Also The Whole World

My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world. 1 John 2:1-2

The whole world? Yes, before we exclude anyone from the Lord's salvation we may want to review that last part of our scripture for today. Now does this mean that everyone is automatically saved? It does not appear to be so by the words of our Lord Jesus, wherein we find many references to Hades or Hell, and ways to end up there. However, for our part we see by John's letter that the Way to the Father is open to the whole world.

Therefore, do not be afraid to pray for anyone, for even us allergy sufferers can believe in Jesus!

Bucky

What A Promise!

And this is the promise that He has promised us—eternal life. 1 John 2:25

The weather folks promise us a drop in temperature on Friday. What a promise! Always a welcome change in August, but if one can get excited over that little promise, what about the one in our verse for today? It began in another writing from John, the gospel written down by him, and in that most famous verse: 3:16. God loved, He gave His Son, and we believe in Him to eternal life. So, if we like even the little promises, then surely we must rejoice in Christ Jesus and the much bigger one!

Be faithful in Jesus and rejoice in His eternal life!

Bucky

Start With Prayer

For whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.  Romans 10:13 from Joel 2:32

It seems too easy that someone should be saved merely by calling on the name of the Lord. And yet, would we be so mean as to forbid salvation to someone who suffers such a stressful moment in life that one name is all they are able to call on? I certainly agree that if we have the time, and most of us have, that we should confess our sins, repent of them, believe in the Lord Jesus with earnest prayer, and be baptized for our salvation. However, as we read and study the prophecies of the end times, we must come to know that not everyone in those (these?) days will have the luxury of hours or days for quiet reflection and comparison of the Lord's way and the way of the world. Of course we hope that no one waits for the terrors of the apocalypse as the Lord's name is not "Aaaugh!" or "Aiiieee!" 

Start with prayer now, when times are easier.

Bucky

Victory In Jesus

You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.  1 John 4:4

There is a hymn to sing it, but the reason we like to proclaim victory in Jesus comes from what He did for us and this verse we read for today. With the many great and powerful things the world has to overcome us, it is wonderful to know that there is one greater than he who is in the world. As seen yesterday, I can be defeated for a time by a blankety-blank recording device. How will little ol' fumbling me overcome the powers of the world? Nothing in this world can overcome my God and Savior though! It is comforting to know that the Good Shepherd who saved you and me also rules by the mighty power of His command. (Hebrews 1:3). 

Have a comforted day in Christ Jesus!

Bucky

Blasted Time-Period Recording Devices

I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet, saying, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last,” and, “What you see, write in a book and send it to the seven churches which are in Asia: to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamos, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea.” Revelation 1:10-11

You will be able to relate to this one: a device arrives, the instructions are followed, time period configuration completed, the 'record' button is pressed, and afterward the device smugly reports no recording took place. That period of time is gone. Not one of us can get it back. It is almost as if some gnome-like programmer deep in the bowels of a multinational corporation chuckles evilly every time an event is missed forever by their device. Well, you and I are in good company as Moses got so mad at his first recording device that he smashed it to bits, and God had to provide a new copy of the Ten Commandments. The difficulties we have with recording devices also make it all the more remarkable that any of the Bible scriptures made it to us these thousands of years later. We know by experience that copies of copies of copies are fraught with peril every step of the way, especially since we have so much trouble obtaining that first one. Yet somehow, we can read the Revelation and 65 other books of scripture from a long time ago.

I guess God was a lot better with His recorders over thousands of years, than I was with one blasted recording device on just one little night. Sigh! As Mr. Coyote says, "Well, back to the ol' drawing board."

Bucky

A Babe's View

In that hour Jesus rejoiced in the Spirit and said, “I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight. Luke 10:21

Do you have a baby's view of the Bible? Good! We are often called in the Bible terms that the proudly educated would not approve of, such as lost sheep, little ones, and babes. It is among these simple folk that Jesus finds His treasures to bring home with Him. The educated Pharisees struggled to accept Jesus, and few of their number ever followed Him. Therefore, if that sort of thought comes to you that a person must be really educated or highly smart to believe in Jesus, doubt the source of that thought and just believe in Him!

Faith may not make sense to the sensible,

Bucky

Feeling Powerless?

The God of my strength, in whom I will trust;
My shield and the horn of my salvation,
My stronghold and my refuge;
My Savior, You save me from violence.
  -- 2 Samuel 22:3

So, a meeting Friday between the presidents of the USA and Russia in Alaska. This week the boss is gone on vacation...to Alaska. Oh, no!

If you are feeling powerless for being left off the guest list for the presidential meeting in Alaska this week, then imagine how Ukraine feels. Perhaps President Trump shows wisdom though in that nothing has been accomplished by meeting with the war leaders together, so he chose to start with one of them. And perhaps I am trying to make an excuse for someone who has not asked.

2 Samuel 22 is a psalm from a powerful leader, a king, who chose to give the glory for his victories to God. Living in a time when most leaders and other famous persons sing the song of themselves, David's psalm is refreshing to read.

Read it, and rejoice in the Son of David!

Bucky

Sometimes We Ask

They said to Him, “Grant us that we may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on Your left, in Your glory.” Mark 10:37

A well-known example of asking without knowledge comes in our verse for today when John and James, the Sons of Thunder, asked for special places with their Lord Jesus. We know from our scripture studies that it wasn't a request for two places at the dinner table, or even two honored places at a feast, but in His glory. Words can flow out from us with no regard for any but ourselves, and the two disciples appear to stand in for us in this case. You and I have probably asked our Lord Jesus for something that was inappropriate or set aside for others. Our denial right now comes from that same lack of knowledge that James and John had in their moment of grieving our Lord Jesus. His first words in response tell us all: "You do not know what you ask."

Praise God for the Holy Spirit who makes intercession for us in our requests!

Bucky

Practicing Love

You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.  Deuteronomy 6:5

A piece of advice sometimes given to us has a cute roll to it, and that is 'fake it till you make it'. However when it comes to approaching the Lord to learn love, that just does not seem like good advice to me. Practice till you become proficient seems like a better way to go. If I do not yet understand love fully, then I can go to the teachings of the word of God and practice. Faking love would certainly be obvious to God, and likely to everyone else as well. Practicing, on the other hand, will show that I am far from perfect at loving, but that I have a desire to improve at it. I believe the Lord can work with practicers, but fakers? Uh, not so much.  

May the love of the Lord, who is of course 100% good at it, go with you this day! 

Bucky

Attention Derailed!

But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.  1 John 1:7

Plastics crisis, nuclear accident, global temperature abnormality, hurricane #542, and the sky is falling!  Any number of things demand that our attention to the word of God be derailed right now and most immediately. And by the way we are being fogged this morning. Whatever comes next, seek some comfort in the Word. Each day will present some sort of crisis to test us from little bitty personal ones to the big international news spectacles. We have plenty to pray over and many people to pray for, but we also need to see to our mental health in the word of God. As our Lord said, love your neighbor as yourself. 

Love me and love you, and God said love both of us too...

Bucky

Sinstincts

But Sarah denied it, saying, “I did not laugh,” for she was afraid.
And He said, “No, but you did laugh!”  -- Genesis 18:15

Since Adam and Eve took of the forbidden tree and ate, we have lived in a state of fear. To this fear are added those instincts of self-preservation that we can easily recognize: lying, cheating, stealing, and many others. These all seem to be sins according to the law of Moses. And if one thinks that doing one by thought alone will excuse a person, Jesus assured the disciples that thinking the sin was sin too. So, we have an inherited 'sinstinct' reaction to perceived danger, even if it is merely the danger of being found out. We see a famous example in our verse for today. Clearly then we need to be saved and reborn somehow, which Jesus addresses with the teacher of Israel in chapter 3 of John's gospel. 

I can't save me, and you can't save you, but Jesus can save us both, it's true,

Bucky

Read The Word

This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.  1 John 1:5

Strange things go across social media feeds, and I saw one of those hidden word ones today that try to tell you the first word you see will be your day. Only certain words are hidden in the puzzle, and why should my day be determined by some stranger or AI making up something like that? Some people read the Bible in a similar way, like it's some sort of hidden word puzzle or a code game. While there may be passages that I do not yet understand, I believe the word of God was not given to baffle me. Those parts I don't understand yet? Well, that's there to bring me back to try again! 

Read the word, and learn from the Word!

Bucky

A Higher Standard

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; they are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.  Romans 3:23-24

Are those who believe in Jesus held to a higher standard? I wrote it in the affirmative last night, looked at it again this morning, and realized that I was wrong. No, we all have one standard, we have all failed to meet it, and we all fall short of the glory of God. Faith in Jesus is where we gain the ability to reject the sin by the grace of God in Christ Jesus. That does not mean that we will successfully negotiate the temptation traps every time, but that failing may tempt us to believe we now have a higher standard. The disciples saw the perfect example of the sinless life each day, and they soon realized how far they were from the standard. As we walk in grace by faith, we also get to know more of how far short of the standard we began the journey. Forgiven in Christ we are, but perfect sinless behavior we are still working on with Jesus our Lord. 

Remember the key words of the second part of our verse today: justified, grace, redemption, and Christ Jesus!

Bucky

Not Seeing Enough Miracles?

Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me, or else believe Me for the sake of the works themselves. John 14:11

Or else believe? The works or miracles that Jesus did seem to be His second preference for the faith of His disciples. When the religious leaders demanded signs, Jesus refused them. Many may think that there are not enough miracles to believe in anything these days. But if a person already believes in Jesus, why do we need signs again? Asking to see more miracles of the Lord puts us in a place similar to those religious leaders of so long ago. Sounds like kind of a backward sliding sort of thing. Eek! Backsliding, we don't want to do that. So, yes the word of the Lord has more than enough miracles for us.

Let us go forward with Jesus in faith!

Bucky

Prodigals On The Way Home

And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. Luke 15:20

How did that father see the prodigal so far off? He was looking for him of course! I see all those who believe in Jesus as prodigals on the way home to our father. We have spent our time in sin, living for ourselves and our pleasure, and now we each journey toward home and the Father. At some point in life we hit bottom in some fashion and looked back toward our heavenly Father and the home promised by His Son. The Father, though letting us go our way and indulge in all manner of sin, also had His eye on us all that time. The Father waited expectantly for that day we would turn around and come home to Him.

If you have not begun that journey yet, look up, repent, and start on the way home. Jesus opened the way for every prodigal to come home to His Abba.

Bucky

Asking - With Motive

Now when He had departed from there, He went into their synagogue. And behold, there was a man who had a withered hand. And they asked Him, saying, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”—that they might accuse Him. Matthew 12:9-10

The account of Matthew clearly ascribes a motive to a question in this scripture passage. In most cases, we would ask a question with the motive of wanting to learn something. Here these Pharisees had already decided the answer for themselves, and used the question to set a trap for Jesus. An easy target from this passage would be to come down on those Pharisees, but Jesus already took care of that and they are long gone anyway. Instead, let us look at our own asking and see if any underhanded motives are present in our prayers. The Pharisees make a good example of what not to do. So as we get with God in private prayer, we want to make sure we didn't join their band by accident or worse, intent.

As Jesus showed us, "Not My will, but Thy will be done."

Bucky

One In The Father

Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works. John 14:10

In our age we have these celebrated persons who come as a package. One is their screen persona presented to the world, and the other is their private self which is often more hidden. Then social media came along. No doubt the pressure on these celebrities is greater than ever to be like what is seen on the screen. Which could be difficult if the actor's claim to fame is a comic book superhero character.

Imagine though what it was like for the disciples of Jesus to understand that here was God, in the form of a man, standing, sitting, eating, and being human in front of them. The Father, God, dwelt in Jesus and did the works they had all seen. Not an actor, nor a madman, just a baby born in Bethlehem grown up to present God to them in a form they could see and touch. Amazing!

Have a faithful day in Christ Jesus!

Bucky

A Bad Apple?

I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to have the preeminence among them, does not receive us. 3 John 1:9

John the beloved apostle wrote to Gaius a short letter with an important complaint, there was a person in the church who did not receive the brethren. It seems that within a short period of time from the church beginning at Pentecost, there was already one who did not want anything to do with hosting the traveling apostles. And that wasn't all, as John tells of malicious words from this Diotrephes. Now short in this case might mean 30 years or more, but it kind of shatters my wishful illusion of a new church growing by leaps and bounds with harmony among all the saints. Sometimes that did happen, but other times we read of people just being darn poop heads too!

Praise God that Jesus brought redemption to us all,

Bucky

A Marvelous Work

For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? Romans 11:15 LSB

Good morning to you on this day! Most people I know are what the Israelites called Gentiles. This was a term that included everyone who was not of Abraham by way of Isaac and Jacob, that is Israel, hence the Israelites. Therefore, Gentiles as a term includes a lot of people who can be quite different from one another. We have all one thing in common though, as the Jews rejected Jesus as their Messiah, we get to reconcile with God through Jesus! God has taken a rejection by His chosen people and turned it into a marvelous work of salvation for us.

Great are the works of our Lord God!

Bucky

A Kingly Figure

So it was, when they came, that he looked at Eliab and said, “Surely the LORD’s anointed is before Him!” 1 Samuel 16:6

Eliab, firstborn of Jesse, must have been built with a kingly figure. Samuel certainly thought so when he came to him first among Jesse's sons. Samuel was familiar with Saul, the Lord's choice for first king of Israel. Samuel had a good look at Eliab, and could see the man as the next king of Israel. The Lord shut Samuel's wrong-way train down though, telling His prophet to quit looking at appearance and stature. So glad we have taken that lesson to heart in our time and no longer judge on appearance and stature...right? Dream on, sonny!

May God strengthen us to look past appearance and stature,

Bucky

For That Reason

Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices;
My flesh also will rest in hope.
  -- Psalm 16:9

As a child, asking why may be our most common question. Therefore, the Bible uses 'therefore' a lot for the children we must become in God's Word. Therefore means, for that reason or consequently. You may have seen the word a lot in your Bible study, and your imagination is not playing tricks on you. The New King James Version of the Word holds a mere 1,356 usages of, therefore in 1,340 verses. Therefore, there is a good chance that if a 'why?' occurs to us in the Word, then a reason may follow a therefore for us quickly thereafter.

For this provision of reasons to our questions, we rejoice in our Father God.

Bucky

We Need One

My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 1 John 2:1

When John wrote this letter, he probably knew quite well that the 'if' conditional here would likely be met many times as we strive to live a sinless life. We need one advocate, and we need Him a lot... no, we need Him constantly. When all it takes is the mere thought of a sin, then we are in it more than we think. Repentance may have begun at the altar back in the day, but it is something we must practice and pray for as we walk with the Savior. It seems this is one Advocate we need to keep on a prayer retainer.

In Christ alone!

Bucky

If You Love One Another

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. John 13:34

A friend, even a brother or sister in Christ, has lost a beloved one from mental illness. You hear their story and later find out they may have said the wrong thing at a critical moment. The source of your knowledge has expertise in the subject, a doctor or anesthesiologist perhaps. (I just wanted to see if I could spell that second word there - blew it, forgot the 'h' the first time through.) Now, as the beloved of your friend has already passed, what good would it do for you to blurt out your new knowledge? Will your words be received with appreciation? I think we can see that a good dose of the ol' silence may be the more loving thing to do in a case like that.

This thought came to me while doing the dishes one night. The Lord sometimes gives me a devotion to write at the oddest of times. The key to those odd times is of course to dry the hands and go write it down before a distraction comes along and, poof, it's gone.

Give thanks to God this great Monday morning!

Bucky

What Is In The Middle?

Bless the LORD, O my soul;
And all that is within me, bless His holy name!
Bless the LORD, O my soul,
And forget not all His benefits.
  -- Psalm 103:1,2

While the word of God is centered on His Son, Jesus, I wondered what verse was in the middle of the text. The answer according to the Google is the two verses we read for today. What an appropriate passage too! The middle of the word of God calls upon what is within us to bless the Lord. And as an answer to the anxiety so present in our world of this day, we are called to not forget the benefits of the Lord. 

From experience, I can tell you that anxiety and forgetting the Lord are quite the same activity. When I have anxious thoughts, they are not centered in the Lord. A session of anxious rumination is so unlike prayer that they must be polar opposites. So, when anxious fears come, bless the Lord O my soul!

Love to you in Christ our Lord, 

Bucky

By Twos

So they came to Noah into the ark, by twos of all flesh in which was the breath of life. Genesis 7:15

While it may have appeared in the previous writing that nothing could be worse than two consenting adults, we have a great deal of evidence in the Bible that a pair can also be a great blessing. After the four pairs of humans entered the ark, then came the beasts and birds by twos in our verse for today. We also saw in the gospels how Jesus sent His disciples out in pairs. Two can encourage one another in the Way, or help to keep each other accountable in moral bearing. And of course we have the word from Jesus on marriage where a man and a woman join and become one flesh. (see Matthew 19:4-6). So, over the past couple of days, we have seen how a pair can go toward the light or down into darkness. What can we learn from this? Let Jesus be your Savior first, and from there walk with Him in the light. Then let the Lord help you with those other pairings, such as friends and spouses.

May the Lord Jesus guide us in all things,

Bucky

Decided By Two Consenting Adults

So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate.  Genesis 3:6

While blame has been laid upon Eve, it is clearly seen in this verse for today that her husband was there with her. And therefore, we can see that the first sin against our Lord God was decided by two consenting adults. Many Bible stories tell us of two consenting adults deciding to commit a sin, sometimes more than one. It would seem that two can get into sin trouble at least as fast as one. So perhaps the best indicator of whether something is a sin or not would not be the decision of two consenting adults?  

Of course we cannot leave it there. Tomorrow, if the Lord is willing, we will see what a partnership can do when it is centered in Christ Jesus. 

Grace and peace to you in Christ Jesus!

Bucky

Look At My Heart?

But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”  1 Samuel 16:7

But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies.  Matthew 15:18-19

So, in order to meet the One who was, and is, and is to come, there must be a fix for this heart problem. Reading the two scriptures passages for today, one may easily think that there is no hope for us at all: God sees into the heart, and Jesus reports what He found there. However, with a bit more reading in the Word, we find that God, who sees the heart, sent Jesus, who knows the heart, to be the sacrifice to cleanse that evil heart and redeem us for God. Therefore our hope is in Him!

As the hymn says: I once was lost, but now am found!

