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

The Essential Book

There was not a word of all that Moses had commanded which Joshua did not read before all the assembly of Israel, with the women, the little ones, and the strangers who were living among them. Joshua 8:35

Public reading of scripture has made a bit of a comeback, but we have a privilege that the Israelites in Joshua's time did not. We can grab a bunch of books quickly and form a library in our homes. So, what books do you think should be included in the Christian's library? There are a host of books by recent authors that are helpful, but to get to the essential there is but one. However, we know this one is actually a ready-made library in itself; a collection of books we need to read to know more about this One God sent to save us.

And save us He did!

Bucky

It's Not Time For A Rant

There is one who speaks like the piercings of a sword,
But the tongue of the wise promotes health.  Proverbs 12:18

By now in life our experiential wisdom has taught us that it is almost never time for a rant. The rants that appear so popular on social media these days are better considered carefully and with the counsel of wise advisors, but are so often turned loose on the world. I don't have anything to rant about this morning, but if I did it would go something like this: Me, me, me, someone was mean to me, me me, it's so unfair, me me... and so on. It would be tiresome, dull, annoying, and you could easily see where it came from. A rant is usually all those things that Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 13 that love is not. In place of a rant, let us consider pouring out the fruits of the Holy Spirit on each other. Each of us I think could use a little fruit of love, patience, generosity, peace, kindness, and all those others from God our Father by way of His children. 

Have a joyful day in God's love!

Bucky