a subject is on my mind for the morning message, I like to do word searches in the Bible to find where it first occurs. When it comes to mercy the first occurrence is Genesis 19:19, but we know that is far from the first time that mercy happened. Hardly had Adam and Eve hidden themselves when the mercy and love of the Lord God was already in evidence. A sign does not rise up in the Garden of Eden stating 'Mercy Here!' with flashing neon letters. But we can easily see by what God could have done to Adam, Eve, and the Serpent that He did not do by His love and mercy. 

So, on to keeping the commandments! Which, our Lord Jesus gave the bestest method of keeping them by two measures of love - one for the Lord our God and another for our neighbors as ourselves. How much of a measure? Give it all the love ya got! 

Love to you in Christ Jesus our Lord!

Bucky

Giving Us Back

And as he was still coming, the demon threw him down and convulsed him. Then Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, healed the child, and gave him back to his father. Luke 9:42

Are you still having trouble with the guilt-shaming of the world and its powers and principalities? Me too. We have a duty to spread the good news and Jesus is at the heart of that good news. Today this verse from Luke reminds us of the story told then of that child. A child much like we were but with one terrible thing more, a demon had possessed the boy. How and why the child came to this condition are not so important as the One who came to first rebuke, then heal, and finally to restore the child to his father. We too must go through this same process. The sin in us is rebuked, we are healed of our earthly birth, and finally by being reborn in Christ we are restored to our Father in Heaven. We would like to think this process is a moment in time, but from the stories of the disciples it seems to be more of a journey.

Rebuke the sin, be healed of the guilt and shame, trust in the restoration of our Lord Jesus!

Bucky

Dumb Before The Word

So when the children of Israel saw it, they said to one another, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was. And Moses said to them, “This is the bread which the LORD has given you to eat.  Exodus 16:15

What is it? The Lord had promised the Israelites bread from heaven, but when it arrived it did not fit their expectations. Perhaps they were looking for loaves of bread like they baked each day. We have the story from Exodus, one of the more famous from the Old Testament, but for them there was this first time. And first time's came throughout the Bible stories, and time after time them olden-timers stumbled and fumbled. Jesus told the disciples what would happen to Him in Jerusalem just before that last Passover, and they struggled to believe Him. Even after His death and resurrection came, one of the disciples wanted direct, physical proof before he would believe. 

We are so smart now with all of our information devices and quick communication. We have the whole Bible too, that council back in the 3rd or 4th century said so. We have everything laid out for us in the prophecies, signs to look for...no way will we be caught by surprise. 

I feel dumb before the Word of God today, my friends. We have been given so much prophecy of the latter days, and yet there remains so much that I don't understand. All is in the hands of our Redeemer and Savior though, no need to worry or fear. 

Bucky

Deceivers In The World

For many deceivers have gone out into the world who do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. 2 John 1:7

If a preacher sets out to make a ministry and does not confess that Jesus our Lord was a man who lived as a human being, John has a couple of tough names for this preacher. Deceiver and an antichrist, wait, isn't that how we describe the enemy, that adversary who comes to steal, murder and destroy? There are those preachers out there who might be surprised by this appellation from John the beloved disciple. Didn't Jesus endure the 40 days in the wilderness because he had special powers from God? Didn't that Devil fellow indicate that our Lord would be caught by angels should he jump off that tower? These we recognize as being not quite right and certainly not what our Lord Jesus said. Preaching God in human form and named Jesus is a step of faith that some refuse to take. And if they preach their false message to the world, then John names them what they are doing.

So, yes, Jesus my Lord needed to wash His human hands when they got dirty. Praise God for my human brother and Lord Jesus!