Bucky

Who Is To Come

Knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.”  2 Peter 3:3-4

'He was' and 'He is' each have their problems for those who will not believe in the Christ. But if the past tense is easier and the present one more difficult, then the third separates the faithful from the fallen with the sword of the Word. Many in this world would rather continue on as before until somehow fallen humans achieve some sort of utopian-ageless-evolved paradise on Earth. (You may estimate for yourself how well we are doing on that!) The Revelation 1:7 tells of tribes mourning when Jesus returns (also Matt 24:30). Perhaps that will happen just after they think aging has been stopped. As for me, I think I have aged one day for each day I've been alive. (I guess that makes sense.) What the promise of our Lord's return grants to those who believe in Him is, well, the promise of His return! Like the aging thing, it just sort of makes sense to us. Since I cannot point to the hour, day, month, and year of His return, and neither can anyone else, many refuse to believe this appointment will ever arrive. And so they scoff, and may be scoffing at the moment of our Lord's return. 

Pray for those who refuse to believe, while there is still time for repentance,

Bucky

He Is

God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds. Hebrews 1:1-2

In the early part of the first of what would come to be known as the Anno Domini centuries, Jesus was in Galilee and Judea growing up and preaching the good news of the kingdom of God. With the evidence of their eyes, the disciples of Jesus along with a great many others were quite comfortable with 'He is'. The scribes and Pharisees were somewhat less comfortable, but they did not believe in Him. Belief of course brings us to faith, and by faith we speak of Jesus of Nazareth as a 'He is' even now, about 2,000 years after he began the ministry that changed the world. While the execution by Rome of this same Jesus gave all those who refuse to believe in Him a comfortable 'He was', we by faith know of the resurrection on the third day. We do not have the evidence of our eyes yet, but from John 20:29, we have this assurance:

Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.

Bucky

He Was

“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,” says the Lord, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” Revelation 1:8

Not many people, I think, will have a problem with the 'he was' part when speaking of the man who lived in the first century A.D. Jesus is known through the Bible record and by other historical records such as Josephus. However, to some of those people during what we would consider the 'he was' time, Jesus said that he was from a time before their time, way before their time:

Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.” John 8:58

Properly freaked out by this, they stooped to gather some rocks to make him a 'he was' right there and then. But His time had not yet come.

Rejoice in Christ Jesus!

Bucky

Wait On the Lord

Wait on the LORD;
Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart;
Wait, I say, on the LORD!
  -- Psalm 27:14

David, the youth who found the king's army waiting in fear, because of that giant fellow, and acted in courage, would later write psalms of waiting on the Lord. As it was time for him to act in one circumstance, other circumstances taught David the value of waiting on the Lord. Wisdom comes from the Lord to teach us also when it is time to act and when to wait in prayer for the Lord.

Of course to the world around us, it will often look like acting quickly equals rash foolishness and waiting in prayer appears to be doing nothing. And the voice of temptation will be there to help us know how the world sees us in those times too. This is why we need the strengthening of the heart only our Lord can provide!

Have a blessed day in Christ Jesus,

Bucky

New Speech, Please!

He who would love life
And see good days,
Let him refrain his tongue from evil,
And his lips from speaking deceit.
  -- 1 Peter 3:10

The verse today looks like a psalm, and it is as Peter wrote from Psalm 34 in his letter. And it still addresses issues we have today. So a psalm of David from about 1,000 years before Jesus, came to a letter from Peter written about 2,000 years before our time, and still we struggle with those two lips and one tongue.

May God grant us mercy, and clean, loving, and encouraging speech.

Bucky

An Unlikely Gospel

As He passed by, He saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, “Follow Me.” So he arose and followed Him.  Mark 2:14

Each of us may recall back in those days of our youth when we were caught in that hard place where experience came from jobs, but jobs were closed to us by that same lack of experience. Many of the jobs we ended up taking we would have easily given up to follow a traveling rabbi, if we had  such a thing in our time. However, let's say we each had a job that paid really well, as in destined for great wealth kind of well paid, and there was personal security in that job from the governing authority, and performing well in that job directly benefited our savings accounts. Sounds too good to be true! The tax collectors in Levi's (Matthew's) time had it that way, and they liked their jobs. Their only problem was that their nation and people hated them for doing those jobs. No doubt counting their money in the evening helped them get over their most-hated status. What could be more unlikely then for a travelling rabbi with no money to call one of the most hated men of Galilee to follow him and give up that lucrative job? I guess it would be for the tax collector to drop everything and take off following that same rabbi! And so from a couple of highly unlikely choices, we have the wonders of the Gospel of Matthew. 

Praise Jesus for choosing the unlikely ones,

Bucky

A Prayer For Jesus

Help us, O God of our salvation,
For the glory of Your name;
And deliver us, and provide atonement for our sins,
For Your name's sake!
  --  Psalm 79:9 

Centuries before the Christ came to Bethlehem, Asaph wrote a psalm praying that the Savior would come and deliver them. This prayer for Jesus asked God for just what His Son did for us as told in the gospels. What an awesome answer to this prayer God gave to us in His Son Jesus!

Bucky

Servant He Is

You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am. John 13:13

After one of His great examples of serving by doing, Jesus sat down with His disciples having washed their feet like the lowest household slave. And then He acknowledges titles of honor the disciples had used for Jesus the Christ. Rabbi or teacher of us the students and learners, and master or lord, as in we belong to You. It was a strange thing the disciples witnessed: the teacher and master had just taken up the lowest slave position and done the dirtiest job available. And in the next verse, Jesus told them to do the same. Even today we are encouraged to strive for the highest position in the corporation or government. And at some point in life, most of us join in that game with enthusiasm. Imagine achieving that high position of CEO, president, or king, and then going out back to do the lowest and dirtiest job. The disciples were freaked out a bit, I'm sure, just as we would be.

So, are we okay as servants yet?

Bucky

Fearless All Day

You shall not be afraid of the terror by night,
Nor of the arrow that flies by day,
Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness,
Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday.
  -- Psalm 91:5,6 

Night, day, darkness, and noonday, we have the day covered in these two verses. Terror, arrow, pestilence, and destruction covers all our fears as well. But it's that promise from the start that gives the assurance needed to be fearless through every day. "You shall not be afraid..." Of course I seem to be still working on that. Nope, cannot claim to have stood fearless all day of pretty much any day yet. Call it anxiety, PTSD, nervousness, trepidation, or any other term, it remains and has always been plain ol' fear. Even worry has its basis in fear. Worried about that? Then you might be afraid God won't. Worried about this? Then you may be afraid God will. Worried the world will soon be blown up? Then maybe you're afraid God ain't. Read Psalm 91 sometime this weekend and see that God is, and that God loves, and rejoice!

Yours in Christ,

Bucky

No Other Burden

Now to you I say, and to the rest in Thyatira, as many as do not have this doctrine, who have not known the depths of Satan, as they say, I will put on you no other burden. Revelation 2:24

Thyatira had some sin problems, including sexual immorality, but there were those in the church who did not fall into this sort of thing. And the Lord Jesus remembered them too as He promised to put no other burden on them. Is that even possible? We might ask because we gain this impression from certain preachers in our past or present that this life but one burden after another piled on us until we drop. Whatever problem that preacher had, or whatever misunderstanding we jumped into from their teaching, we should not have gained that from the Son of Man who said, "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28)

From the story of the church at Thyatira, we understand that it is sin that burdens us, along with the chastening that must take place for that sin. Avoid the sin, and no further burdens will be put on.

Happy Juneteenth! Rejoice in Christ our Lord for the freeing of slaves to sin.

Bucky

Emergency Verses, Quiet Reflection

He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High
Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
  -- Psalm 91:1

Sometimes the unexpected pounces upon us with tribulations we might rather not face on a particular day. In the Bible we have what have been called emergency verses for those sudden tough times. And one of the easier to recall is the reference for today's verse, 911, or Psalm 91:1. However, these verses are also quite suitable for a calm time of Bible reflection and study. Dwelling is a place where we live, but in this verse if we dwell in one special place, we get to abide in another. It may seem that to dwell in the secret place of God, the Most High, would be Heaven, but that is not secret. The secret place we all have is in our heart or mind, where even repressive governments cannot see what is going on in those thoughts. Much of the time they wouldn't want to, but that's a story for another day. When the seeker comes to believe in Jesus, the door opens to the Holy Spirit and we dwell from then on in the secret place of the Most High. Which grants to us an abiding under the protecting shadow of the Almighty. This is not to say that tribulations will not come, as our Lord Jesus has said, but now we do not face them alone. 

Have a heart safe day under the shadow of the Almighty!

Bucky

Working A Change

Listen, my beloved brethren: Has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?  James 2:5

Last night I looked out a window after midnight, as I often do to see what is going on, and I saw something out of the ordinary. For a moment or two, my mind didn't want to believe what my eyes clearly saw. A branch had fallen onto my truck bed. That's what made the ordinary look odd. What does that have to do with a Bible-based message, you might ask? So glad you asked! 

When Jesus began his ministry, the disciples he chose, the people he preached to, and even his brothers looked and saw, but failed to comprehend all that he taught them. Here in our verse for today we see James presenting two faith arguments in the second chapter of his letter to the twelve tribes scattered throughout the world. This would not have happened in those early days when those known as James did not believe a brother, wanted to bring the thunder down on some scoffers, or simply did not understand the new covenant. Someone worked a change on James and he became as he says, "A bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ."

