Dark n' Fear - October 3, 2008

Good Friday morning! Sometimes I sit down to write a message of hope and joy in these dark times, and then have to stop. Why do the times not seem so dark and scary to me? It can, at times, be difficult to remember how frightening the world can be for those who do not believe in Jesus. Pastor Rogers used to say that "it's getting gloriously dark!" We do live in dark and frightening times, but we also live with Jesus in our hearts. At some point in our lives we come to learn, probably through the guidance of God, that we cannot trust the institutions of this world. In Jesus, instead of that lack of trust in the world causing us more fear, we know that our faith must be placed in Christ alone. Many have lived in this world and left it knowing that they were getting out just in time as things were going downhill fast. However, one day they will wake up to a judgement day that they did not escape after all. We do not want to leave this world just to escape or "get out", we want to leave this world to be with Christ in Heaven! While we look forward in joy and hope to Christ's return, we also love one another and give each other encouragement to run the race to the finish.

May God bless you this weekend in a special way!

Bucky

The X Age? - October 2, 2008

Good Thursday morning! Once more the week is floating by quickly on the rushing stream of time. Today's message from Pastor Rogers is good for all of us as we do live in that age. In the history classes at school, I often pitied those people in the past who lived in an age of fear. We do not have to worry about polio, plagues, leprosy, and many of the other diseases that so ravaged populations and persons in history, ...or so I thought as a child. However, the curse on this world is what it is, and as we as a species manage to take away the threat of one disease, another rises to take its place as a threat to our health. While we grew up in the Space Age, or the Computer Age, or the x Age, we also grew up in the age of cancer or heart disease. These have been among the dominant fears of our time. Something is always stalking us, but mostly it is just plain ol' fear. Often we fear what doesn't happen too much, and what has a much greater chance of happening, we don't fear enough. While the people in this world walk around with one eye over their shoulder on the lookout for cancer, heart disease, auto accidents, AIDS, and any other threat, real or imagined, the doom of eternity in hell is rushing to grab them from the shadows of the curse. The Good News of eternal life in Christ Jesus can put a stop to this all too real threat!

On the other hand, some of us have the promise of eternal life in Christ, and yet we still suffer the illnesses of this world. Among even this small group we know about or have experienced in us or our loved ones all of the threats this world has to offer. I don't need to list what we have suffered, no doubt several events and names came to each of our minds right away. The good news about this is that Christ loves to heal! We can read it in the Gospel accounts of His glorious life on this earth. Jesus often stayed up late into the night healing the sick. However, the trial of some condition or illness may last our entire earthly life or the remainder thereof; we simply do not know what God's plans are in every situation. Good news there too! When we see Jesus, He will heal our entire being - mind, body, and spirit!

A prayer for today: Jesus live through us all, each and every one!

Bucky

Praise God, and Spread the Good News! - October 1, 2008

Good morning. Wow, it seems like I was just sitting here working on the computer! Actually, the call ended last night about midnight, and at 6 hours ago, it does seem not so long ago. I hope that is the last late night task before our IT freeze begins this year, but we'll have to wait and see. The weather is slowing changing toward a fall norm, Friday may be the last warm day for a while.

Pastor Rogers' reminder that all things work together for good is very timely for me this morning. Does it seem strange at all that God can work through the words from dead guys to give us a lift now? Both Paul, the writer of the book of Romans, and Pastor Rogers, the writer of the LWF devotional, are gone from the earth. However, God probably doesn't see either of them as dead in the way that we do. God would probably correct me in this; "Paul dead? No he is right here with me. Pastor Rogers is too; in fact he is discussing this morning's message with Paul right this moment." God does not see life and death in the same way that we worry about on a near daily basis. An author once wrote that the mere mention of death these days causes people to break out in a frenzy of healthful activities. I believe that is true, the world at large can tell the end is near on both an individual and a collective basis. They are frightened of the death we can see coming, and of losing this life. We, who live in Christ, look forward to ending this life and going to see Jesus in person. This does not mean that we are suicidal, that is a favorite perversion of the anti-Christs and false prophets in this world. No, we simply look forward to the fulfillment of our salvation through Christ Jesus. You or I might be here for another 20, 30, or even 100 years, praising God and spreading the joy of His Good News!

Glory to God in the highest!

Bucky

Please Help Me! - September 30, 2008

Good Tuesday morning! The love of the Lord Jesus shines in you today! Let His name be glorified in us today. How do we glorify the name of Jesus? Through our daily lives we will either glorify Jesus or make people wonder what we are on about. When people know that you love Jesus, they expect certain behaviors. Some of these behaviors are true, but others are the result of lies spread by the enemy. Some might expect us to testify at all times during the work day. However, our employer is not paying us to do this in most cases. One thing that we agree to do as Christians is to obey those things that God has put over us on this earth. Of course the commandments of God come first, but we also obey the government and our employer. As soon as we agree to stop taking our employer's paycheck, we can stop obeying them.

If we cannot testify verbally during our work day, how are we to spread the Good News? One way is through that same obedience we are to practice. People will notice a good servant mentality in us when the boss is firing off directives and orders, as bosses are prone to doing, and will glorify Jesus through our good reactions. I realize, from my own experience, that this is not easy to do. During a typical workday, your job can pile way more tasks upon you than you are capable of doing. It happens to me, and I'm sure it happens to you. Stop to think of a new way to do something and a boss is likely to notice and hand off another task or two to you. Perhaps you had not even started the last two because you had not yet been able to complete the two or three tasks before that! I think we can all relate to that. Just like most of life, the modern workday, and we do praise God that we have jobs in these scary economic days, is filled with way too much to do. Well, since we already have too much on the work plate, go ahead and take another moment to pray for peace and understanding, and then dig into whatever needs done the most. All of it needs done the most? Yes, me too. Do what a counselor told me to do one time; make a list of all the tasks you have outstanding and let the boss put priorities on them. If nothing else he or she will see in writing just what is making you look like a puppy buried in its own hole. You know that sort of trusting, obedient, joyous, but please help me look. :-) Bucky

Strength in Him Alone - September 29, 2008

Good morning! Oh, come let us adore Him! What does this morning bring? Christmas songs for one; a little of Third Day's Christmas Offerings before starting the day. Wow, does the Lord give us strength or what? I did much more than I thought possible yesterday, and with a cold too! Sometimes we may stop to wonder where the energy and strength to do something comes from. The world would have us believe that we get it from within ourselves. However, I have found much more strength, joy, and peace from trusting in God, than I ever found within my self. When you or I go to the cupboard of our own self, we often find that cupboard bare. The constant rush of the world and the emotional drain of the news can leave us with nothing in our inner cupboard. In Jesus, we find a constantly renewing and refreshing spring of life. Strength, joy, peace, and love may come from what we thought an empty cupboard. I think that the Lord ran me through the wringer physically yesterday, just to show me that I receive strength from Him alone in this life and the next. Trust in Jesus to provide the strength we need to excel in this life and bring glory to His name.

Have a great Monday in Christ!

Bucky

One Final Checkpoint - September 28, 2008

Good Sunday morning. I see that it is well after 0700 before the sun comes up over the neighbor's house these days. Does it seem to you like the change from more light to more dark accelerates at this time of the year? It does to me, even though the almanac tells me that I am wrong. At the end of this week, we have the Oktoberfest celebration here in Sidney. One of the ways in which men, and some women, will enjoy their free will is in driving home under the influence of alcohol. The local police know this of course, and they set up check points to deter this kind of behavior. What is interesting is that several people will be arrested each and every year for exactly the kind of thing they know the police are determined to stop. While wondering whether it is some kind of game with them, I know those persons caught at the check points will endure some serious insurance bills for the next 3 years. I feel sorry for them. What bothers me more is that there will be one great check point, if you will, at the end of this life that no one will be able to go around or avoid. People need to know the consequences of failing the test given at this check point.

