Remember This

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

By my estimate this morning, it will take less than a minute on any news site to get a person feeling down in some way. Frustration, disappointment, anger, sorrow, or some other negative emotion quickly follows the first or second news article we see. And since this is a presidential election year in our nation, there is fuel for your fire no matter which side of the political spectrum you live on.

And so I ask that we all remember this event in the history of our faith today. As the angelic host spoke to the shepherds that night, the nation of Israel lived under the Roman occupation, and they didn't much like it. Along with the Roman presence, they also had religious oppression from their leaders, financially crippling taxation administered by their own particular traitors - the tax collectors, and the worries and difficulties of everyday life. They had at least as much to complain about as we do in our day. Therefore, when things look rough for us today, do as Jesus said here,

Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near. Luke 21:28

Glory to God in the highest!

Bucky

The Gauntlet Of Criticism

But Jesus said, “Let her alone; she has kept this for the day of My burial. John 12:7

Jesus had just raised Lazarus from the dead and was dining in his home when Mary, the sister of Lazarus, anointed our Lord's feet with costly oil of spikenard. John records one criticism, but knowing people as we do there was likely much more from those gathered there. While running the gauntlet of criticism from at least one of His disciples, Jesus also saved Mary from further grief, and then dropped another of His bombshells that seemed to go off leaving the disciples unfazed. Burial? Yo, disciples! Did you all miss that bit about His burial?

Before we become overly critical of those disciples, we also have that instinct to correct with reactionary criticism. What might we miss in a sermon or study by way of a quick remark that we think shows off our sharp wit or great intellect?

Praise God for the word of God, the promise that He will expose and fix our every fault.

Bucky

A Fantasy Verse?

In that day the LORD with his hard and great and strong sword will punish Leviathan the fleeing serpent, Leviathan the twisting serpent, and he will slay the dragon that is in the sea.  Isaiah 27:1 ESV

In that day, the Lord says by His prophet the actions that He will take. We cannot point to a date on the calendar, but by faith we can know that it will come to pass. By our knowledge that we think we know in this world, this verse for today comes way out of a fantasy novel. Serpent, dragon, sword, and slayage - just what we look for in the fantasy genre. However, as we read through the Bible, the Lord does not seem to be given to writing fantasy. Many of His prophecies have come to pass, while others we await with eager anticipation or a bit of anxious concern. The prophecy where His Father's house has many mansions - eager anticipation, the one about 100-lb hailstones - anxious concern. Leviathan - definitely one to let the Lord God handle with His sword. 

Trusting in Him!

Bucky

Waiting Faithfully

His disciples did not understand these things at first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written about Him and that they had done these things to Him. John 12:16

The way of faith does not come easily to us. Writing about the time near the end of our Lord's ministry to Judea, John confesses that the disciples were dull of hearing even after three years of following the Lord Jesus. At this moment in the scriptures, John and the others watch as it appears that with the triumphal entry into Jerusalem, Jesus will be made king and bring in the new reign of Messiah. But our Lord had already told them what would happen in Jerusalem at this time. The disciples expected what Judea expected - king in, Romans out, peace and prosperity all around. But Jesus had clearly said, handed over to the Gentiles, humiliated, scourged, lifted up and killed, only to rise again. John confesses the disconnect between their expectation and what Jesus had been saying all along finally came to a close when it happened, just as Jesus said it would happen.

Sometimes faith shows or tells us ahead of time, and we fail to get it like the disciples. Other times faith may not show the specifics or give a date, and we must wait faithfully. But know that God is good and loving, and be patient in Christ! All that He has said will come to pass.

Bucky

Don't Wanna Face Judgment

And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. John 3:14-17

Yesterday our scripture passage told of one method that a person might be separated into a group and be welcomed to the kingdom. As Jesus in the great sermon on the mount was at that time going to the people of the old covenant, He spoke of works and being judged by them. For us as Gentiles, this method and judgment may not even be available to us. Plus, it is fraught with peril in that failure to abide by all the law, of which us Gentiles may not even have a full copy, could cost us everything in the judgment.

If one thinks that our Bible contains the entire law of Moses, well maybe it does and maybe it doesn't. The Israelites in Judah during the reign of Josiah found the book of the law given through Moses. The story is told in 2 Chronicles 34. We might wonder how God's people could even lose such a thing, but they did! For us today, it means that we dare not even count on having the old covenant of works in its entirety as a long, long time has passed between the days of Moses and our days here in the 21st century after Jesus. So, what is this other way, a new covenant perhaps, that we can seek in order to be saved?

In our scripture passage today, Jesus met with the teacher of Israel, Nicodemus, and gave to him the new covenant. The covenant which Jesus would deliver again at the Last Supper, signed and sealed in His body and blood the next day. We can read up from the bottom in the passage of how the world might be saved through Jesus, not condemned by Him (which the Law does so well), by God's love, through His death on the cross (lifted up), and have that eternal life we all desire. Finally, verse 18:

Whoever believes in Him is not condemned.