That is some change!

Bucky

Shining Light

In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.  John 1:4-5

So many thoughts this morning. That comes from looking into the darkness, I suppose. Looking at the life that was the light of men seems simpler, calmer, and a way to peace. The Son of God who lived that life shines through the darkness so well in such a time as this. How much greater did His light shine on that day His tomb was found empty? 

Shine on, dear Jesus, shine in me!

Bucky

Already Done It

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

For those sitting in the grass listening to this great sermon, thinking, "I have not touched, therefore it was just harmless fantasy." Jesus brought them up short by letting them know their guilt just by thinking of the sin. We have been brought up in a time when our thoughts and even our speech are protected freedoms. Hmm, so if I pass a law for myself that I can think of anything I want, then I'm good! Utter nonsense, that is simply restating what Adam and Eve did when taking from the forbidden tree. The government may not prosecute a person for thinking sinful thoughts, but challenging the judgement of God would not be a way to eternal life. So, how can I stop those thoughts? Prayer for a clean heart, and perhaps most immediately, quit feeding the beast!

Praise God, who can cleanse us from the lust in the heart!

Bucky

Whatever He Says

His mother said to the servants, “Whatever He says to you, do it.” John 2:5

Mom knows. Without the rest of the story, we are left with a number of guesses as to what our verse for today tells us. From our Bible studies though, we know that this is Mother Mary telling the servants to do whatever Jesus says to do at the wedding in Cana where Jesus would soon perform His first miracle. It is a simple instruction to servants. And as we from other teachings of our Lord Jesus want to become servants, it seems that simple instructions are good for us as well. "Whatever He says to you, do it." And that is where the battle with our first birth begins as our sinful flesh immediately rebels, gripes, grumbles, and complains against following our Lord's simple instructions.

Praise God that Jesus His Son can overcome us too!

Bucky

He Sees You

I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet, saying, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last,” and, “What you see, write in a book and send it to the seven churches which are in Asia: to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamos, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea.” Revelation 1:10-11

A penal island out in the Mediterranean Sea. And the Lord tells John to write what he sees in a book. Water will figure into this writing, we might expect. But no, the Lord Jesus is about to show John many things. So, 'write what you see' becomes much more than a description in words of a Roman penal island and the sea around it. In the first part of the Revelation, John sees many things about these seven churches that he could not see from the shores of Patmos. As the book or scroll reaches the churches, each church receives a specific message showing what they have been up to, some of it quite personal and perhaps surprising to many in that church. John sat on a rock in the briny deep, but Someone saw the churches and how they chose to behave.

This revelation is why we who believe continue to repent of our evil deeds and thoughts, while we also have the assurance that no good deed or thought is missed by our ever watchful Lord and God. Therefore, how do we want to behave today?

Love and joy to you in Christ the Lord!

Bucky

Who Is Worthy?

And I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a scroll written inside and on the back, sealed with seven seals. Then I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and to loose its seals?” And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll, or to look at it.  Revelation 5:1-3

John, the disciple beloved of Jesus, sees a scroll, and a question is presented to everyone, everywhere. The simple part of the question trips up all of us: Who is worthy? In Heaven, Michael and Gabriel do not step forward. Under the earth none of the proud ones say anything. On the earth, not one of the kings or emperors has anything to say. What happened to those bearing that recent appellation of 'self-made'? Should not at least one of them be worthy to open that scroll? And yet even the strong angel who issues the question does not try to touch that scroll. 

As John turns to weeping, one is found worthy to open the scroll. And it is a lamb who was slain? 

Praise God for the Lamb who was slain!

Bucky

What Was Inside

But Jesus did not commit Himself to them, because He knew all men, and had no need that anyone should testify of man, for He knew what was in man. John 2:24-25

Jerusalem, Passover, disciples ready to rock the new kingdom, but Jesus knew me. The time may have been a thousand and nine hundred or so years before my birth, but I would have fit right in with those in whom our Lord would not commit. It seems that even as I have believed in Jesus for longer with each passing day, the time is used to turn over rocks in my heart and show me the sin. This is not to say that change for the better has not taken place, but about the time I feel a bit of pride in myself, flip, then there's that hidden sin revealed.

Then faith has a word for me: forgiven! Praise the Lord Jesus!

Bucky

I don't usually key off another message, but this one from my sister may help us to understand the feeling.

https://www.facebook.com/kerri.nohr/posts/pfbid0362HmsAxhh5k4KpEcWAYtqLyuQBRbcFMxuqiWeY1Wr2uRCk6289UQamgEfLXrwwQEl

One Day He Made A Whip

When He had made a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changers’ money and overturned the tables. John 2:15

Part of the temple of the Lord had become a livestock market complete with money changers. History and experience may tell us that some money taking was going on at the same time, over and above an honest profit on the sales. However, the text in John 2 simply states that these things were there. Our verse for today tells of Jesus making a whip of cords, but does not say that our Lord Jesus struck anyone with it. The whip certainly got the sheep and oxen moving though. He poured out the money and overturned tables, which sounds rather violent for this gentle teacher from Nazareth. A place of worship of His Father had become a place of merchandising, and it angered our Lord and Savior.

There may be a time or place for anger in our age as well, but prayer first!

Bucky

Reminded

Therefore, when He had risen from the dead, His disciples remembered that He had said this to them; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had said. John 2:22

At the time Jesus had said He would rebuild this temple in three days, the disciples no more believed Him than the Pharisees did. That just cannot be, we want to say. And yet here John admits years later that they needed a crucifixion, a resurrection, several appearances from Him, and finally a reminder in the outpouring of the Spirit of God before finally believing the word which Jesus had said. John only wrote of the resurrection in this verse, but with Jesus it all comes together like a package of heavenly blessings.

And by His Holy Spirit we are reminded (John 14:26).

Bucky

Taking Responsibility

So David said to Abiathar, “I knew that day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would surely tell Saul. I have caused the death of all the persons of your father’s house.  1 Samuel 22:22

David didn't literally kill anyone, Saul ordered it, Saul's guards refused to do it, and Doeg the Edomite carried out the order. And yet here is David taking responsibility for it. What was this terrible deed? The murder of priests of the Lord, the men and women of their city, and their children and infants, and their livestock. And David, anointed king but still serving Saul, takes responsibility for causing these deaths. What sort of faith does one need to have in the Lord our God to confess such a responsibility before Him? A man after God's own heart of course! 

May God lead us to take responsibility in faith,

Bucky

Has He Washed Your Feet?

Jesus answered and said to him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but you will know after this.”  John 13:7

We may flatter ourselves to think that we know more than Peter did in this moment of scripture for today. However, that may not be the case for all of us, perhaps even none of us. There is in the verse a promise, "but you will know after this." If we can set aside what we think we know, then Jesus can teach us what we need to know. It may take a washing of the filthy parts for us to get to that point. It took three years and some days for the disciples to reach that point where Jesus washed their feet. What would be needed for the Savior to be able to wash their hearts? 

Glory to our Lord Jesus, and His washing of filthy hearts... and feet!

Bucky

A Different Third Day

On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there.  John 2:1

Of course it was on the third day! Here in our verse for today, we have a seemingly nothing verse on the surface - third day, wedding, mom was there. No big deal, right? Well, it wasn't just anyone's mother, it was Mary, mother of Jesus of Nazareth. The wedding at Cana may have gone down as a good time in the usual wedding way except for what follows soon after in the story. In fact it is this one little verse that sets the stage for the first miracle Jesus performed in His brief ministry. It was just such a miracle that allowed for the Pharisees to remain unbelieving by choice when they heard about it. For the servants who labored to fill the pots with water it was a time to testify of God's Son in action. For those who looked for the conquering Messiah, it was notice that they might want to look at the scriptures again. What sort of conqueror would stop to save his mother's friends from a little social humiliation? As we know, One who loved her and could make a little wine of course! 

No need too small for the coming King!

Bucky

The Word And The Tomb

For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. Matthew 12:40

Why rise from the tomb, we may ask, would not resurrecting directly from the cross have answered the chief priests with their wagging tongues about coming down? Not after the Lord Jesus gave His word though, which we see in our verse for today. The word of our Lord and the tomb became linked right then, and the task of Joseph and Nicodemus, two secret followers of Jesus from the religious leaders, became critical to the resurrection. That body was going from the cross to the tomb, and our Lord Jesus would rise from there, just as He said.

And from the tomb Christ arose!

Bucky

Difficult Waiting

Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.”
They said to him, “We are going with you also.” 
They went out and immediately got into the boat,
and that night they caught nothing.
  -- John 21:3

The risen Lord Jesus had told His disciples to go up to Galilee and wait for Him there. By this time in the gospel accounts we have figured out that Peter is not much for waiting around. Reading the verse for today, we can infer that the disciples arrived in Galilee, waited, moved to the beach, waited some more, and finally Peter could no longer stand it. "I am going fishing," he says. And the other disciples join Peter since by now they too are in need of something to do. Where was Jesus? Oh, probably waiting for them to get in just the right place for His arrival.

While waiting may be difficult, perhaps it is time to go fishing.

Bucky

One Journey, One Lifetime

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.  John 14:6

Digging into the Greek in this favorite verse of many believers, I find that it could be stated as, "I am one journey...one lifetime." At this point in life, this is as comforting to me as the usual translation. So when the occasional nonsense comes up about time travel, then I know that with Jesus we only endure the one journey, and not several 'retries'. This boot camp to eternity will only be one lifetime and not several recycles. 