While the penalties one might receive in earthly judgements will come to an end, even for those receiving "life" sentences, the final judgement will hand out eternal penalties for those not found righteous in Christ Jesus. This is a very serious matter! In order to make a sound choice everyone needs to know the alternatives. That is where we come in.

Commissioned by Jesus to spread the Good News, we have a responsibility to use our gifts in making the Good News known to others. One of the best ways to do this in the living of a changed life. Every day people watch each other through various means. Some, through the media or a public office, might have a far reach in their lives, others, like you and I, may not seem to affect many, but somewhere and somehow how we live does affect someone else. Today the Internet has made even the so-called "shut-ins" of yesterday reachable online. Someone who never ventures from their dwelling can reach out across the world to others in need. Does it seem the end times are close? It certainly does to me. The technology is in place for all of the things foretold in the Bible. That thought will cause a pause in your mental stride; it did in my mind!

Trust in the Lord, and live for Him!

Bucky

The Coming Glory! - September 27, 2008

Good Saturday morning! Even with yet another cold, the morning is still grand in Christ Jesus! The cat wants attention this morning, but this writing is more important. I think that I have finally noticed the cost of groceries and gas; those of you with families probably noticed it much sooner. A paycheck just doesn't seem to accomplish what it did a year ago. How appropriate then is Pastor Rogers' devotional this morning? Awaiting His return! How true it is in these dark times. We hope for nothing more than the return of our Lord. The anticipation of Christmas, the happiness of a wedding, a hoped-for date on the calendar, none of this can compare to the hope we have in Christ Jesus. Paul writes that all of nature groans under the stain of sin, crying out for the return of Jesus to the Earth. Waiting is one of the most difficult things to endure, but we do not wait just to pass the time, we wait with great hope and joy. As a child you may remember anticipating, hoping, for something that you really wanted. Our feelings for the return of Jesus are very much like that, but much more than we realize. Try to think of all the pains that are bothering you, even the ones you have muted in the background, suddenly being lifted and replaced with a feeling of great peace and joy. That is what will happen when Jesus returns for us. All of our cares and sorrows, our longings and yearnings, will suddenly be lifted and we will find the answer presented to us in the clouds of glory. Oh glory to Jesus, it surely is fun to write about this!

God bless you this glorious weekend!

Bucky

A Beautiful New Day - September 26, 2008

Good Friday morning! How good it is to have that "Friday" in there. This morning I realized that one of my major problems in maintaining a good walking habit is yidt. That is not some ancient Hebrew word for laziness, but is an acronym for "yesterday, I did this..." By using something I did yesterday as an excuse for not going out walking on a morning, I sabotage my own effort. This morning that didn't happen. This is not to say that the aches and pains caused by yesterday's activities simply and magically disappeared. However, one cannot fall into the habit of excusing today's inaction by yesterday's action. Unless, of course, one did something risky or dangerous yesterday and find one's self in the hospital today; probably better not to repeat that action! Each day is an exercise in self-analysis and feedback. The Bible tells us to examine ourselves daily. Did you stumble in your Christian walk and sin yesterday? Ask for forgiveness and don't do it today. Did you do something good for someone yesterday? Excellent! Find someone else and do the same thing again today, or find another good deed to do for the same person. Don't let that self-analysis get you down either; mistakes will happen whether they were done deliberately or accidentally. Trust in the Lord to guide you out of that dark valley and live for today!

Thank you, Lord, for the beautiful sunrise this morning!

Bucky

Guide Me - September 25, 2008

Good Thursday morning! I believe that we should be finishing up the late nights before too long; the midnight jobs do wear on a person. I remember a song, or at least the title or line from a song, that goes: Guide Me, O Thou Great Redeemer. I'll write it as a title since I believe it is one. Sometimes I like to think of that line when I feel lost in this great ocean of life. At birth we are like little boats thrown out into a huge ocean. For a time, our parents and teachers guide us, but when we leave on our own, we guide our own little boats for a while. Those who believe in Jesus soon learn that we have no idea how rough and huge this ocean is, we come to rely on our Great Redeemer to guide us and to captain our ship. At one time I envied those who felt called to a particular endeavor early in life. I thought that they had it made for it did not seem like I had a definite calling until quite late. However, though those folks may appear to know where they are going in life, I am not so sure they are not mistaken in many cases. Since only God can see the boundaries and ports of this great ocean of life, and only Jesus is the Way, we must have a guide to arrive where we want to go. A humbling thought is to realize that we are given a ship to sail in this life, but have no idea how to get that ship to heaven. Let Jesus be your guide and captain!

Bucky

Tough Love - September 24, 2008

Good Wednesday morning! Will it be more like summer or more like fall today? The question seems to be one we ask every day around these parts. Two weeks have rolled by and that means another change window and another late night of work. Praise God that I have work to do! Do we focus on a couple of clouds at the expense of the blue sky above us? This way of looking at life happens to many of us. We see a cloud or two in our lives, focus on those problems, and miss the marvelous expanse of blue sky that is the remainder of our life. Much that is good goes on each day, and we often fail to be grateful for all that is good while we pray earnestly for the few little clouds. Yes, I know those clouds don't seem so little, and we do often face storms of trials where it seems that the blue sky will never shine through again. However, it is at those times that we need more than ever to look to our Lord Jesus. Encouragement may not always feel soft and fuzzy, often we need a kick in the rear more than a pat on the back. I have heard many tales of God showing someone the way He wants them to go through what might be called tough love. Losing a job suddenly, being forced to relocate your family, and many other events may not be the way we would prefer to make major changes in our lives, but they do sometimes happen. I am confident that some of the folks who relocated after hurricanes have found their calling in Christ through a major change in their lives. Whatever changes may come to us, we can move forward in the confidence that God is still in charge and always will be. One of the ministers on television likes to say, "tough times don't last, but tough people do." Of course we know that any toughness we have comes from Jesus in our hearts. After a bit that saying kind of grows on a person and we start thanking God for His grace and goodness.

Start the day with a "Thank you, Lord Jesus!"

Bucky

A Walk with God - September 23, 2008

Good Tuesday morning! This morning I ruminated over the negative waves coming from my brain. I wondered why it seemed that I should take some signs as negative. Even those in the world speak of thinking positively, turning frowns upside down, and other sayings to turn our attitudes around. Maybe that "sign" you or I see is not a sign of storm clouds, but is a sign of wonderful blessings headed our way. Is the cloud a storm or is it a shower of blessing? When we go around with dread and despair, we forget who is in charge. God brought us joy and peace in the person of Jesus Christ, who sent the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, to us when He ascended to His place beside God.

I had more time to think this morning, owing to a nice walk. Yes, I began walking in the mornings again, so watch out for some deep thoughts. This time of the year is a nice time for a morning walk; the temperatures are cool and the early morning is dark and quiet. I noticed that the most difficult challenge in walking each morning lies within my head. Each morning, I can think of as many reasons not to walk as to walk, but I feel much better after walking. We all know which way is better for me physically! I often think that I must work my up to running, but that isn't at all true. The lies of the adversary are so many that we would be lost without the Holy Spirit to guide us in this world.

God loves you and so do I!


