Doing The Impossible

Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Matthew 19:26 CSB

In Matthew 19 we are presented with the Master leading us through a series of impossible situations. Marriage and divorce, the relationship in a marriage, eunuchs - born, made, and for the kingdom of heaven, little children coming to Jesus, commandments, wealth and giving it all up to follow Jesus, and the business of those possessions. Near the end, we come to our verse for today, and it shows how among all those things of life we will run into something that prevents us from entering heaven on our own. Whether it is a commandment already violated, fear of being poor, or any of those others, we need the Savior to overcome our impossible.

God our Savior is overcoming the impossible in us!

Bucky

End The Annoyance With Finality?

The one who has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. And the one who loves me will be loved by my Father. I also will love him and will reveal myself to him. John 14:21 CSB

So if good works and rules will not save anyone... hmm, works and rules, sounds like the basis for a religion there, what do you think? After writing that the rules will not save, inevitably I must take up the other side of the question. "So, no rules, then that means I get to do anything I want," says the old man of the flesh with some glee. There would come that temptation to become a law unto ourselves. It would likely go so far that the person who merely disagrees with us in an irritating fashion would face the wrath of our lawlessness. We might end the annoyance with finality.

Hold on a bit, end the annoyance with finality?!! That sounds like murder, surely that isn't what salvation brings? Jesus didn't save us to be a bunch of thugs, did He? Of course not, and as our friend Paul said, "May it never be so!" While rules, commandments, civil regulations, or even the Law of Moses won't save us, Jesus did give us those greatest commandments from the Old Testament. Both of these commandments tell us to love, and they just happen to fulfill the Law and the prophets too! That brings us to our verse for today.

Keep His commands and love!

Bucky

Making Us

I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith.  Philippians 3:9 NLT

We have nothing to offer God, so He makes us something. It comes to us often that those who do not believe in Jesus often think they have much to offer God by way of righteousness. They are in their own estimation good people, righteous people, often and sometimes even Christian people. Here Paul the former Pharisee tells us that he does not count on his training in the law or deeds of self-righteousness but faith alone in Christ alone. I fear that for many of us too much rule preaching may cause us to go from faith in Christ back to counting on self righteousness. Let us not, I plead, trace Paul's journey in the wrong direction. 

Faith in Christ for our salvation!

Bucky

Seeking Signs

But He sighed deeply in His spirit, and said, “Why does this generation seek a sign? Assuredly, I say to you, no sign shall be given to this generation.” Mark 8:12

Lately I have been reading quite a few end times sort of novels, you might call them Christian adventure stories. One thing they have in common are big signs and miracles, just like the Pharisees wanted back in their day. By our Lord's deep sigh in His spirit this morning, I see that He would rather see faith from us. Faith does not require those big signs and miracles, but only the relatives of faith. Who could those relatives be? They are trust, confidence, belief, and assurance. You may even name a few more, it's a rich family. We began our faith by believing in Jesus, and continue by trusting in Him. We can even have a childlike faith with bold confidence! Jesus, after rising from the tomb, told Thomas that those who have not seen and yet have believed in Him enjoy are blessed.

Great is His faithfulness, and great too is our faith in Him!

Bucky

An Answer To Fit Any Time

Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” Matthew 24:3

The disciples brought the question to the Lord and for once they may have been overwhelmed by the breadth and depth of His answer. And yet, what in the answer matched their question? All of it and none of it. The disciples, like us, probably looked for something like, 'on the third day of the month of Tebeth, after the day of the new king of Israel comes to pass, then the beginning of the end will come.' Today those who face strong difficulties in life may look for a date that comes within the next few months or years. Those looking forward to a life in marriage, career, or other events may want it a bit further out, say a hundred years after their grandchildren's time. However, Jesus gave to the disciples and to us an answer to fit any time. In Matthew 24:4-13 there comes a detailed answer that any generation of the followers of Christ will recognize as having been fulfilled. And yet, there is no way for us to tell any difference between that passage and the first five seals of the Revelation in chapter 6 as they follow the same pattern. So, what do we see now to help us? Well, it may have begun already over in another place and we have too many distractions to see it, or the end may not begin for another couple hundred years or so. It is for us a great reason to trust in Jesus every day and to endure to the end, our own or the world's.

Have a great day in Christ Jesus! (Yes, even after all that I just laid on you!)

Bucky

Heaven and a Renewal

Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. Revelation 21:1

We yearn to be with our Lord God and so we yearn for Heaven, but that does not appear to be our forever home. In our verse for today we are given John's witness of a renewal of both Heaven and Earth. In the next verse John gets to see the holy city, the New Jerusalem coming down onto the new Earth. It is rather amazing how little we know of our future home with our Lord. But at the same time it is also amazing what we can know from the word of God. This city was measured with a height of 1,500 miles. We are impressed by Mount Everest which at 29,032 feet is a small fraction of that or just shy of 5.5 miles in height. And so, what we can know of this amazing new Heaven and its city is also almost inconceivable to us. 1,500 miles to the top, how many steps are in that main stairway?

Heaven, a place we can know, but we don't know. Our experience is just too puny!