Recall the longest run you have completed, a marathon, half-marathon, or like me, quite a bit less, 5 or 6 miles. And it was a long time ago! Now imagine that someone came up beside you with most of that distance already run and offered you a restart, you know, go back and fix this thing or that way back near the beginning. You might consider the offer just a bit, but then you see the finish line. Nope and no way, ain't going back to the start now. That is how I feel about this life, my Lord Jesus and I have made it this far, let's just complete the journey. No more fantasies about going back to change those regrets, just walk with my Lord the rest of the way. 

Let us all finish the run with Jesus; one journey and one lifetime is just right. 

Bucky

Fast Cars or Slow Wagons?

The LORD is gracious and full of compassion,
Slow to anger and great in mercy.
  -- Psalm 145:8

When it comes to grace, mercy, and compassion from the Lord, we'll take the fast cars. However, for His anger we would rather have the slow wagons, preferably slow enough for us to get out of the way!

David wrote this psalm of praise to our Lord God from which our verse for today comes, and he would certainly be one to know about the slow wagon of the Lord's anger. David experienced both the fast delivery of the Lord's compassion and mercy, and from that one infamous trespass the slow arrival of the Lord's anger. So slow in arriving was the Lord's anger at one point, that David may have given in to thinking that the thing with Uriah and Bathsheba was no big deal to the Lord. But then Nathan the prophet arrived in David's court to tell the king a little story of a sheep.

Make no mistake, the slow anger of the Lord does not mean that He didn't see the sin. Take the fast car to forgiveness by way of repentance.

Bucky

What Is In Humans

But Jesus did not commit Himself to them, because He knew all men, and had no need that anyone should testify of man, for He knew what was in man.  John 2:24-25

A space alien dropping down to Earth might have some difficulty figuring us humans out. We help each other, we hurt each other; we give to each other and we take from each other. "What is in these humans that causes such opposite behaviors?" the alien wonders. The space alien connects to the Internet to do further research. Oh, no! 

Jesus in His time had knowledge of humans and what roils inside of us, and so He did not commit Himself as we read in our scripture today. Jesus knew those same humans who greeted Him with 'Hosanna!' on the ride into Jerusalem that day on a donkey's colt, would soon turn and shout, perhaps all the more loudly, for His crucifixion mere days later. 

You see that poor space alien might not be so flummoxed if one person hated while another loved, it is that one human can turn from hating to loving so quickly, or turn right around back the other way just as quickly. And all 8 billion or so of us have that same capability within us. 

Jesus has us figured out, while all us haters/lovers, givers/takers, makers/breakers, snakes and arrows (Oh my!) are still trying to figure ourselves out. I mean, snakes and arrows, where does that even come from?

Bucky

Many Have Followed

I made my works great, I built myself houses, and planted myself vineyards.  Ecclesiastes 2:4

Solomon tells the story of his great experiment; and in it he describes what many of us have followed. Our verse for today is but one small part of what Solomon did, but we recognize a life we dream of in our fantasies. Or, at least that is what the world tells us we are to seek in this life.  Between Solomon's writing and our own experiences, we have come to a similar conclusion. No? Some of us still want to pursue money and stuff? While Solomon did have a lot more to work with than you and I, we should still gain the same answer.

Then I looked on all the works that my hands had done
And on the labor in which I had toiled;
And indeed all was vanity and grasping for the wind.
There was no profit under the sun.  
  -- Ecclesiastes 2:11

In place of worrying over 'great', let us look to grateful for the bounty of the Lord!

Bucky

Well, There's This

The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together. Romans 8:16,17

A sin from the distant past came to mind this morning, and I regret it and hate it. But, the fact remains that I did it. Sometimes in a book or movie there is this fantasy of going back in time to change a romantic mistake. However, for many of us convicted of the Spirit, we might rather go back to eliminate those sins that cause us the pain of regret. What if that were to be made available though? Without the pain of regret, would that person then think of himself as a pretty good dude without need for the salvation of the Lord Jesus? Praise God that temptation is not available, instead we have this from Paul in our scripture for today.

The verses tell of great things for the undeserving. And Paul in other verses reminds us of how undeserving he was in his prior deeds and career as a persecutor of Christ Himself. It is amazing to me that these things are not reserved for those who have led a perfect life - no regrets! But that would leave Jesus alone among those who have lived, and He did not die to save Himself. Instead we have an adoption by the Father of those who are least deserving to be called children and heirs. We have salvation in Christ by faith, and not of those works which often show up in regrets.

So, there's that in the love of Christ our Lord,

Bucky

Every Pure Word

Every word of God is pure;
​​He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him.
  -- Proverbs 30:5

Our words can be a mess. We argue over what the author meant, or what the politician tried to say. We are victims of deception and tellers of the truth by words. By slang usage we even make words mean the opposite of their dictionary definitions. And then we add in homonyms, antonyms, and synonyms, oh my! But, every word of God is pure. What a relief! Which means...yes, we can take the second part of our verse for today just as it says, every pure word of it.

Put your trust in the Lord our God,

Bucky

Coming Quickly

He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming quickly.” Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!  Revelation 22:20

These things sure take a long time... well, that was quick! While no one I think expected a pope to be elected on the first vote, it sure seemed to come about quickly on the second day. Of course, I wasn't waiting out there in the square of St. Peter's as the sun warmed my head. Many things appear to take quite a long time, until they happen and it suddenly seems so swift. Jesus told us much the same thing about His return all the way to the last verse of the New Testament, when He promises, "Surely I am coming quickly." The appearing of our Savior will seem long delayed until it suddenly doesn't. 

Look up! For your redemption draws near.

Bucky

Probably Not E-mouse

Now behold, two of them were traveling that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was seven miles from Jerusalem.  Luke 24:13

Those familiar with the resurrection story in Luke or Mark will find this little village mentioned, Emmaus. In the day of our risen Lord Jesus this was most of a day's journey away from the big city. Why these two who were disciples, but not of the eleven, were traveling to this place called Emmaus is not written for us. The town according to the study guide is pronounced eh-mah-oos, probably not E-mouse, which is a bit of shame to an odd duck like me. Emmaus does not appear to have any significance in scripture other than to set up this fun story of two disciples who wonder that Jesus must be the only stranger in Jerusalem to not know of the things which have happened there. (Jesus, not know? Their conclusion boggles the mind!) It is the next story after Mary Magdalene, and then Peter and John at the tomb, when Jesus enters into what seems to be a period of fun where He pops into locked door meetings and vanishes from sight in front of these two traveling disciples. The fun has a serious purpose of course as our Lord is on a mission to break into hardened hearts and open blinded eyes...of His disciples no less! 

Pope watch: No joy yesterday, and no white smoke in the first half of today. They will have three or perhaps four votes today if a pope is not selected. 

Love in Christ,

Bucky

The Secret Chamber

Now the temple was full of men and women. All the lords of the Philistines were there—about three thousand men and women on the roof watching while Samson performed.  Judges 16:27

The big conclave begins today and many of us will be tuning in to the Vatican Live channel to watch. Nope, we know by now that it doesn't work that way. It is quite the opposite of the spectacle in our verse for today. 

In the age where it seems all meetings are available to watch on the Internet, this is one of those meetings that puts the 'almost' brakes on, as in almost every meeting can be watched. The word heard most lately has been conclave, which comes from the Latin for 'room that can be locked'. The cardinals electing the next pope, if there is one, will be locked in or the world locked out, depending on a person's point of view. The cardinals are even sequestered in Vatican accommodations and fed in a common dining room, no ordering Italian pizzas I guess. The first vote takes place on Day 1, but no one expects the next Pope to receive the 66% majority required on the first vote. 

For some reason, I have been fascinated with the process of the conclave this time around. I even watched the movie. The movie was dramatized of course, you might even say Hollywood-ized. There was an air of dramatic mystery around the Pope's passing and final meeting; a front-runner cardinal was found out to have benefitted from the passing and may have been demoted. Another couple of cardinals wanted the position, and so on up to the dramatic speech from the underdog, who, it seems... I'll not spoil the surprise. I watched a YouTube video by a priest who interviewed a cardinal from the last conclave, and the word on the movie was - very entertaining, but no, not at all. There is apparently no politicking involved, but lots of prayer, reflection, and above all listening for the voice of the Spirit of God. No one 'runs' for Pope, the one elected agrees to serve. 

It is almost hard to believe that such a meeting could happen in our world today. But there it is! 

And as always, you or I may not be Catholic in denomination, but we are part of Christ's church and we can pray. 

Bucky

The Big Conclave

A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, of good behavior, hospitable, able to teach... 1 Timothy 3:2

The papal conclave begins this week, and from this list I can see that I am not well-qualified. I guess that not one of the cardinals even knows my name in any case. However, as the pope is an important position in the world, we can and will pray for God's will to be done in the selection. Even if God were to not want anyone in that position? Hmm, I'll guess again that won't be one of the considerations. Don't blame the cardinals though, about every nation, kingdom, tribe and tongue seems to like those pyramidal org charts with one person placed at the top.