Bucky

The Great "I am" - September 22, 2008

Good morning and praise the Lord! When I ask the Lord what I should write about this morning, His answer is simply, "Me". How appropriate though. In this complex world with all of its rushing about, we need a singular point of focus. Is it any wonder that Jesus is called the Rock of our faith? Our minds are so overloaded in these dark times that we must focus upon our Savior and our Redeemer, Jesus Christ. He is the one who gives us His peace and grace. In Exodus, Moses asked God who he should say was speaking and God responded with that very famous answer, "I am that I am" This becomes more clear to us when we realize that one of the Hebrew names for God is literally "I am". The answer is like many in the Bible, so simple, yet so very complex and beyond our understanding. None of us can define God by human terms. He is our Creator; how does the clay pot define the potter? He is our Savior; how do the ransomed define the one who paid the price they could not bear? The world would have us admit that we are contradictory in our faith. However, we know that the only contradiction is between God and the world. We do not define our Creator, He defines us. We do not save ourselves, Jesus paid the price and saved us. We discover God through the Holy Spirit, but we cannot define or limit Him through our limited human minds. God is at once beyond our human understanding, and yet also our father in heaven, our friend, and our confidant. No one knows our innermost thoughts better than God, and He still loves us!

There is no way that I can write enough in one short morning devotional or in one short lifetime to do justice to the great "I am". What a privilege to be able to do what I can each morning though!

God bless you on this fine Monday morning!

Bucky

Words of Encouragement - September 21, 2008

Good Sunday morning! God has granted us some wonderful ministers to give us encouragement every Sunday. I am glad for the gift of the Internet that allows us to receive encouragement each day from these same men and women who give such wonderful sermons on Sunday. With all of these messages and opportunities to hear the Good News, you might wonder how anyone can ignore God's grace. We know that before the end comes, everyone will have the chance to decide for Jesus or against Him. A person can turn off the television, radio, Internet connection and live "off the grid", but the message will still reach them somehow. We must not give up in spreading the Good News! Each day from somewhere and via some means or method, I receive encouragement from the Holy Spirit. Anyone else can get that same encouragement simply by asking and listening for the Word. I want to thank God this morning for His words of love and encouragement that come from so many voices and sources. Love and encourage each other daily. Jesus is Lord!

Bucky

Saturday Musings - September 20, 2008

Good Saturday morning! The sun is blinding me this morning, must be something about the changing season that makes it shine straight into my eyeballs while sitting at my computer. There, I had to lower a shade to block the sunlight, and to straighten out the typing I attempted while blinded. I see that the White House is asking Congress for $700 billion to bail out the bad debt of banks. Wow, where do you suppose that much money will come from? Enjoy paying your taxes, you and I just bailed out a bunch of banks. Let us pray that our new banks will prosper as Chrysler did after its bailout in 1980. I am, however, concerned that we are creating or enabling the type of environment where bad decisions are rewarded with a government bailout. How will that affect your vote in this election about 7 weeks from now? I have asked this before, but does it seem like we have spent the last several elections voting for the candidate we feel will do the least damage? Did the Republicans surprise you with their choice for Vice-Presidential candidate? I was surprised, and amused by the media hoopla that came afterwards. Of course the media is a bit rabid about the selection of Gov. Palin, none of them saw it coming either!

I am having a slow Saturday morning. I have done very little and it's almost 0800, tragic indeed. It's also one of those "on call" Saturdays. I am never too anxious to start something on these days as I am expecting an interruption at any time. Is that faith? Perhaps, but in the wrong direction. Why do we find it so easy to believe in the possibility of bad news, and less easy to believe in good news? Always trust in God; put your faith in Him and let the news come as it may. You may find that good news arrives first!

God bless you on this fine Saturday,

Bucky

Less Than and Happy for it! - September 19, 2008

Good Friday morning! We have enjoyed a week of nice weather, but autumn arrives on Monday, whether we like it or not. I have the opportunity to learn something new at work, and I am grateful for the chance to learn. One of the great joys in our Christian life is in knowing that we are less than God in so many ways, and having absolutely no problem with that! We realize that we cannot love God more than He already loves us, for He knew us and loved us long before we were born or had a single thought in our little heads. We are happy to create a painting, a building, a system, or a novel, but we look out into the night sky and see the magnificent panorama of God's universe stretching out beyond our knowledge or ability to see. Each of us may be called to lay down our imperfect and sinful life for Christ, but He has already laid down His perfect and sinless life for all of us. In the many pursuits on earth, humans strive to be more than other persons in some way. In Christ we strive only to come to our Lord, to be more like Him in every way. We know that anything that we are "more than" our Lord is in the wrong direction. For example, we are more prone to sin than our Lord. That "more than" is one that we struggle with daily and will be overjoyed when Jesus takes that inclination away forever. Take courage! The Almighty Creator of the heavens and the earth loves you more than we can imagine. Heaven and nature will shout for joy when Jesus returns; wait patiently and endure to the end.

God loves you, trust in Him,

Bucky

Friends? - September 18, 2008

Good Thursday morning! The world awaits our presence with just a bit of dread. Yes, the world does not like to be reminded of its sin and eventual doom, and we are a part of that big reminder known as followers of the Way. Christ did not come to condemn the world, but the world condemned Him to death on the cross. Christ came to heal the hurts of the world, but the world wanted instead to hurt Him. We know that Christ arose from the grave on the third day, and later ascended to Heaven to take His rightful place by God the Father. Jesus did mention a couple important things before leaving. 1 - He would return, and 2 - that He would send the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit came upon the world in a rush and the Spirit does convict the world of its sins. We are happy to be a part of Jesus and to have the Holy Spirit within us. However, as we move about in this world, the world is going to feel that conviction and it will react in ways that may be hurtful to us. Jesus warned us that this would happen. Some will receive the Good News gladly, but others will react with violence or flight. Have you ever invited friends to church a few times and then suddenly found them scarce? I'm sure that you have. Those same friends may later stir up anger toward you with gossip and back-talking. We know to continue praying for those friends and may later get to see them receive Jesus into their hearts.

Praise the Lord for His presence on this day,

Bucky

Turn Woe into Wonderful - September 17, 2008

Good Wednesday morning! Well, ouch! I don't particularly want to look at my 401k report these days. The news in the economy seems filled with doom and gloom lately. Should we walk around downcast and down-trodden? Only if we put our faith in the economy or government to save us. You and I have known for sometime that the institutions of this world cannot save us. God alone provides our sustenance and our resources to live and to thrive in this world. Sometimes we see ministers on the telly speak of how we can be wealthy by simply giving to their organization each week. This is a dangerous area to dabble in. I am not saying that we should not tithe, quite the contrary. However, I am sure that that many believed and tithed during the Great Depression and could not say they had wealth in monetary terms. Nor am I speaking against those who tell us to trust in God first, give second, and we will be financially secure. In Christ, we will have enough, perhaps never enough to satisfy our wants, which tend to grow over time and with circumstance, but enough to satisfy our need. During these days of stock market turmoil and hurricane news, we must trust more than ever in our Lord Jesus.

You will see ministers in your churches, on television, radio, and on the Internet, speaking of faith, trust, and the return of Jesus. Difficult news is always followed by an outpouring of the message that God first sent long ago, "Don't be afraid, trust in Me". They needed the message when it was first spoken, and we need it now. Feel free to speak it to each other. Pray for each other and pray for our nation and economy. We have many needs in this life. At times the bad news seems quite overwhelming. Remember who spoke and calmed the storm, healed the sick, and created the universe. Jesus loves you and I; He will never leave us nor forsake us!

God be with you during these times of bad news, turn the woe into wonderful in Christ!

Bucky

Fallible? - September 16, 2008

Good morning! Are you infallible, never making any mistakes or never stumbling in your Christian walk? No, me neither. From deliberate sins to simple mistakes and gaffes we all find ourselves asking forgiveness from God and from our fellow humans. Our mistakes are humbling experiences, but they need not be embarrassing. If another person does not accept our apology, then let the Lord deal with that person. Too often I find myself stewing in the experience, going on and on with the coulda-shoulda-woulda's. Today, I resolved to get that stopped. I am going to make mistakes in all areas of my life and past mistakes need not be replayed in my mind repeatedly. Do friends like to bring up your past blunders for their own amusement? That will happen in this life; I can only hope it makes them feel better.