Bucky

A Date To Walk With Him

So the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year, were released to kill a third of mankind. Revelation 9:15

It's an appointment - hour, day, month, and year. Sometimes to us the apocalypse or end time seems like a ticking time bomb set to go off at a time we do not know. Other times it seems as if those times will never arrive, like a Christmas that has been postponed indefinitely. On the one hand, the fears of judgments and many deaths lurk. On the other, the return of our Lord Jesus in His great power and glory. It feels as if we are in the middle of two arms of a cross! But we also know by faith that we are not the ones in the middle, for long ago our Lord Jesus took up that cross burdened with our sin so that we wouldn't have to. The cross of our sin would crush us into the dirt, but our Lord Jesus took it to His death and then rose again! So, freed from the crush of judgment that is to come and looking forward to the One who will meet us on the other side of whatever death ends this short life, we rejoice in Christ Jesus today. For this day is the only appointment we need to appear at, this day we have a date to walk with Him through all the hours, days, months, and years.

Great is our Savior, Jesus!

Bucky

The LORD Enthroned

The LORD sits enthroned over the flood;
the LORD sits enthroned as king forever.
May the LORD give strength to his people!
May the LORD bless his people with peace!
  -- Psalm 29:10,11

Keeping watch over the news and other reports, we may little understand the value of the LORD sitting on His throne at all times, forever. To begin our understanding though, we can learn more about this by reading from David's psalms, the prophets, and John as he received the Revelation. Visions of the Almighty on His throne abound in the Word. While they may seem few to us, Isaiah knew that a little vision of the throne in Heaven could be too much as he exclaimed, "Woe is me! For I am lost... For my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts! " (6:5). In faith we know that the Lord Jesus lives too, as John sees the Lamb in the midst of the throne. Overwhelmed is common among those who have seen the Lord on His throne. The 24 elders bow down and throw their crowns at His feet. The angels rejoice and the four living creatures thunder around the throne of God. Words just seem to come up short as we try to imagine and understand our great God on His throne.

Yet He sits there, Almighty forever!

Bucky

Practice God Centering

Now godliness with contentment is great gain.  1 Timothy 6:6

We often seek gain in this world, and Paul has given us the means to achieve it! So, what is this godliness and how do I have contentment? Godliness is third from the top behind love and brotherly kindness in Peter's list of things to add to our faith (2 Peter 1). Yes, but what is this godliness? The subject can be lengthy, but one definition I found is: the practice of godliness is an exercise or discipline that focuses upon God*. Godliness has within it a devotion to God and an attitude centered upon God. We may even simplify that for us a bit more and say that godliness is becoming more like God in love, respect, and devotion. Each of us has as our primary example, Jesus the Son of God. Now if that seems difficult to achieve, wait until we try for contentment!

Love and joy to you this day in Jesus our Lord!

Bucky

*From "Value for All Things" and "Devotion to God"in The Practice of Godliness by Jerry Bridges (NavPress, 1983. Retrieved from https://bible.org/article/what-godliness).

Our Iniquity Bearer

He shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied.
​​By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many,
​​For He shall bear their iniquities.
  -- Isaiah 53:11

Wonderful, Counselor, Prince of Peace, we have used these titles for our Lord rejoicing in a quite different verse from the same prophet. How often do we remember our Lord as Our Iniquity Bearer? It does not seem an appropriate title for the King of kings, and yet there it is near the end of a prophetic chapter. In this same chapter we learn that our Savior was also despised, rejected, despised again, not esteemed, and although it does not outright say 'ugly', it certainly informs us that He would have no beauty or comeliness. This coming Prince of Peace does not appear to be the one we would pick from among ourselves to be the leader. The prophet by the word of God emphasizes quite the opposite. Those scribes and Pharisees scanning the temple crowd for our Lord at the Passover must have overlooked Him time and time again, since He just wasn't the pretty face one would expect of this new leader who drew people to Himself by the thousands.

That's our Lord Jesus, not just another pretty face! Perhaps it was the bearing of our iniquity that caused His face to look so unlovely and without beauty?