And so we pray,

Bucky

Another Annual Er-day

For of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. John 1:16

Another year has passed and I celebrate another Er-day, as in the one day each year wherein I must confess to being old-er, close-er to the grave, weak-er in body, and feebl-er in mind. Fortunately for me, while I may be slow-er in memory recall, I can rejoice in the Lord's Christ and His fullness, of which I have received. And also His grace for the grace I need to be with Him. Being old-er, I also stand less chance of admonishment for a bunch of dumb-er jokes about words with 'er' in them.

Have a bright-er Er-day in Christ our Lord!

Bucky

Yesterday? Oh, I proved my feebl-er mind by fooling around with my keyboard configuration until I couldn't type. As you can see, I got it fixed last night.

A Quiet Morning In The City

And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me."  Acts 1:4

We can imagine ourselves there in Jerusalem on a quiet morning a couple of weeks after the man from Nazareth had been put to death. Those who did not want to believe the stories of the resurrection had the bought and paid for testimony of the soldiers; while those who believed were lying low even as they, strangely, refused to recant their testimony of the Son of God. And yet those reports of the living and risen Jesus kept rising up each day for forty days. It seemed that every time people got together somewhere, someone else had seen this man alive again! And those disciples of His were known by all to still be there in that upper room in Jerusalem. What were they waiting for? 

From the reading in the Acts of the Apostles, we know that the day would come when those disciples of Jesus would suddenly become lions of the Word, in quite a few languages at that. No more would they lie low in that upper room waiting, but ventured forth in an explosion of evangelical preaching such as the world had not seen before. It was a startling start of a new church! 

Loving one another we go on in Christ,

Bucky

A Practicing Plinth

And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues. 1 Corinthians 12:28

At the base of the column that everyone sees lies the humble plinth. People will generally notice the plinth only when stubbing a toe on its corner. Then derogatory terms are heaped on its already humble name. That is if the stumbling stubber knows its name at all. I like plinths, they labor quietly while the column gets the glory. As one person can be heard by many through the audio/visual media of our world, most of us will enter into the kingdom of Heaven by way of less noticed positions. Using Paul's list from our verse today, one apostle might need a great many 'helps' or helpers. While the apostle's name scrolls across the TV screen, the helpers may not even get a credit at the end. That's okay, the greatest of servants did not come for His own glory.

God's grace and mercy to you,

Bucky

One Active Dead Fellow

Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. 1 Corinthians 15:6

He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. Acts 1:3

So, according to the Bible there was this period of forty days when a man raised from the dead appeared to more than 500 people. Paul tells us the numbers while Luke wrote in the Acts of the time period. That's a serious crowd and one active dead fellow! Of course, raised to life again, the resurrection, means that He was not dead, but alive. And just to take the tale a bit further out there, it was an angel who asked, "Why do you seek the living among the dead?" (Luke 24:5). And it is this story from the Bible that causes many to refuse to believe. So... the part they have the most difficulty with is not so much about faith, but about believing eye witness testimony? It does seem to all come in a package: if one believes in Jesus first, then one believes all the testimonies too. If another one believes all the witnesses first, then it follows that the one will also next believe in the One they bear witness of, Jesus the Christ.

And we pray for those who choose to believe neither of them!

Bucky

We Are But Sheep

Then Jesus said to them, “All of you will be made to stumble because of Me this night, for it is written:

‘I will strike the Shepherd,
And the sheep of the flock will be scattered.'
    --Matthew 26:31

Attacking the sheep has been popular among the principalities, powers, and rulers of the darkness of this age for a long time. We should expect no different in our time. Not only are we easy to strike, but we tend to go astray with but a slight puff of evil winds. As sheep we are afraid, weak, focused on feeding ourselves, and not always aware of the danger lurking nearby. We also have a Shepherd, and one who has been struck once. 

On the night of our Lord's arrest, His disciples were scattered like the sheep they were. The sheep still tend to scatter and be scattered, but the Shepherd will not be struck again. As the hymn goes, 'He is risen from the dead and He is Lord!' We look to the Lord Jesus our Shepherd to return us to His green pastures. And to those who would scatter us to be devoured we say, "Have you met my Shepherd?" 

Better than a stout big brother, the Lord Jesus our Shepherd!

Bucky

Running To Safe Ground

There they made Him a supper; and Martha served, but Lazarus was one of those who sat at the table with Him.  John 12:2

A supper, or dinner for some, and Martha the servant does her thing. But this is some supper, for the man, Lazarus, had been dead for four days, buried in the family crypt, and is here alive to eat, drink, and tell us of life after the grave? Except that Lazarus is not the biggest elephant sitting down to this meal. Jesus, the one who raised Lazarus from the dead, is there with them. So, who do you really want to talk to and ask questions of?

Quite a few people would answer, "Martha!" Why? That is safe ground. No rising dead people involved, just serving a meal to some guests who dropped by.  Safe ground and safe, denying, explanations for things that shake the ground under our feet is the desire of many. Otherwise they must face a man dead for four days and raised to life again. Does Lazarus have to die again after that? What if he doesn't behave  himself according to the Law during that extra time he got? And what happened to the guy who had the power to raise a dead man to life again? Jesus and Lazarus raise questions of an uncanny nature, and for some it's just safe to go back to Martha serving an evening meal. 

Martha would of course point us back to Jesus, the One who is the Life and the Resurrection!

Bucky

Expectations

But they found the stone rolled away from the tomb. Luke 24:2

Those disciple men may have been slow to get going, but the women got up at the dawn burdened under a certain expectation. This is not surprising given the usual progression of death - funeral, burial, spice 'em up a bit for the smell, and eventually we move on from the dearly departed - had gone on since they were little girls. Then someone went and moved the body, and they were perplexed. And then that unexpected question came, "Why do you seek the living among the dead?" How does one answer a question like that?

It is at times like this that an old expectation meets the new wineskin of Jesus with a sort of wet splat. When the women ran to tell the disciples, they too would have one of those I'm-missing-something feelings. It was a strange morning all around, except that Jesus had told them repeatedly what was going to happen with Him. But that old what-we-think-we-know monster had them firmly in its jaws.

Have a great Easter week! Our condolences go out to our Catholic brothers and sisters on the passing of Pope Francis,

Bucky

Directionless Intention

And He said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.
Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath.” Mark 2:27-28

A set of shelves needed to be moved from the garage, and as I finished disassembling them and stacked the pieces (after vacuuming off the creepy tenants that had survived our mild winter), I realized that I had an intention to move the shelves but no real direction. Shelves invite stacks of stuff, and I don't want more in my basement this year as one of my goals remains to simplify, simplify, and simplify. That is not redundant as this simplification involves garage, main floor, and basement. The goal must be broken up into three parts as I have through no fault of my own entered the first floor of that building known as Old. This lack of direction brought to mind the disciples again on this day.

In their time this week, this day would be the Sabbath after Jesus died on the cross and was buried by Joseph and Nicodemus. The disciples had made their way back to the upper room and probably barred the door and stationed their more capable members to stand guard. Not that any of them were old and weak like me, they having just followed their rabbi in a tramp of some three years over Galilee, Syria, Judea, and parts of Samaria. However, on this day they had no direction. The women were preparing spices and fragrant oils for the body of Jesus, but these eleven capable men were not sure what to do after the Sabbath. How can we know this? Well, the next morning it was the women who got things going by taking their grave mixture to an empty tomb. The Bible does not say it, but we would not be surprised if the Mary's did try to get some of the men to go with them. 

A bit chilly here this morning, I hope your Easter warms up!

Bucky

He Told You

Then they returned and prepared spices and fragrant oils. And they rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment. Luke 23:56

Resting gives much time for thinking, and each year at this time I wonder what those who had followed Jesus for 3 years or more were thinking on this Sabbath. Were they doubting like Thomas, denying like Peter, or just plain lost? We know from the scriptures the disciples and other followers had been scattered at the arrest of Jesus. However, at some point they began to gather again from the four points of the compass to which they had fled. And they waited. Did anyone mention the three days Jesus had spoken of before this all happened? Were the religious authorities satisfied at the death of Jesus or were they coming for the rest of the gang? That morning after this Sabbath rest held a great many questions for the followers of the former rabbi from Nazareth. And then someone came back and said that she had seen Jesus, the risen Lord!

No doubt that woke 'em up!

Bucky

Believe Him

For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. Matthew 12:40

One of the many 'faith tests' in the scriptures comes from those days and nights we count on our fingers from Good Friday to Resurrection Sunday, and come up short in our counting. We can talk about Passover and what day of that week it began, or how the crowds in Jerusalem necessitated an extension to maybe Thursday, or this, that, or the other thing. We might even discuss how our day names come from pagan deities. But a couple of things about the Crucifixion of my Lord Jesus and His Resurrection come to mind. Counting on my fingers and naming days will not save me, but believing my Lord Jesus will. Therefore I suggest: believe Him.

And we went rejoicing in our faith in Jesus!

Bucky

If Only They Had Been Told

Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works. Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me, or else believe Me for the sake of the works themselves. John 14:10-11

Wednesday morning of Passion Week, and we wake up to wonder where Jesus and the disciples were at that time almost two thousand years ago. It is quite possible that at least one of the followers of the Christ were pondering the verses we read today on that morning long ago, maybe Philip the one who had asked to be shown the Father. Although the timing of events to days of the week can be difficult for us, it may be that at this point even Judas was still one of the boys, Jesus had not been arrested, and the big booting out of Rome would happen any day now, they thought. But, Jesus had already spoken the Word, and all was going according to God's plan. The happy moment of the triumphal entry was a couple of days back, and soon those things Jesus had said more than once would come to pass would begin. The disciples of Messiah woke up to begin their day.