God reminds us that when He grants us forgiveness, because of Jesus' sacrifice on the cross, that our sins are put away from Him as far as the east is from the west. I cannot conceive of how far that is, but I am glad. Does the Accuser like to remind you of past sins? Tell him to knock it off and remind him of the forgiveness and grace we have received from the cleansing of the cross.

Praise the name of Jesus on this fine day!

Bucky

Step out! - September 15, 2008

Good Monday morning! Another work week awaits us, or at least some of us, in the this life we have been granted. Do you ever wonder if your voice will be heard? One need only look at the Bible to see that many different voices are included among its many pages. God could have tasked John with writing the entire New Testament, but He didn't. In the New Testament alone we read Mark, Matthew, Luke, Paul, Peter, James, Jude, and John as writers, and often they are only recording the words of our Lord Jesus. Get it into your head now. The Lord can use you! Old or young, fast or slow, simple or complex; whatever you think you are, God knows you and can use you to reach out to someone. Put aside what you think that you can't do, and listen to what the Lord says that He can do through you. Like many of you, I take an inventory of my own skills and resources and come up short on what I think that I need to accomplish the mission. However, we should not try to guess whether we can get something done based upon our own skills and resources, but on the limitless talent and resources of our heavenly Father. Do you look at the road ahead and feel inadequate? Me too... when I look at myself. We are told to look at God, and see His Creation and what He has already done for us. Looking at God, we can see that more than enough of what we need is available to accomplish the mission. Don't think that you can see what God has ready to finish your journey? That is why the Bible calls it faith! The journey ahead does look impossible and we have no idea what God will do to bring us to the other side, but our faith tells us that He will bring us home in the fullness of time. Step out! Start the journey and win the prize. God has called us heavenward in Christ Jesus!

Bucky

That Big Ol' Drain - September 14, 2008

Good Sunday morning! The gathering of the Lord's people to accomplish some task can be a wonderful thing. It can also make one hurt all over. We moved a family yesterday, and that served to remind me of why I don't want to move very often in this life. While I sit here complaining of my aches, I can't help but think of those down south who may not have a home to move back into. We should pray for those areas hit by hurricanes this year, and remember that the season is not over yet.

It seems that in movies these days drug money is the buried pirate treasure of the age. Many movies are about finding, taking, or making the easy drug money. The funny thing is that God gave the commandment: Thou shalt not steal. I don't recall any exceptions to the rule, pirates, drug dealers or otherwise. However, if you are to believe the moves, drug money is yours for the taking, unless someone comes to take it back, usually at gunpoint in the movies. Sometimes we try to excuse a sin by shifting the blame to someone else. Criminals didn't work hard to make the money, or stole it from someone else, and so we can take what obviously isn't theirs to begin with, so goes the reasoning in much of our media. The Law as laid down in the Old Testament isn't quite so easy-going when it comes to guilt and conviction. Adultery is often treated the same way in our television shows and other media. She is out with this other guy, and so her husband is free to commit adultery with someone else. In one way the movies are correct, once you find some way to rationalize sin and act on it, you will find yourself in a big ol' drain, swirling around until you hit bottom. That is why we are told so many times in the Bible to resist, avoid, and pray about temptation and sin. We know from our Christian experience that fate, luck, chance, or our own abilities are not enough to get us out of sin. Only in Jesus will we receive forgiveness and the strength to resist.

Wow, I feel the weariness today. I need to go back to work in order to rest up. Have a fine and wonderful Sunday in Christ!

Bucky

Old Comfort - September 13, 2008

Good Saturday morning! Once again we are blessed by a weakened hurricane; once more we can say that it could have been much worse. Lives will go on and the recovery will begin soon. How do we know when injury will strike? A famous quarterback in football goes down in his prime, another injury in pro sports; a disaster strikes along the Gulf coast, and people are displaced from their homes; illness or surgeries may strike in our homes at any time. How are we to go on among all the bad news? At times when all the news seems like bad news, we may pray and hope for something new. Instead, I bring you old comfort. What good does that do? It goes something like this...

Just over 2,000 years ago, a baby was born in Bethlehem. That baby, heralded by a chorus of the heavenly host, brought tidings of great joy for us. We have been reminded that on Christ, the solid rock, we stand. At times like this, it is the message that Jesus brought and another reminder of who is Lord that we must give to each other. Upon the solid rock we stand together, with Jesus in our hearts. Does it seem that the world is full of the sinking sands of bad news and disaster? Yes, at times it seems just that way. We don't know if any of us can take one more round of bad news, disasters, sickness or death, and yet we go one, praising God for His infinite mercy and grace. One of the great witnesses we can have in this world is to praise God in the face of extreme difficulties. No one is going to tell you that will be easy, but trust in Christ to give each of us the strength to endure in the face of the tempest roaring through this world. We are so fragile, but our Lord is the sovereign Creator of the Universe.

Watch the sunrise this morning, cloudy or clear, and remember the birth of our Lord,

Bucky

React in Love and Prayer - September 12, 2008

Ah, the comfort of a normal morning! Good Friday morning to you. No rush and no late night preceding today. More rain today, but not nearly so much as is expected down in Texas. Please remember to pray for those in the path of Hurricane Ike.

Have you ever had something bothering you, a bee in your bonnet so to speak, and wanted to fly off the handle? Our natural inclination is toward fantasies of charging into a meeting of important folks to speak our minds. Of course, in our fantasies "they" see that we are right, wise, and mistreated, and that the situation should be remedied and so on. However, in reality no one likes to be lectured and not the least of all by one whom they think should be silent. We need to resist that inclination and first come to God. I did that not too long ago and the alternative given me was to ask when the time was right. I can tell you that the reaction I received was so much better than it would have been had I followed my inclination to lash out in anger. Perhaps I am right and what I seek is overdue for attention, but would it have helped my cause to anger or irritate those in charge? Probably not. Often in prayer and in our daily lives, the Lord will show us a different way. The way of love, which Jesus showed every day of His life. Don't you think that Jesus could have straightened "them" and everything else out back when He came the first time? Of course He could have. However, He did not come to condemn the world, but to save it as stated in John 3:17. As James points out, human anger does not result in the righteousness that God wants. Far better for us to react in love and prayer rather than in anger and shouting. Do you fear that love and prayer will not give you the satisfaction that you desire? Most of us do, but look toward the result. Which form of reaction is more likely to get the object of your desire? Better still, imagine how you would feel if someone approached you in love and prayer as opposed to coming to you in anger.

Praise God for the joy of knowing Jesus better each day!

Bucky

Inward and Outward Facing? - September 10, 2008

Good morning at mid-week! We have started the run-up to busy season, so more changes late tonight. The devotional may be late or very early tomorrow. Late night writing can give one a different perspective on many things, but I wouldn't recommend it as a habit unless you are typically a late night type of person. Do you love your co-workers enough to point them to the Lord? Perhaps you are forbidden to speak of such things at work; that happens in many places of employment these days. However, the way we live can still point others to the Lord and His gift of salvation. Certainly in moments of testing, such as to lie or tell the truth, we can be a witness for Christ, but it is the everyday moments that really add up. Are you cranky at work, obviously wanting to be elsewhere? Then your witness may not be pointing folks in the right direction. I have resolved that I will love my work and desire to do an excellent job for my employer. That may not be obvious to my co-workers just yet, but I think that if I continue resolving that until it becomes habit, the change will become known to all. I know that I have at least a couple of years left in my current job; why not make them the best years of my tenure there? As I have come to realize, most of my problems start inside my own mind. Therefore, that is the place where the main combat must take place. It seems that the whole armor of God is both outward and, perhaps more importantly, inward facing armor.