Bucky

His Song Of Lovingkindness

The LORD will command His lovingkindness in the daytime,
​​And in the night His song shall be with me—
​​A prayer to the God of my life.  Psalm 42:8

Lovingkindness and a song, praise the Lord for the blessings He pours out upon us! And a giving back from the psalmist of his or her life to the Lord. Sometimes our life seems like the least of things to give back to the Lord. And yet, the Lord prized that life of yours or mine enough to send His Son to save us. It is a thought to cause gratitude and deep consideration within us as we rejoice in His lovingkindness.

Great is the Lord! His song shall be our prayer this night.

Bucky

Did They Stay?

And when they could not come near Him because of the crowd, they uncovered the roof where He was. So when they had broken through, they let down the bed on which the paralytic was lying. Mark 2:4

The need was urgent, the crowd too much, and yet they found a way in by breaking through the roof. I have to ask though, did they stay to repair the damage they had made? Of course we know there was a carpenter nearby, but the scriptures are silent on whether he helped them repair that roof. The paralytic was out celebrating his new mobility and restored health on the way to his house, glorifying God all the way there, so we see that he didn't stay to help. The four friends of his who did the breaking in? I can see Jesus later helping them to repair the roof with his knowledge and skills. It may even be that Jesus released them to go celebrate with the healed man while our Lord stayed and helped the homeowner repair that roof. But, hey, the main point has always been the paralyzed man with no other hope found a new life in Christ the Lord.

Rejoice in a new life in Christ!

Bucky

He's The One I Need

This was now the third time Jesus appeared to the disciples after he was raised from the dead. John 21:14

Other versions may use 'was revealed' in place of 'appeared', and both speak to our need for the Lord Jesus, risen and alive! While His death on the cross satisfied God's judgment for our sin, it is the living Lord that we need for the lifetime journey each must take. The ascended Lord Jesus gave to us His Spirit, living in each of us who believe in Jesus, to accompany us everywhere we may go. And every provision is made by God for us to believe and carry on in faith. The disciples needed more than one or two appearances, and so Jesus came to them for the third time. To us in the latter days, He also gave His word in the form of Bibles to carry and study.

All of these reminders I am going through this morning to help with a bit of a down feeling. There does not seem to be a good reason for it, but He is the one I need. In case you need a reminder, I'll gladly share the good news of Jesus with you too!

Have a joyous day in Christ our Lord!

Bucky

See Him!

And you people of Capernaum, will you be honored in heaven? No, you will go down to the place of the dead. For if the miracles I did for you had been done in wicked Sodom, it would still be here today. Matthew 11:23

Sodom, that city destroyed by the Lord centuries before Jesus' time. A city so infamous that the name is used in relation to sexual sin even to the present age. Did the Lord Jesus get through to Capernaum with this statement? Did their jaws drop in shock that a traveling rabbi could say such a thing to them? But of course when we read the Word of God, it comes around to read us. How do we stack up against the spiritual blindness of the people of Capernaum? Will there be places joining Capernaum down in the place of the dead?

So, the salacious one asks, what sins did Capernaum invent that even Sodom didn't have? No, Capernaum wasn't known that way! It was the sin of unbelief that Jesus pointed out for them. Jesus did miracles in Capernaum, but their unbelief blinded them to who He was. Don't be that way!

Have faith in Jesus and see Him!

Bucky

The Mountains Were Covered

The waters prevailed fifteen cubits upward, and the mountains were covered.  Genesis 7:20

In honor of those struggling in the mountain communities, who may feel a closer kinship with this verse about now, we send up to God our prayers. As we found out in our little town this year, on a much smaller scale of course, snow requires a lot of work to move away from streets, driveways, and doors. Easily one or two big snows can overwhelm us. Let us remain in faith and much prayer for those who have not gone to town or perhaps even seen a neighbor for two weeks or more. Were they prepared? Probably with supplies and tools, but who can prepare for loneliness? 

Trust in the Father our God and pray!