They were told, but they did not understand.

Bucky

Not The Usual Week

A little while, and you will not see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me, because I go to the Father.  John 16:16

Holy Week and Passion Week are names for this week before the Easter holy day. But back in the day that it was lived, the week was simply another Passover celebration. In the same way that it is difficult for someone close to the action to come up with a clever name for the time, so it was with the disciples when Jesus threw out this statement in our verse today. They were completely baffled by what Jesus said, even though this was not the first time that He had told them what was to happen to Him in the coming week. The twelve disciples could not brainstorm a memorable name for the week because they could not yet understand that His prophecy was quite literal and immediate in its fulfillment. They would not have long to wait though. As we like to say, by this time next week they would understand. 

Well, except for Judas who did not give himself the time to see the fulfillment, and maybe Thomas who just had to have that physical encounter first.

Rejoice in the Risen Christ this week!

Bucky

We Still Have Prayer

Do not hide Your face from me;
Do not turn Your servant away in anger;
You have been my help;
Do not leave me nor forsake me,
O God of my salvation.
  -- Psalm 27:9

David the king of Israel had his conflicts too. And, he turned to God in prayer. While we also work to settle our conflicts with one another, we too must turn to our Lord God in prayer. This current conflict we face is not the first time God has heard the prayers of two or more of His children who all believed themselves in the right. Nations, including this one, have fought civil wars with believers on both sides praying to God for victory. We are not always in the right, they are not always in the right, but God alone is always in the right. Therefore, as long as we all go to God in prayer, resolution will come to us all by His sovereign grace.

The road we must walk to get there may not be easy though...

Bucky

Judge Over You?

Then one from the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”
But He said to him, “Man, who made Me a judge or an arbitrator over you?” Luke 12:13-14

We ask at times the question, what would Jesus do? And the scriptures do give the answer to us, probably more often than we may think. In this case one brother asks the Lord to take his side in a civil matter. Jesus doesn't. There goes an expectation down in flames! You mean the Lord Jesus did not come to take your side or mine? Nope, sorry. He came to do as His Father in Heaven told Him to do. So, does that mean Jesus left civil matters up to us to work out? Oh yes, and even a commandment on that to make every effort to come to a settlement before we are drug into court. Plus, if to court it must be, then we have commandments on cloaks and tunics, and turning the other cheek.

Working things out between us works! Especially when we do it in His love.

Bucky

Listening To Us

But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. Acts 16:25

It began when Jesus was but 12 years old in Luke 2, this thing of people listening in to the Good News that He brought. Or, you might say it began with Sarah listening in as the angel told Abram she would bear him a son way back in Genesis. People will keep their ears open for news that concerns themselves and their future. In our verse for today, some prisoners had a new thing show up in the midst of their tedium and they listened. How we talk and what we speak of will be heard by the world, and we must be careful of what we say. If we sound much like the world does, then they will quickly tune us out as more irrelevant noise. And in our age, this ability to tune out excess noise grows with each passing moment and generation. So, if we gripe and moan over things like everyone else, why would they listen to us? If our speech is rife with those worldly words and phrases, why hear us? But if we sound different from the other prisoners as Paul and Silas did, then we have a good news message going out to the world.

Therefore, rejoice in the Lord always!

Bucky

Territorial Turf Talk

Then we will be able to go and preach the Good News in other places far beyond you, where no one else is working. Then there will be no question of our boasting about work done in someone else’s territory. 2 Corinthians 10:16 NLT

From the distance of time it is possible to think of the mid-first century as a time of lovely cooperation in the early church with mutual support among the followers of the Way. We almost hate to find out that they were people much like us. At the point of our verse for today, Paul the apostle has to address some territorial turf talk in the church. Because with the Roman authority coming down on them, the Jewish religious leaders trying to end them, and all the other dangers of life on the road in the first century, why not trash talk your fellow Christ-ones too? It seems here that Paul must answer and defend himself against accusations of taking credit for another's work. Boasting, work, territory? Is this some sort of sales competition?

Alas, some days the greatest danger to the Good News is the lips in the church itself. May God have mercy on His sheep!

Bucky

Simple Instructions

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

Throughout the gospels we get simple instructions from Jesus that are so awfully difficult to implement every day and every moment. This particular response from our Lord today came from the disciples asking about our Lord's return and the end of days. We are interested in those things as well. The whole Covid thing may have helped to bring about that resurgence in what is called eschatology, or study of the final events in human history. Which is an interesting study given that we only have prophecy to go on and those signs. It's not like we can look at those events in hindsight after all. Taking heed that no one deceives us means that deception will run rampant in this area, and it may come from well-meaning people too. 

So carefully and scripturally study the end times prophecies, and with much prayer! 

Bucky

The Others

But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. Matthew 13:8

It's April and that means spring is underway, in some places more than others. That is my painfully obvious observation today for those readers currently living under big rocks. As for you others, we can see from our verse for today that it is not a bad thing to be an 'other' sometimes. Of the seeds the farmer planted in the four soils parable, these others fell on good ground and produced a bumper crop. Not all the same though. It seems that even in the good soil there were differences in circumstances for each of the seeds. But then the little plant popped up from the soil, looked around and said, "Good soil? No way, I must be planted among the thorns!"

We must trust the Farmer, our Lord Jesus, no matter what it looks like from our view.

Bucky

The Annoyance Test

My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. James 1:2,3

Head down, mind bent on the task at hand, and an interruption arrives. Grr, and thus begins the testing of your faith. It is not persecution or even scoffing, but it is the annoyance test and how often ya fail at it! Sometimes it does seem as if the Lord God has provided a particular person or several to specifically get on that side of you most likely to react with annoyance. It is a personality quirk, a mannerism, a habit learned from another region or nation, that seems to burrow under your skin of peaceful intent and disrupt all manner of inner workings leading to annoyance, and if you are not careful, an outburst of anger or even rage. It is not hard to imagine that someone has died from causing annoyance at some point in the story of us.

Why us though, have we not already believed in Jesus? Well, that is the point, dear believer! According to James, the trial that just walked in your door to cause that annoyance is a part of the fertilizer applied to the soil of the heart to grow the Spirit's fruit of patience in us.

Now go out there and be annoyed!

Bucky

Where Do We Seek Comfort

And it happened on the next day that the distressing spirit from God came upon Saul, and he prophesied inside the house. So David played music with his hand, as at other times; but there was a spear in Saul's hand.  1 Samuel 18:10

Saul and a distressing spirit, we know where that spear will go at least one time! Here in this verse we find a couple of methods or means we use to seek comfort in the world, music and weapons.  Comfort, we need it in this disturbing world. Many ways and means have been used, but all of them will need to be used over and over again. And that includes prayer. While prayer to God our Father should be our first recourse to comfort, we cannot get by with just one. God wants to hear from you and me, so He made it so that one quick prayer dashed off to Him like a quick text to someone we don't really want to talk to won't do it for constant comfort. 

So seek out the deep prayer, the immersive prayer... the prayer where we don't fall asleep, maybe? Although useful at bedtime, the falling asleep prayer should not be the only one we keep with God and His Son each day. Prayer training? Yes, it may seem strange, but if we want to get better at a thing, we need to train.

Have a prayerful week in Christ Jesus!

Bucky

Not Understanding

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 triumphal entry into Jerusalem and our Lord's last week before His death on the cross, and His disciples didn't get it. John confesses some years later in his gospel writing that the group of disciples who had been with Jesus for so long, did not understand Him. One of them would even die shortly of a guilt-ridden conscience gained in actions that show he understood Jesus least of all of them. So... how are we doing at understanding our Lord Jesus?

To borrow a line from Paul, there is therefore now no condemnation from us to those long ago disciples since we are still working on understanding all there is of our Lord's Word just as they did. Our only advantage is that some of it already happened, and those disciples were kind enough to pass it on down to us.

Love and joy to you in our Lord Jesus Christ!

Bucky

Wine, Folly, And Wisdom

I searched in my heart how to gratify my flesh with wine, while guiding my heart with wisdom, and how to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was good for the sons of men to do under heaven all the days of their lives. Ecclesiastes 2:3

Wine and folly? Whoa, king, better ease up there! In the Bible there are many to-do's, but sometimes we come upon a to-don't. It may be better for us to see how King Solomon with his famous wisdom came out in this experience before we take up wine and folly together. It takes little experience with wine to know that too much of it brings on folly, and then wisdom is out the window! Solomon likely knew all that before he began this experiment. Read on in Ecclesiastes and Proverbs to see what the king discovered in his God-given discernment about many of the earthly things we seek out.

God's love and mercy to you,

Bucky

Remember His Name

Some trust in chariots, and some in horses;
But we will remember the name of the LORD our God.
  -- Psalm 20:7

It may be easy for us to remember all of the things we have trusted in this life that have let us down. Or perhaps that list has grown too long to recall every one of them. Of all the names we have forgotten in this life, there is one we must remember: the name of the Lord our God. His name is Jehovah, but in prayer Jesus said to address Him as 'Abba'. We need His name since we do not just pray, we pray to the Lord our God. Some in the movies and shows just toss a prayer out there. We want the Lord our God to answer, and not just any old spirit who happens to be floating by when we toss one up. And so Jesus started us with, "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name." (Matthew 6:9)

Have a wonderful prayer, or two or three, with our dear Father God today!