Start up your inner joy motor this morning in Christ Jesus!

Bucky

Slaves of Christ? - September 9, 2008

Good Tuesday morning! The light of the Lord Jesus Christ shines in you today! In the world, slaves are gained through conquest. Despotic rulers force slaves to do their bidding through threats and intimidation. To be a slave in this world is a shameful thing for both the slave and the master. Why then would the apostles claim to be slaves of Christ Jesus? Why volunteer to be a slave? One answer may lie in humility. These men and women in the early church humbled themselves in order to show others that they were no longer in charge. We come to Jesus in total surrender, and Jesus accepts our surrender. However, I don't believe that Jesus accepts any slaves. Instead, He tells us, "Stand, and walk with Me!" Whatever will the world do with the One who has no desire to conquer, but accepts total surrender? The same One who begins life as new, only after we come to the end of our self. The One who loves the unlovable and raises up the spiritually dead. The Savior who accepts the vanquished, though He did not defeat them, and raises them up to be His friends. Whatever will the world do with this Jesus?

We know that Jesus and the world do not mix. The world can only decide on an individual basis. Accept Jesus as Lord, or reject the only Way to salvation. It is interesting that the ones who claim to be slaves, the apostles and each of us who believe in Jesus, are not, and the ones who claim to be free in this world, are. I am so glad that Jesus has set us free! Praise God for the life of Jesus!

Have a wonderful and Christ-filled day!

Bucky

Discernment - September 8, 2008

Good Monday morning! We have the opportunity to go out into the world and do good works on this day. Writing about Jesus is fraught with peril. Eh? How can writing about our Lord be perilous to anyone? When writing or speaking about our Lord Jesus, one must be careful to check for agreement with the Word. This can be the Bible, the Word of God, or it can be through the Holy Spirit. Pastor Rogers reminds us this morning that not all ministers have our salvation in mind when they speak or write. I believe that God calls many men and women to minister to us, and that the deceivers are few in number. However, those few can be eagerly listened to; just as the false prophets were eagerly listened to in biblical times. Solomon proved himself wise not by the wisdom that God gave to him, but by the choice he made when God asked him what he wanted most. Solomon asked for discernment, the ability to judge wisely, in all things. As the earthly ruler of God's chosen people, this was a very important quality to have. We too need to ask for discernment in all things. Not just when listening to our ministers, but in watching the news on television, listening to the radio, reading magazines and books, and in normal conversation. Test your ministers and check each other. We all have opinions; sometimes those opinions are dangerously wrong. We can check with the Bible and check with each other to help discern the truth.

Praise and glory to God Almighty!

Bucky

Prayer Requests!
The elections will soon be underway, pray for wise leaders who believe in Christ Jesus.

The Biggest Yoke - September 7, 2008

Good Sunday morning! The Hour of Power will start soon, but I am excited to be here writing once more. Nice weather this weekend, cool and rainy with a touch of autumn in the air. This morning, Pastor Rogers' devotional touched a neuron somewhere deep in my brain and triggered a response within me. Submission is a touchy subject, some believe one thing about it and others something similar, but not quite the same. I acknowledge that Jesus' yoke is indeed light, for I often write this devotional without feeling the incredible responsibility of my words. If I felt that responsibility too much, I might not write at all. Today it came to me to write about the heaviest responsibility and where it lies in our walk of faith.

The Biggest Yoke

"Then Jesus said, "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke fits perfectly, and the burden I give you is light." " Matt 11:28-30
Who among us does not feel a heavy burden today? Exactly, those who are not saved may feel their life is going pretty good. We see those with great success in this life, bouncing along without seemingly any serious cares in this world. Our lives, on the other hand, seem to go from heavy burden to heavy burden with barely a rest in between. So what is it that Jesus will teach us? Perhaps to release those heavy burdens to Him! In our pride we may cling to heavy burdens that Jesus wants us to give up to Him. In my life, I have often worried about many things that I have little or no control over. This type of heavy burden is one that Jesus would not have me to carry. Along with the worries come anxieties over events that will never happen. More burdens that I do not need to carry. You may have similar or very different burdens that you do not need to bear. Jesus wants all of those burdens given over to Him.

In training, the Navy SEAL team candidates are made to carry huge logs as a team. The team leaders wisely learn, or are told, to arrange their teams by height so that each member carries an equal share of the burden. Imagine one team staggering under their log at the end of a day, stumbling and weary as they try to get one more lap around the beach. Suddenly a new team member steps in and offers to carry the entire log while the team rests. The team refuses and stumbles on. Standing to one side, or watching from a comfortable chair, you might wonder at the mental stability of that team. Refusing help when it is offered? However, we have probably done the same thing in our own lives, carrying burdens much too heavy for us and refusing the salvation that Jesus offers. Just when it seems the "log" is about to crush us, we finally come to realize that we need a savior.

What about that savior of ours? Where do those burdens go that He picks up from each and every one of us? The biggest yoke of all is borne by the one who promises a light burden to us. On His yoke is truly the weight of the universe. When we fall at His feet and our heavy burdens roll off, we often forget what He tells us at that moment. "Stand, and walk with Me!" Our Lord does not stomp on our prostrate forms, or gloat with satisfaction over our humiliation. No, He tells us to stand and walk with Him. How ever did we come to deserve such a leader and friend as this Jesus? The truth is that we do not deserve such an honor and the gift of eternal life. He gives us this gift and honor out of His own love for us. Bring your burdens to the One who bears the biggest yoke, and love Him with the great adoration and praise that He deserves from us!

Hallelujah for the Day!

Bucky

Save Your Self? - September 6, 2008

Good afternoon! After making it through the morning with no Internet connection, again, I am back. I hope you are all listening or watching the Huskers' game. Okay, many of you may not care about the college football games. I can hear a radio or two playing around the neighborhood with the game on.

Are you afraid to admit to the Lord that you need help? One of the marks of pride in a person is that he or she can do everything for themselves. I have been in that position, and I'm sure that many others could say the same thing. We might call it stubbornness or pig-headed, or many other things, but when we will not ask the Lord for help, we are telling our savior that we do not need Him. Jesus told us the He alone is the way to salvation. How can we save ourselves if we are not the way? As you can see, saving your self does not work. You either believe that Jesus is the Way, just as He said, or you try to save your self and will, of course, fail. You might say that having Jesus save "me" is okay, but "I" will take care of this or that other thing in my life. We know however that Jesus wants us to surrender all of our life to Him. We cannot say that we believe in Jesus only up to a certain point. If you are refusing to ask our Lord God to help with everything, you might as well not ask for anything. I can think of areas and times in my own life when I didn't ask God to help first, but instead took off on my own. Most of the time that doesn't work out very well. Need help? Start with prayer, come to the One who is sovereign over all things. Put your trust and your life in Jesus.

Have a great Saturday in Jesus!

Bucky

Daydreaming? - September 5, 2008

Good Friday morning...for the second time. Yes, one of those early morning installs and then up again in the same morning. The rain is a nice touch though, we can certainly use the moisture in our area. Daydreaming today? I know that Satan would gladly see any of us distracted from the work at hand by losing our selves in daydreams and fantasies. Too easily, we let our mind wander during a time of meditation, or fantasize about something when we should be engaged with another person. This is not to say that imagination or daydreaming is bad in and of itself. Many great ideas and inventions have come from daydreams and imagination. Like many things in this life, our imagination is only bad for us when we misuse or abuse the privilege. Learning to keep our minds in control, or self-discipline, is not an easy assignment. Jesus spoke of lusting after a woman in your heart; one of the commandments speaks is about coveting; avoiding either one is an exercise in mental self-discipline. We don't like the sound of discipline; it speaks against a rebellious nature within us. However, this is something that we must learn in this lifetime.