Bucky

The Story, Starring - A Donkey?

Then Jesus, when He had found a young donkey, sat on it; as it is written. John 12:14

Horses do not get all the big roles in the Bible, just most of them it seems. Donkeys figure prominently in a couple of big stories including the triumphal entry into Jerusalem by the future King in our verse today. The breakout role for a donkey may have been under Balaam when his donkey got to have a speaking role in Numbers 22. It is perhaps to make up for getting struck three times and threatened with death for innocently refusing to assault one of God's angels that a donkey would be chosen to bear the King of kings into Jerusalem in the gospels. However, in both cases the star was a man while the donkey had what was a supporting role. What an honor though to bear the servant of all as He went to Jerusalem to lay down His life to save many.

That young donkey deserves a medal, but it didn't save us. Jesus did!

Bucky

Opinions Are Common

Therefore I say, ‘Listen to me,
I also will declare my opinion.'
  -- Job 32:10

Listening to a rock star of decades back making known his opinion, I thought my opinion of his opinion and realized that mine was equally worthless at the least. As the old saying goes: opinions are like elbows, and everybody has a couple. If in your opinion the old saying doesn't go quite that way, then go ahead and have your opinion too. Perhaps then we should seek God's opinion. But wait! Is it even possible for God to have an opinion? As every word spoken by our Lord God is by definition the word of God, can we even call it an opinion? According to the Oxford Languages dictionary, opinion is: a view or judgment formed about something, not necessarily based on fact or knowledge. Obviously the not necessarily bit is for us, while it is clear that every opinion of God would be fact or knowledge.

So, if God were to tell a joke... Augh! My mind...popping... exploding! A subject too big for this short writing this morning. Have a great day in Christ Jesus!

Bucky

Two Lots Of Fish

Simon Peter went up and dragged the net to land, full of large fish, one hundred and fifty-three; and although there were so many, the net was not broken. John 21:11

Two stories of the Lord Jesus providing a miraculous catch of fish, one in Luke and one in John. In one case, two boats are not sunk but the number of fish is not told. In the case of our verse for today, the number was counted by someone and so is the size of the fish noted, and in this case the net remains unbroken. The first case came early in our Lord's ministry at the calling of the disciples, while the second from John came after the resurrection. In both cases though, professional fishermen had caught nothing in a night of labor just before the big catch. We see the miracle of bounty and want that, but how often do we consider that the Lord also provided for nothing for a long period of time first? To spread a net and catch nothing at all could happen, once, twice, but all night? Nothing at all, not even a junk fish or two? The hand of the Lord may provide to us in our endeavors a long night of nothing to prepare us for the big catch.

Watch for Him!

Bucky

Standing On The Precipice Of History

Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet
Before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD.
And he will turn
The hearts of the fathers to the children,
And the hearts of the children to their fathers,
Lest I come and strike the earth with a curse.
  -- Malachi 4:5-6

These are the closing words of the Old Testament in the Bible. Another prophet, Amos, had foretold of a famine of hearing the words of God, and Malachi closed out the writing of the word. Centuries would pass before John the Baptizer came in the spirit and power of Elijah, but he was not Elijah. The famine had ended though, and John is the herald of the New Testament. I wonder at times though if Malachi knew that he stood on the precipice of history as the final prophet of the age? I wonder if Malachi and John met in Heaven with a 'Hey, Brother!' as the famine of the word ended with the coming of Jesus? Maybe we will get to ask them soon.

The famine has ended, as Jesus said, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"

Bucky

You Follow Me

Jesus said to him, “If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you? You follow Me.”  John 21:22

Is the election over yet? Three more weeks from tomorrow? Ahhh, no, say it isn't so! The disciples took from our verse for today something that humans have looked for since their earliest times - immortality. John wrote to set them straight on that since what Jesus said was about comparisons. "You follow Me," Jesus said to Peter to remind us not to worry over God's will for others as we walk with Him. We can easily be led astray worrying over another believer's circumstance. While there are followers of Jesus who are wealthy in faith, there are also those who are just plain old wealthy. What is that to us? We follow the Lord Jesus! For most of us comparisons with other believers will not work out anyway. Living that way we will end up too much this or not enough that until we are depressed and anxious all the day long. Follow Jesus. 

To each of us He has said, "You follow Me."

Bucky

Takes Away The Sin

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!"  John 1:29

Has a nation ever chosen a lamb as its national animal? Perhaps a small nation who didn't want to attract the unwelcome attention of powerful neighbors with their lions, bears, or eagles, might do so. We generally do not look to a lamb to stimulate respect for our strength in others. And yet, here comes the Son of the Almighty, and John said to look at the Lamb. The Jews at that time were fully expecting the Lion to come and chase out the Romans. They got the Lamb. To those who are given the ability to believe in Jesus though, Lamb sounds exactly right. 

Gentle, humble, and Savior, the Lamb of God! 