Bucky

Praying For

Now therefore, restore the man’s wife; for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you and you shall live. But if you do not restore her, know that you shall surely die, you and all who are yours. Genesis 20:7

Abraham's crisis of faith will be for another time. Today, this is the Lord speaking to Abimelech, king of Gerar, who was an innocent party affected by that fib from God's prophet. The Lord made it clear that Abimelech's life was on the line for this sin. The first words in Abimelech's dream are, "Indeed you are a dead man..." Gulp! But the sin did not belong to Abimelech, how fair is that? Certainly it got his attention. Read the remainder of this story in Genesis 20 and marvel at how the Lord addresses this injustice. Note how the Lord prevented a righteous king from sinning. And the power of praying for someone to the Lord. In this dream, the Lord introduces Abraham as a prophet. And the Lord Himself prophecies that Abraham will pray for this innocent man and the Lord will relent from this destruction. And then comes the, but-if-you-don't... Obedience is always the best answer to the word from the Lord.

And in verse 17, we read that Abraham did pray for Abimelech. Restoration follows, and what a great thing our Lord Jesus did in praying for us and restoring us to the Father!

Bucky

Do Not Come Here!

“Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets. Matthew 7:12

News reports and videos from the big snows in California may be a bit frightening to watch in some cases. However, one news report had residents pleading with non-residents to stay away for now. When some event that may not happen again for many years comes along, we have an urge to go and see it. If we find ourselves in that dreaded group of pains-in-the-neck called 'looky-loos' though, we may become part of the problem, or even make the problem worse. This group of folks are not always wise or prudent in their gawking, and they can clog up roadways that are needed for relief supplies and emergencies. As for those of us who believe in Jesus and His words, we have the Golden Rule for living to help guide us. The interesting way that Jesus put it though places an onus on us to do first for others what we want done to us.

But, gee, I don't always know what I want someone to do for me. Well, that's a different problem to take up with the Lord in prayer. When you and I do know, then we have the path laid out for us.

Have a great Friday in Christ our Lord!

Bucky

Walloped By The Plank

And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not perceive the plank in your own eye?  Luke 6:41

If any of us should dare to complain over a problem, then we know by now that everyone else will immediately know the solution that the blind complainer is too stupid to implement. Of course blind and stupid will not be spoken in the flow of words, but we have all experienced this sort of implied criticism in life. In His longest sermon, Jesus offered us a different solution involving specks and planks. As we can read in our verse for today, the plank is on our side, even in the very eye we use to offer that poor blind complainer the simple solution to the merest whimsy of a problem. It is a very different way of looking at our brothers and sister in Christ, or any neighbor that we are to love. What if, due to that plank sticking out there, I do not know so much as I think when my sister in Christ has a problem so great that words come out like tears dropping heavily to the ground? Could it be that my blind and stupid brother in Christ has already tried my simple solution and found it insufficient, or even in effect much like a lit match searching for a gas leak in a darkened room? Has that darned plank walloped another one of my brothers and sisters? 

Oh, Lord Jesus, may I look about with love and seek the solution in prayer before speaking out!

Bucky

Who Does It Belong To?

The earth is the LORD’s, and all its fullness,
The world and those who dwell therein.
For He has founded it upon the seas,
And established it upon the waters.
  -- Psalm 24:1,2

We have been collectively referred to in the Bible by a few names, Gentiles is one, but today we are named in the psalm as 'those who dwell therein.' Each of us has likely been referred to in far less complimentary terms. For this collection belongs to someone by the words of David, who wrote this psalm. We belong to the LORD. This is one of many stumbling blocks in the Bible where we are to choose to believe or not. The world enjoys a limited time where we are allowed to question and doubt this, but in the end when the Judge sits at last on His seat there will be no question of ownership. Those who have believed by faith will go with the LORD to His home, and those who refuse to believe to... you don't even want to imagine that second death. The LORD will then do with His world as He pleases. And we read in the scripture that He pleases to make all things new!

We rejoice that the LORD was pleased to send His Son to save us!

Bucky