My mind is especially prone to wandering this morning, probably having something to do with sleeping less than four hours last night. Sometimes a subject for the morning devotional presents itself in my own head. On a morning such as this one, I could easily waste an hour or two in a semi-conscious state of daydreaming. However, that wouldn't get the job done. Hallelujah for the day! I pray that you have a wonderful weekend in Christ Jesus.

Think on the blessings of Christ this day,

Bucky

Faith in Imperfect People - September 4, 2008

Good Thursday morning! It is a back to work day for me, and a long one it will be too. We have work to do during the evening hours tonight. This morning is also the coolest we have seen in months. A very brisk 36° this morning to greet us with an early notice of autumn. This morning I also started on the eleventh chapter of Hebrews. You may not immediately recognize what this chapter is, but this is one of the more important chapters in the Bible. By faith Noah built an ark... Do remember it now? Yes, the chapter often called the faith hall of fame. In this chapter are many reminders to us of how imperfect people were justified by their faith in God. We have the advantage of the entire New Testament that these folks did not have. The task remains the same though, believe and live in Christ. While the heroes of the faith looked forward to Messiah, we can read the accounts of Jesus' arrival and death on the cross. I like reading this chapter during times of doubt, but there are so many chapters in the Bible that I love! I need to work on being able to recall every chapter in the Bible on a daily basis. Yes, that will take a lifetime, perhaps more, of work to be able to perform such a feat of recall. Have a great day in Christ Jesus, and do make note of the action point in Pastor Rogers' devotional this morning.

God loves you, apart from your performance!

Bucky

Music in Heaven - September 3, 2008

Good morning! A wind chill of 38° this morning speaks for itself in regard to how it feels outside. I see the neighbor has decided not to ride his motorcycle to work today; we can certainly understand that decision. Praise God for the changing seasons!

Why do you want to go to heaven? I think that one major reason for me is to hear the wonderful music of the heavenly choir praising God. The evidence for this is in how much I and others enjoy music here on the earth. We may enjoy recorded or live music, hard rock or classical, or any other of the many forms of music. We might even make our own music through singing or playing an instrument. However, I think that all the music we enjoy now will fall short of God's glorious standard in heaven. What a sight and sound those shepherds enjoyed in Judah when the heavenly host announced the birth of our Savior with praises to God! I mention Christmas music a lot in this devotional, and folks at work know that I start listening to Christmas music a bit earlier than most. However, I suspect that if I were to take all of my Christmas music and combine it into one great symphony that it would still fall far short of what we can expect to hear, see, and feel in Heaven. We are simply too limited by our earthly experience to have more than a very rudimentary picture of what it will be like with Jesus in Heaven.

Praise God for our joyous hope of Heaven!

Bucky

Improving in the Light - August 31, 2008

Good Sunday morning! In Christ we pray earnestly for the people in the Caribbean and U.S. Gulf coast areas as the effects of Hurricane Gustav are felt. Today there are evacuations going on and people we love are enduring the upset and anxiety of yet another major hurricane.

Improving in the Light

Should we improve ourselves or simply step back and wait for the Holy Spirit to do the work? Today I thought, or it came to me, that our lives are big diamonds. Imagine that God is cutting out a big diamond from a lump of clay. When we are born again, God pulls out a big lump of clay from the mud that is this world. Inside that lump is a fabulous diamond. However, that diamond is not finished. We will not be finished into the perfect, fully-reflective image of God until we see Jesus at the end. In the meantime, our life moves along and God, the ultimate craftsman, is chipping away the dirt, filth, and clay of our former life. How does that relate to improving our self? I believe that God gives us a polishing cloth. Throughout our lives on this earth, we are to take that polishing cloth and get to work. The progress of our polishing is painfully slow. As we look at the facet of the diamond that God gives us to work on, we cannot help but see all that is wrong with it. The areas of our own life that each of us has been given to work on look very rough right now. However, God works on a different schedule than what our watch or calendar says. How often have you started out to lose weight, and a few days later looked at the calendar and asked, "Where's the progress?" It may take years for you to get down to a healthy weight, but keep on moving that polishing cloth, keep working at the task at hand. In God's perfect time, as long as we keep working on that polishing, we will see the result that God desires in our lives. Patience in effort is one of the more difficult things to learn in the Christian life. Yes, God could bring out the beautiful diamond immediately upon salvation with all facets polished to mirror brightness and the image of God completely revealed in our life. The world probably couldn't stand that person, much of it wanted Jesus gone right from the start of his ministry. Be grateful for the long, slow and perfect change that God makes in each of our lives. We are along for that ride and the destination is the very best place!

Have a happy and joyous Sunday in Christ!

Bucky

The Lies We Believe - August 29, 2008

Good Morning! Ahh, just one work day (at least for me) and then we can kick back to enjoy the long weekend! I see that at least one of my neighbors has begun the weekend early. They took off last night with their camper.

The Lies We Believe

Where did this negativity, this wrongness, in my heart come from? The lies of the devil! The Bible tells that when we believe we are given a new heart that the Holy Spirit dwells within. Why then do we get up believing that our heart is all of the things that it was before? Lustful, wicked, proud, greedy, and so on? Every morning each of us should remind our own self - use a mirror if you need to - that we are loved by Jesus and that we love our selves, and then start listing what we are no longer. Say it out loud: "I am no longer lustful, proud, rude, irritable, greedy, gluttonous, and any other of the former things you need to add" Later or sooner we can move on to the things that we are now. Loving, kind, gentle, disciplined, earnest, and the other fruits of the Gospel that Jesus brings to our hearts. No more believing the lies of the devil that tell us we are no different than before!

Notice this weekend how a tree grows a strong root system in the earth in order to grow up toward the sun. In our Christian life, let us grow strong roots in Jesus, so that we may grow up toward God the Father. Touch a tree sometime and pledge once more to accept Jesus into your heart and to grow in His love. No more living in defeat when we should be celebrating the victory!

Hallelujah for the new day in Christ!

Bucky

I Don't Know! - August 28, 2008

Good Thursday morning! I feel close to God this morning! How does that happen? Why do I feel closer on one day than another? Three things I believe have much to do with this feeling. 1. Surrender - giving all of yourself to God. 2. Forgiveness - asking for and receiving the forgiveness of Christ Jesus. 3. I don't know. Eh? What happened with number 3? I mean to say, admitting that I don't know something, or more accurately, a lot of things. One of the more difficult things to do in this life is to simply admit, "I don't know". Your boss asks you questions at work, friends ask you things, and even the world will come to you to test your knowledge. You might call number 3, humility. Admitting to God that you don't know everything also acknowledges that He does. Once you admit to God that He does know everything, how can one say that he is equal to God? One angel did once upon a time and got tossed from Heaven for it! I am writing that in a light-hearted manner, but it is no joke to us down here on the Earth. Humility is the opposite of pride. Learning to admit that we don't know something not only keeps us humble intellectually, but also shows us where we can spend time in study. There is no book better for pointing out "I don't know's" than the Bible. Did Noah save any insects on the Ark? I don't know, and the answer may not be in the Bible. In that case, perhaps that is something that I don't need to worry about. I don't know all of the answers, and I have good reason to suspect that you do not either. We can take comfort in knowing one thing; that God does know everything and delights in sharing as much knowledge as we can handle at any time in our lives. I don't know everything now and I am content with that. However, what does God have for me to learn today? Time to go find out...


God bless!

Bucky

Work to Do - August 27, 2008

Good morning! Early one day, late the next. Yes, Tuesday turned out to be a very long day for me. Praise God for work to do and the work that is to come. It may seem strange to celebrate something that we don't always want to get up and go to. I am talking about work. Yes, your workplace may not be ideal, that is for Heaven, and you may not like your bosses or all of your coworkers. However, I have seldom seen anyone less happy than a person or family out of work. God gave us work to not only make a living, but to learn, grow, and to feel better about ourselves. Occasionally, I have to put in a long day, one that extends into the night, but overall my job is much better than many in this world. I shall miss it when the time comes to move into another career.