Bucky

You Need Some Euangelion

And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.  Matthew 24:14

As always it seems, there are plenty of bad tidings to tell of this morning, and our news media has become proficient at telling of it. So, you need some euangelion this morning. That odd-looking term I used is the Greek for gospel, which means glad tidings. You and I need some glad tidings this morning, and our Lord promises that His glad tidings will be preached in all the world. Just a quick glance at all the different religions active in the world today makes that promise quite a bit of good news all around. But His glad tidings are not just a geographic quota to be filled. There are the promises of eternal life, love, joy, peace, and righteousness. An end to sorrows, grief, despair, and sadness comes as a further promise of joy unending in our Lord Jesus. For the lonely there is the hope of close companionship, and for those in pain or fear there is an end to the old things. Why there is even talk in Isaiah of predator and prey animals lying down together with a little child leading them. 

It's about time for some good news, and Jesus is just the man for the job!

Bucky

His Way

If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It's better to enter eternal life with only one hand than to go into the unquenchable fires of hell with two hands. Mark 9:43 NLT

In our studies of historical peoples we have read of those who prepared the corpse for a successful afterlife with horse, weapon, money, and even wives and servants. Imagine having all of this prepared for you, but no hands! Of course Jesus knew when He said this that hands don't just take off on their own to do sin. When it comes to dismemberment for preventing sin, the head would seem to be the place to start. But that causes other problems such as being rather permanent. He who has ears to hear... cannot hear when his head has departed his body. The message here seems to be about priority. Is your priority entering God's kingdom in Heaven, or is it to be with the sinners in Gehenna, that Greek name for Hell? Eternity sounds like such a dreadful long time to be in a place of fire and brimstone.

Of course we know from the Word that salvation comes by faith in Christ Jesus, and not (sigh of relief!) by dismembering our sinful bodies. Praise God for His way!

Bucky

The Start Of Something

So this day shall be to you a memorial; and you shall keep it as a feast to the LORD throughout your generations. You shall keep it as a feast by an everlasting ordinance.  Exodus 12:14 

Moses did not know at this time that the Lord not only began the feast of the Passover, but in time would also start the celebration of communion. It was at the Passover that Jesus told His disciples to take the bread and the wine in remembrance of Him. I wonder if there will be another celebration added to this when Jesus returns? Perhaps the celebration of the wedding of the Lamb and His Bride will take place at the Passover too. We may be looking ahead to something new that began way back in the days of Moses, or Adam! 

An everlasting ordinance for a celebration of God's work, that's wonderful!

Bucky

He Saw And Believed

Then the other disciple, who came to the tomb first, went in also; and he saw and believed. John 20:8

Thomas has been called by a derogatory term among believers. But it would appear from our verse for today that young John might also deserve that name. He too had to see and then believe. Due to his statement, we add the name 'Doubting' to Thomas, but all the disciples had to see before they would believe it. So, why do we in our age have to go by their testimony for our belief? That is what Jesus wanted from His disciples as well, to believe in Him because of His testimony. None of the disciples were present outside of Bethlehem when the Heavenly Host praised God. Only the Baptizer saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove on Jesus. But the disciples all needed testimony, teaching, miracles, death, and finally resurrection before they would believe. Before He ascended to the Father, Jesus imparted one blessing that none of the twelve disciples can enjoy:

Jesus said to him, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” John 20:29

Rejoice that we have not seen and yet have believed!

Bucky

You Will Decide

You will decide on a matter, and it will be established for you, and light will shine on your ways. Job 22:28

Often we are told that answers to prayer may be in the form of yes, or no, or even wait. But another answer to prayer may be that you or I will need to make a decision. If we take our verse for today, all sounds good and righteous in our decision. However, after yesterday you will note that this comes from Job, and from the same chapter, which means that it is ol' Eliphaz still speaking. Oh no! Yes, Eliphaz has told Job that after he returns to God and when he agrees with God, then all will be right and happy. But that big assumption of Eliphaz still hangs out there over Job, that he was not with God already and that all these terrible crimes against the poor man are punishments.

Therefore, how does that bear on our current circumstances? An answer to prayer may be that a decision is required and God will be with us either way we go. Or, it may be that we have a sin that has put us in a place where the Lord would not have us go in either direction from where we are and we do need to return to Him. If you are standing in righteousness as Job was, make the decision and have no fear. If on the other hand, the assumption of Eliphaz is correct in my case or yours, then stop, leave the decision and come to God in prayer and repentance.

Oh, that darn context!

Bucky

Is God Invested In Us?

Can a man be profitable to God,
Though he who is wise may be profitable to himself?
-- Job 22:2

References to Job, such as our verse for today, must be used carefully. For many verses in Job come from those friends of his who wanted to show that he had sinned and his punishment was deserved. God, as we recall, had boasted that Job was blameless and upright. Now there is a character reference! When we read what appears to be an erudite question from Job's companions, we may want to read on before answering. For example, the very next question from this Eliphaz goes: Is it any pleasure to the Almighty that you are righteous? And we say, "Yes! Absolutely!" For we know that God is indeed invested in us and delights when any of us choose righteousness over sin. Just how much God invested in us can be seen at the cross where His Son gave His life to save us.

May His investment have a great return on it!

Bucky