Therefore, as Paul will tell us later in his letters:

There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. Romans 8:1

No condemnation means to us: be saved in Christ and don't worry about that judgment. Seems like His way is the better way to me!

Bucky

P.S. Heavenly persimmons! Dis a big 'un!

No Wolves Allowed

All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. Matthew 25:32

The Son of Man tells of His glory at the end, and of a separation of goats from sheep. No wolves are mentioned in the prophetic story. Yes, there are tales (pun intended), novels, and movies of how it is better to be the wolf than the sheep. But at this judgment it seems that the sign 'no wolves allowed' has been clearly posted. A person may choose to be a goat or a sheep, but it is the sheep who are welcomed into the kingdom of Heaven. Jesus then goes on to outline some choices of charity and love. So, are we back to good works for entry into the kingdom of Heaven? Isn't there a way to be saved and then do these good works? Yes, Jesus said He is the way, we had better learn about that tomorrow.

In Christ our Lord,

Bucky

Shining His Light

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

There are some impressive resumes in Hollywood. So luminous are they to the world that they are known as stars. So, is it then the light of accomplishment we are to shine to the world? Could it be the light of a pretty face? What if I don't have either of those? Jesus had said to them in v14, "You are the light of the world." Given that multitudes were mentioned earlier in the chapter, they were likely not all either pretty or accomplished. Perhaps the whole Hollywood thing is on the wrong track.

In John 8:12, Jesus gives to us this explanation:

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.”

Ah, Jesus is the light we need to shine and we gain that light of life by following Him. That squares with Isaiah who told us, "The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light." Born in darkness, we cannot produce a light of ourselves. By following our Lord Jesus, we shine with His light.

Have a bright shining day in Christ Jesus!

Bucky

Giving What We Get

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

Upon conviction of our sin by the Holy Spirit, we earnestly desire a couple of things from God. One we find in our verse today, part of the great sermon Jesus gave to us on a mountain. Another is forgiveness and it too has a condition of giving. Later in the same sermon, Jesus tells us:

For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. Matthew 6:14-15

Our greatest needs require us to do the same for others. Mercy and forgiveness come from believing in Jesus. For without faith in Him we have no hope of obtaining the mercy and forgiveness we most desperately need. And to receive His great gifts, we are to do the same for others. It's a sharing it all around sort of experience He gives to us!

Sharing the love in Christ our Lord,

Bucky

Unlikely Statements

Now when the Pharisees heard it they said, “This fellow does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons.” Matthew 12:24

Pharisees, that group of dunderheads who never seemed to get it right. The problem is that they were not, dunderheads that is. The Pharisees spent a lifetime learning and debating the Law and the prophets. As a group they were among the more educated of the nation of Israel. So, why then would they put forth such unlikely opinions as the one in our verse for today? One possibility is that when your group decides to oppose everything a person says or does without any reflection or consideration, you may end up saying some fairly unlikely things. It is not a stretch to look at our political climate these days and see similar things going on. However, the Pharisees had decided to oppose the Son of God, not just some politician of a different stripe. These Pharisees were not going to come out of this looking sharp and erudite.

Praise God for His patience with us,

Bucky

It Is Sufficient?

Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us.”  John 14:8

One wants to ask dear Philip if it would really be sufficient for him. We may fall into that trap as well. If one more miracle would be sufficient for faith, would it be faith? If one more gospel  was discovered buried in a cave near the Dead Sea, would that be enough for you to believe? If Jesus were to meet me like He did Paul outside Damascus, would that do it for my faith to be strong and mighty? When we see that Philip had been with John the Baptist and then following Jesus for years by this time, we see the trap of that 'just one more sign' sufficiency. Jesus even notes the length of Philip's training in faith next in the scriptures when He says, "Have I been with you so long..." For us these many years later, we have the assurance of one final blessing:

Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.  John 20:29

Be blessed in Christ our Lord,

Bucky

Not That One

Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, “Lord, how is it that You will manifest Yourself to us, and not to the world?” John 14:22

Judas, surnamed Thaddeus, gets a mention in our verse for today by his other name. One can see why Thaddeus might have preferred to not be known as the other Judas given the connotation of betrayal associated with that name. John even adds (not Iscariot) to his name to make sure we know it wasn't that other one. But too much on this name thing and we might miss his great question: Why not?

Look at how many people in the gospels saw the manifested Christ and refused to believe in Him. The disciples received more of our Lord's word than anyone, more by far than we read in the four gospels, and they were barely believing by this point. A manifestation after His resurrection it seems would be wasted on those who refused to believe. However, it would be just the thing for the small group who believed in Him somewhat but not quite enough for the death and resurrection Jesus had spoken several times to break through their doors of unbelief. And so the risen Christ manifested Himself to them. God be praised!

Bucky

How Does One?