What a wonderful day we have in Christ Jesus! I wonder how my life would feel if I didn't believe in Christ? I suspect that I would be subject to much more despair and dread. Every time someone mentioned Hell, I might feel a chill or a fright, or worse feel that I had been a "good" person and that God would never condemn me over others who seemed "bad". Sort of like that fellow in the Bible who thanked God that he wasn't like other men. Jesus told us that fellow did not leave justified in the eyes of heaven. The sad part is, that fellow went home in ignorance of his condition and eventual destination. I am glad that throughout my life someone has always been there to say, "You are a sinner and in need of salvation! Jesus is the Way!" Too often we forget to thank God for all those messengers. May God bless every one of them on this day.

Praise God for the new day and the new opportunities!

Bucky

Harmless Karma - August 26, 2008

Good morning! I need to get in early again this morning, and in light of that I am a little early in writing to you. This morning I saw a reference to karma. I suspect that most people use karma in place of "luck", but in either case they seek something harmless. A person can have good karma or bad karma, but either is based upon one's actions, thus giving the person some sense of control. What the world doesn't like about God is that he cannot be controlled by our actions, he is very personal, and he is not harmless. God makes the world, and those who believe in it, uncomfortable and frightened. Without the saving grace of Jesus, one cannot see the love of God. Without the love of God, all that a person sees is the judgment coming ever closer. You and I may have trouble imagining what it is like to not know God's love, we see examples of his gentle hand in our lives every day. We know that God is not harmless, but we also know his gentleness and loving kindness. Karma is impersonal and imaginary; God is very personal and not based upon our imagination. This makes the world tremble. We know that our savior will soon return to complete his work in us and take us up to be with him. What did karma or luck ever do for us?

Praise God for our very personal Savior, Jesus Christ!

Bucky

Time Flying By - August 25, 2008

Good Monday morning! The devotional from Love Worth Finding didn't arrive yet this morning, and so I will share one from Pastor Schuller from the Hour of Power. We seem to be in a weather pattern of unsettled lately. Sunny for an hour, then cloudy, then sunny again. However, we haven't received any rain from the clouds going by. I am grateful for the cool mornings that this time of the year brings. I need to get movin' this morning, but of course nothing comes to mind for writing. It seems that writing a devotional is not something that can be pushed or rushed. I tend to think that if I could just get to the point where writing is the only thing I do... However, I am fooling myself in this. Life in this world is sometimes likened to a treadmill, lots of activity and sweat, but no real progress overall. In some ways that may be true, but in Christ we know that we are going somewhere. The point about making writing the only thing though is that it will never be the only thing. The various chores around the house, the errands out of the house, and the demands upon my time will never cease in this lifetime, whatever my career field may be at that moment. Time, the terrible goad and burden we share in this world. Never enough of it at one moment, too much of it at another. Do you suppose Jesus had this in mind when he told us that His yoke is easy and His burden is light? I believe that is at least part of it. He also reminded us that time is short and that we must be about the work that God has given to us. During his life Jesus too felt the press of time in this world. Be anxious for nothing! Your savior knows what time it is and will get you where you need to go. I like to remind myself of that when it seems that time weighs most heavily on me. As Paul told us...

Rejoice in the Lord always, again I will say rejoice!

Bucky

Doing Nothing? - August 24, 2008

Good Sunday morning! What started as another bright, sunny day has changed into an overcast, cool day. My sun tea is not warming as I expected it to. If only my vision extended to over the horizon, I could have seen the clouds coming and adjusted my plans. Well, our vision does not extend out that far, and yet we often question the one whose vision does see that far and beyond. Sometimes after questioning God, I have to wonder "who am I to question the omniscient Creator?" We do have the opportunity to ask "why?" and often the Lord will answer that question to us, though he certainly owes us nothing. How great and wonderful is our God! We can question and wonder about His plans for us and for the world, and then receive answers directly and through His holy Word. Many religions would stand agape at a person questioning the deity. However, we do not have a religion, we have a relationship with God who loves us. The world is tired of hearing it, but say it again. We have a relationship with a loving God. We love our Lord Jesus and He died to save us from our sin. Hallelujah to the God Most High!

Number 2 in Pastor Kenneth Copeland's five steps to enter into God's rest.... sit down, if you knew what to do, it wouldn't be a trial. I like that; a big part of any problem or trial is that we don't know where to go or what to do. The Lord wants us to pause for a moment, come to Him, and He will let us know what to do or not do. Some trials will involve us simply not doing anything though we may want to very badly. Don't believe that? Think about the times you wanted to speak out in anger and are now glad that you didn't, or worse, regretting that you did. I have done it before and I pray that I will obey next time and keep my mouth shut when the Lord puts it upon my heart to keep quiet. One thing that we do not regret, and that is the saving grace of Jesus. No matter how we may stumble in sin or embarrass ourselves in public, we are forgiven in Christ.

Praise God for the new day!

Bucky

No Gold Medals - August 23, 2008

Good Saturday morning! The Lord has blessed me with a working Internet connection this morning! I suppose the talk of Michael Phelps will die down in a day or two. Not! When Mark Spitz did his thing back in '72, I was but a sprout and people still work that into articles and conversation to this day. I remember the hoopla over that accomplishment and Mr. Phelps has exceeded even that. Compare that with those we consider to be heroes of the faith, and count how many gold medals they won. Only a few were even concerned with the physical tests that the Olympics pose. Certainly King David would have won a medal or two had he competed as a young man, and Samson might have set all-time records in strength events, but most of our Bible heroes were not men of great physical strength or surpassing athletic skill. No, most of our faith heroes were much like you and I, just people. I am reminded that more than a few of our faith heroes were not even men. Today, we would call that a sexist omission and hoist the author up a feminist flagpole. However, back in the Bible days, women were often included in the tally of a man's possessions, usually after the cows, goats, and sheep. I am glad that Jesus changed that by raising up women in honor.

Men, women, or children, our Bible heroes may or may not have excelled in athletic contests, but all of them are venerated for one thing... their faith in Jesus. Many only looked forward to the coming of Messiah, but many others sprang from the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus to spread the Good News while enduring tremendous hardship. We have all of them to thank for their life's stories that show us how we too can be saved and grow in Christ. I like the stories of their character flaws and mistakes; those stories remind me that Jesus loves us all, just as we are.

Praise God for the joy of knowing Jesus!

Bucky

Director of Spiritual Development - August 22, 2008

Good Friday morning! ...and we're back. May God have mercy on us today. Do you find yourself asking forgiveness from God often? I certainly do. It seems that when compared with Christ's glorious standard I fall woefully short. The question comes to mind that if I have been saved, why am I not more like Christ now? How easy it is to ask critical questions of our Lord! The truth is that we are no longer in charge of our spiritual development. How far along the way we have come is not up to us. How could it be when we do not even know how to get there on our own? Every time we try to make it on our own, we will find that our progress is not up to even our own standard, much less the standard we see in Christ. When we catalog our own sins, we are concentrating on the wrong target. The Bible tells us to look to Jesus, not at our own sin or performance. It seems that on my worst days, I find that I have once again tried to elect myself as director of spiritual development. Of course my performance is bad all around when I try to do that! It is difficult to "let go and let God", after all we have to give up that pride that is trying to strangle our Christian growth. However, each of us can give up that pride and let Jesus direct our spiritual growth. Jesus not only knows the way, He is the Way.

Have a great weekend in Jesus!