Bucky

Save The Gentiles?

For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.  John 3:17

Saved: a lot of people in our Lord's time thought that this meant rescue from the Romans, followed by a return to prominence on the world stage. But Jesus did not come to replace one empire with another. He came to save God's world. And the Lord's people were rather shocked to see this meant saving the despised Samaritans, the Roman occupiers, and all manner of Gentile dogs. That does not mean our canines, but the 1st century Judean derogatory term for our Gentile ancestors. To the people of the covenant, it was bizarre, strange and just plain weird that one claiming to be the Son of God would want to save them, people not even of the Law.

But for our part, we are glad and grateful that Jesus came to save all the world!

Bucky

God So Loved

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. John 3:16

Yesterday's message was pretty horrible, so I thought to remind us all of that central statement of the Bible. While there are many difficult prophecies yet to be fulfilled, God's love by way of His Son gives to those who believe just what we long for, everlasting life. We need to go back to this frequently as our watch on world events for signs of the end is a wearisome task, and we shall see horrors come to pass. When this happens, recall God's love and His Son, Jesus the Christ. Note that God's love and His gift came before we believed.

When that belief came, we rejoiced in Him!

Bucky

A Plague Comes

And this shall be the plague with which the LORD will strike all the people who fought against Jerusalem:

Their flesh shall dissolve while they stand on their feet,
Their eyes shall dissolve in their sockets,
And their tongues shall dissolve in their mouths.
  -- Zechariah 14:12

Horror movies have nothing over the Bible for sheer horror. This plague was portrayed, with all its horror, in a scene from Raiders of the Lost Ark when an evil Nazi dude looked in the opened Ark of the Covenant. We might think we will like it when the bad guys get their just desserts, but this may just be too much to wish on anyone. Prophecy is not about what we or the prophet likes or dislikes. Those who received the word of God had to foretell some tough things. However, contained in this prophecy is the key to avoiding it: Don't fight against Jerusalem!

Seems almost too simple! Rejoice in the Lord always,

Bucky

The Hope Of Believing In Him

I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word. John 17:20

One of the great battles of all times comes in trying to turn human hearts to belief in Jesus. We read of the fight in our Lord's first disciples when He told them plainly that He would be given to the Gentiles, killed, but rise again. The disciples heard it, paused for a moment, and then wondered how to gain a prominent position in His new kingdom. They didn't believe in Him, and they couldn't yet believe His words. So, if these special twelve could not believe, what hope do we have? In this little bit of our Lord's prayers on that night before He was given up to the religious authorities, we read that those disciples would continue to spread His good news and that there would be those who will believe through those words.

Praise God, we are willing to believe in Jesus, His Son!

Bucky

God Is Just

And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. John 17:3

John 3:16 speaks of God's love and believing in His Son for eternal life. This verse speaks of knowing God and His Son Jesus for eternal life. Therefore we understand that knowing and believing in God and Jesus must be closely related. And indeed, without believing in Jesus it seems that a reading of the Old Testament will leave one feeling that God is mean. However, with belief in Jesus we read and see that it is God's justice that many confuse with meanness. With the Law of Moses, Israel made a contract with God. And everything the nation suffered was a consequence of their sin or punishment according to the terms of their contract. Repent and be restored was the message from God by way of the prophets for hundreds of years. Then God sent His Son, and still most of Israel would not believe. We enjoy a time when Gentiles will believe in Jesus, but God is not done with Israel just yet.

Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!

Bucky

P.S. Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Working In Us

Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed... work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.  Philippians 2:12-13

Working out our salvation will not work without the work of God in us. Thar' be a lot o' workin' in that thar' verse! Yup, a pirate more than many occupations might recognize the tremendous amount of work that goes into taking a lost sheep and making it a warrior for the gospel of Christ. Paul speaks in another letter of taking up the full armor of God, and who has ever heard of an armored sheep? Clearly many changes will be effected in and on those sheep to become fully armored warriors wielding the sword of the Word. 

Behind the shield of faith the making of a warrior continues,

Bucky

So He Is

You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am. John 13:13

My searches for a verse tend toward the even numbered chapters in John, so I made some effort to not avoid the great food in the odd numbered chapters the last couple of days. Here is one for today that refutes again the old argument that Jesus never said he was God. One must stretch it to the breaking point to avoid the "for so I am" part of this verse. Some folks will do it though. This verse for today is part of that great lesson the Teacher and Lord gave to us for seeking to be servants, and not just any servant but the lowest of servants, the foot washer. It is not hard to imagine that most Christians know the servant lesson, but have in mind for themselves a place as the chief servant, or head of the vineyard for an absent owner, or maybe a position similar to their ideal job here in this life. No, the lesson clearly was to do the lowest jobs, like the one the Son of God did for His disciples that night.

It is not an easy lesson to put into practice!

Bucky

Cast Out

They answered and said to him, “You were completely born in sins, and are you teaching us?” And they cast him out. John 9:34

Our verse for today comes from the story of the man blind from birth, healed by Jesus, and cast out of the synagogue by the Pharisees. Now getting cast out of the synagogue was a bit more serious than we are used to. If we were cast out of one church even in a rural town, we could go to another one. We would also maintain membership in various clubs around the town. We might even take up college classes to further our education. For the formerly blind man, the synagogue was all these things rolled up into one. Losing his membership might also make it difficult for him to find work, which he could now do. But since this man now has new knowledge, he could do as the Pharisees suggested and become a teacher from the Word of God! Hmm, okay, maybe suggestion is a strong word for what they said. Is it just me, or does anyone else think it would be funny for the Pharisees to find the formerly blind man teaching Scripture classes in the town square?

There are times when a casting out is the start of a new and wonderful thing for us, especially if it comes from having Jesus open our eyes.

Blessings to you from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ!

Bucky

The Guide

For this is God,
Our God forever and ever;
He will be our guide
Even to death.
  -- Psalm 48:14

In something you have not done before it can be a great help to have a guide. In the circumstances of the world one may choose to be a mean guide and teach by hazing or mocking, but I think most of us would prefer the knowledgeable guide who teaches patiently with kindness.

A ship comes to mind as an example of what can be an intimidating situation. If a person comes from a rural town, a cruise ship may be the largest structure he or she has seen in this lifetime. Plus lurking in the dread part of their mind will be the knowledge that once the ship casts off from the pier, there will be some supports left behind. On the first cruise it can help to have a guide; someone who has taken the trip before, maybe even several times. That guide will know things that we need to learn this first time out.

And that is where our verse today comes to us. The Spirit given by Jesus is now our guide on this first time through life. God will guide us back to Himself by way of His Son.

Guided in Him!

Bucky

The Better Word?

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

John 14 remains one of my favorite chapters in the Bible. However, my favorite does not mean that it is better for me than say, John 13 or 15. We can read even in our verse for today that something our Lord foretold had to come to pass before the disciples would even believe it or in Jesus. Thus even as a favorite chapter of mine, it does me no good if, like the disciples, I do not believe.

It has come up a lot lately in discussion that some think parts of the Word of God better than others. Again, while one of us may have favored verses, passages, and chapters of scripture, that alone does not make them better than our less favored books or stories in the Bible. I like the Christmas stories every year, but without the horrors of the scourging and the shame of our Savior on the Cross, what good would the Nativity do for me or anyone else? We have the better word, it begins with Genesis and reads through the Revelation, and in it all is Jesus our Lord!

Thank You, dear God, for Your Word!

Bucky

Yet Who Knows?

For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father's house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” Esther 4:14

It's a famous verse, been used here before, in many sermons and devotionals, and in a movie or two. What do we like about it? Perhaps it is the uncertainty Esther had to face with only faith in God to help her. She was queen and yet she did not know whether the king would hold out his scepter or let her go to her death. No doubt that moment in the movie had a dramatic pause for a little tension building. Faith is a difficult journey with lots of those moments of uncertainty. Most of them do not involve mortal peril for us, but a lack of faith certainly holds spiritual peril for us (pun certainly intended).

Believe in Jesus, and at times you will face the delicious pain of uncertainty!

Bucky

The Only Stranger In Jerusalem

Then the one whose name was Cleopas answered and said to Him, “Are You the only stranger in Jerusalem, and have You not known the things which happened there in these days?” Luke 24:18

Now there is an interesting thought, the only stranger in Jerusalem being the Son of God, the One who wants to save Jerusalem. But in verse 16, it tells us that their eyes were restrained from seeing the risen Lord Jesus. Cleopas is astounded that this stranger on the road, who inserts himself into their conversation, doesn't seem to know anything about what went on there the past few days. As we read of Jesus after His rising on that Sunday morning, we might just detect a bit of fun going on. He appears to the gathered disciples behind locked doors, he disappears from a meal faster than He entered it, He provides another miraculous catch of fish on the Sea of Galilee, and just pops in and out all around Jerusalem for 40 days. Well, if He had a bit of fun, then He certainly deserved it in my estimation. While He did it though, He also opened the eyes of the spiritually blind to the scriptures concerning Himself.

Keep on reading the Word, He will become clear to you as well!

Bucky