And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. John 14:3

How does one get a person to the house of the Father of Jesus? We don't need to worry over that, Jesus said that He will do it. Jesus was not once in the years of His ministry recalled to Heavenly Headquarters for a planning meeting. How does one keep things on track without it? Why think so small: how does one, oh, create a world? According to the Bible, God spoke and it was. An insight was given to me the other night that God never had to consider more or less difficult, harder or easier, less expensive or more, or any other of our many worrisome things when He created everything. When Jesus goes home to prepare that place, He does not consider whether He can or not, nor does He leave trail markers to Earth to make sure He can get back. What our Lord does is just so different from the preparation, planning, and praying we must do for the big projects in life. He speaks, and it is done.

So, the time comes soon when we will go with Him to that place He prepares. We know because He said so.

Bucky

Be Clean!

I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming, and he has nothing in Me. John 14:30

These days it seems like everything Jesus said comes under attack, and this verse for today does not escape the war. Some would have us believe there is no ruler of this world that Jesus mentions. However, Jesus said it, and so we must be aware of this world's ruler. But what did He mean by "he has nothing in Me?" What could this be? One thing that Jesus did not have, and that we have too often, would be sin. Could it be that every sin is leaving something in us that this world ruler could manipulate, utilize, aim at, or something? Hmm, all the more reason to let the Spirit of our Lord cleanse us completely!

Grace and love to you,

Bucky

You May Believe

And now I have told you before it comes, that when it does come to pass, you may believe.  John 14:29

We can read throughout the gospels of the disciples and their inability to get past what they had been taught about how the Messiah would come and what he would do when he got there. Jesus tells them in our verse for today of how they would need to see this thing before they would believe it. We might even laugh now and again over those poor stubborn disciples and their not getting it. But this verse stopped being about them almost two thousand years ago. I have to wonder, as I'm sure you have, what about the end times prophecies have we got wrong by way of what we think we know? What will you and I have to see before we believe that was told in the prophecies quite plainly? The next time we study those end times prophecies, let us ask the Lord for a learner's perspective and hear what the Teacher will tell us. 

Like those disciples, are we watching it and refusing to know it? 

Bucky

The Spirit Of Kings

And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.  John 14:16-17

The prophets of Israel received the word of God, and kings were anointed to receive the Spirit of God... though not all of them opened the door of their heart. Now Jesus took these few fishermen, a tax collector, a zealot, and other disciples and promised them the anointing of kings - the Spirit of truth. And who did He just say was the way, the truth, and the life? Yes, Himself, and so it is His own Spirit who will come to them at the prayer of the Son. And the promise of this new Helper is forever. Were they, are we, humble enough to accept this anointing from the King of kings? 

And then to train to be kings in His service.

Bucky

Our Astounding Lord

“If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him.”  John 14:7

I find it interesting that the disciple responding to this amazing statement is the more experienced of the group. Philip first followed John the Baptist as a disciple, and then left John to follow Jesus. That alone fills out quite the resume of discipleship! And yet, all of that experience does not make Philip able to grasp this thing Jesus said to them. 

"If you had known," Jesus said. And indeed, if we know a person's parents, and knew him as a child and later as an adult, we might think we know him quite well. The beginning of this statement points to something more about Jesus. As His father is God, then this shows something before His birth in Bethlehem. And this prior life with the Father speaks not to a reincarnation thing but an incarnation thing. Then our Lord declares, "and from now on..." but Philip and the other disciples are left with only the dust of understanding as our Lord astounds them yet again. 

And so, by Philip's experience, we know the Father God is seen in Jesus the Christ!

Lord help us to understand.

Bucky

Getting The House Ready

In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.  John 14:2 

Another famous verse from John 14 today, and it is the one involving mansions. Now the original word was the more simple, dwellings, but we do not need to over analyze this. We could easily translate it as: the place where My Father lives has plenty of space for everyone, I'll go and get it ready for you. Now, Jesus, often called a carpenter, had a job description that covered a lot more ground. His job was to build and repair things, and more. So, imagine for a moment you had the skills of plumbing, masonry, architecture, painting, electrical, HVAC, and whatever else is needed to build a dwelling place, plus carpentry of course, and you had an unlimited budget to prepare a new dwelling for your beloved to make a new home. Working as a real estate assistant for the past decade, I can imagine quite a bit, but it is not nearly enough! All we need to recall to put a joyous tint on the light of today is that almost 2,000 years ago Jesus ascended from the Mount of Olives and has been getting dwelling places ready for us all that time. Oh my!

Have a delightful day in Christ Jesus!

Bucky

Kept In Love

If you love Me, keep My commandments.  John 14:15

The old wine was the law, held in the old wineskin of the Covenant with Israel. That covenant offered great benefits for obeying the commandments of the law, but also great punishments for disobedience. And Israel tried both at great length throughout the Old Testament. Jesus brought new wine in the form of His greatest love which paid the penalty that God's justice required for sin. Now the way to obedience can come by love and not fear of breaking the law. In the first three chapters of the Revelation, Jesus sends word that for those churches wanting to go the old law way, the punishments are still available. However, the preferred way in our verse today looks to be love of the Christ and His love for us. So, obedience of the law, still a thing - but let us try the love route with Jesus. 

Grace and peace to you in Christ our Lord!

Bucky