Bucky

Glory Unending - August 20, 2008

Good morning! The cooler (and darker) mornings should remind us that we are moving into the last third of summer for this year. Of course, school is a not-so-subtle reminder to all those who must endure the hours in a classroom. Last night I thought of endings. Have you ever felt sadness over the end of a book series, a favorite author retiring, the finale of a favorite television series, or some other ending? It happens so often on this earth that we have a saying about how all good things must end. When we endure a trial, we even remind ourselves that: "this too shall pass." All around us are endings. I thought that a big part of the greatness of God and Heaven is that...God and Heaven do not end! We face some sort of ending in so many things. Some endings make us sad and some make us glad, but the end does arrive sooner or later. Eternity does not compute in my limited, human mind, but not ending, that makes a splash somewhere in my psyche. Listening to one of my favorite songs last night, I checked the display on the CD player and realized that the song is a very short one by today's standards. Imagine a wonderful song that does not end; you will hear more than one in heaven! Imagine a book that just keeps getting better and better, with no ending in sight. That will be our story in Heaven with Christ Jesus. Praise God for His glory unending!

Enjoy a wonderful day in Christ!

Bucky

Worship God - August 19, 2008

Good Tuesday morning! Whoops! School started yesterday in Sidney. I still expect it to start one week before Labor Day, but times have changed a bit. I wonder how long until they just forget summer break entirely. I would pray for the kids at that point; everyone needs a break from work and study at times. Not too long ago, BASF had a series of commercials that you may remember. These commercials used a similar line repeatedly to make a point about the manufacturer. "We don't make x product, we make it go faster..." In our Christian faith we worship our Lord Jesus and His Father in Heaven. However, non-believers tend to confuse things. We have at times been called cross worshippers. No doubt a play on words involved there too. Well we do not worship the cross, nor do we worship in an angry state of mind. Using a simliar line: we don't worship the cross; we worship the one who died for our sins on the cross. We don't worship the empty tomb; we worship the one who rose on the third day. We don't worship the Sea of Galilee; we worship the one who walked across it. We do not worship the Via Dolorosa; we worship the one who carried his cross on that street.

Many times in history, we and others have been tempted to worship objects. The lance head that pierced the side of Jesus, fragments of apostles' bones, pieces of the cross, the shroud of Turin, and many other objects have caused the gullible to waste money and even the devout to fall in worship. However, we are not to worship objects or idols. Even angels tell us to worship only God. If we are not to worship angelic beings, then we certainly shouldn't be worshipping objects of wood, cloth, and other earthly materials. Be careful what you bow down to! We might think it funny, but I could see a child in many households, asked what their father worships, saying: "My daddy worships God." And then grabbing a crucifix off the wall saying, "and this is God!". We do not need objects between us and God, and we do not need to manufacture representations of God or Jesus. Worship in your heart, in whatever position you feel called, and pray to God for wisdom in this matter.

God loves you!

Bucky

Shed the Dread - August 18, 2008

Good Monday morning! What a marvelous and cool weekend we enjoyed in the middle of August. That's right, August has moved past the center and like a giant maelstrom is sucking the little kids toward school. I can almost hear the shrieks and moans. Parents may view the end of summer in a different light. How long, I wonder, did some of us dread the start of a school year? Thinking back, way back, to some of those summers, I wonder if I didn't ruin a few days with dread when each day should have been taken as a precious gift. Jesus told us that the worries of today are enough for the day, but we often don't obey our Lord in this. Dread is a real fun killer.

Some kids eagerly anticipated the start of a new school year; strange kids abound in most every community. Those kids probably couldn't wait for the days of summer to get over. I was the opposite. I wonder who enjoyed their summer more? Yes, probably those who looked forward to school instead of dreading the coming of the new school year. Dread is a close relative of fear. We destroy a lot of happiness in our lives by dreading something that has not yet arrived. This area is another in which we can strive to grow in our lives. Looking to Jesus and setting aside dread is a worthwhile pursuit. We do need the help and strength of Jesus in learning to put aside the dread in our lives. Learning to trust in Jesus completely is not easy. However, you and I can do all things through Christ who strengthens us!

To God be the glory,

Bucky

Fear vs. Assurance - August 17, 2008

Good Sunday morning! Great and mighty is our God! Wow, I am getting the message today saying "Don't be afraid!". The message is clear and strong... and so difficult to obey. What fears do we face today? The economy, fuel prices, debts, credit, taxes, governments, events, natural disasters, too many people, too few people, and all of our own personal fears: darkness, heights, spiders, snakes, humiliation... the listing could go on for days. All of these fears are under the sovereign power of our God. We do not need to worry over them. Is this a difficult area to obey in our lives? You bet it is. Why do you think our Lord repeated the command and assurance so many times in the Bible! Don't be afraid, trust in me, don't worry about these things, live in Christ, Jesus loves you - and many other variations on the theme abound in God's Word. We have so many fears and worries in our lives and Jesus wants to relieve us of all of them. However, we tend to cling to those fears like old friends, when in fact they are our worst enemies. Read in the Word and remind yourself daily that we have nothing to fear with Christ in our lives. Why daily? Well, how often do you remind yourself of what you are afraid of? Yes, me too. Every day I must set the assurances of Christ against the fears of the day. One day those assurances will trump every fear of mine forever. What a glorious day that will be!

God bless you,

Bucky

Cruelty Increases? - August 16, 2008

Good Saturday morning! Still wet and cool out here today. In 2 Timothy, Paul has a short note to Timothy about the end times. At first read, we might think that we have heard similar things before in our Bible reading. However, this paragraph stands out as one that is very personal. The reading becomes very personal to you and me as we read some rather frightening words. This small section speaks of how evil some will become in the end times. We have been subjected to one or two persons laughing at or making fun of some personal defect or abnormality that we all have, but what if everyone was suddenly very cruel to us? What if your best friend sold your life to someone for monetary gain? All of these images from prophecy are only to remind us of who we place our trust in. Jesus will not allow us to be persecuted needlessly. Nor will our Lord leave us without the strength to overcome fear and speak boldly in a place of persecution. In our own strength, the world appears as a frightening and overwhelming place. However, we do not face the world alone, not now and not in the future. Jesus walks with us and in us daily. Never alone is a great place to be in this world. God has blessed us all!

Bucky

Really late posting - August 15, 2008

Good Friday morning! We are starting the day wet on this Friday. Wet outside, sneezing inside. The allergy plants know their time is short and are putting forth extra effort to make me miserable. I would thank them individually if only I knew which ones they were. I would call it the RoundUp® award of effort.

Speaking of how long... how long do we have? Lately it seems there has been a rash of deaths in an age range that we tend to think of as relatively young in this time. If a person avoids highway accidents or war in their 20's, we often expect them to make it to 80 or 90 years old. I suspect that this is one of those statistical fallacies that happen in our perceptions. The average life expectancy is still in the 72 - 78 year range, meaning that as we approach that age it will indeed seem that people are dropping all around us. We do not know how long we have on this world. In Christ we know that it takes as long as it takes for God to be ready for us in Heaven. Until that time arrives, we must be about the work that God has given us on this earth. We have exactly the number of days we need to complete our own individual mission for God's kingdom. Praise God for each day and every opportunity to share what He has done for each of us.

I pray that you will enjoy a wonderful weekend of worship and relaxation. Have a great Friday in Christ Jesus!

Bucky

Dreads and Regrets - August 14, 2008

Whooee! A nice breeze with 53° temp and we are feeling the coolness this morning. After the hot days of July and early August, the change in the weather is very nice. Many things or tasks in this life are not among those that we enjoy or look forward to. As always, during the last few days of August, before school starts, I find it easy to write about things we dread. Quickly following thoughts of "the dreads" might come thoughts of times when we would do something better than we did in the past. Do you ever feel under attack when this happens? You should! There is nothing our adversary would like better than to see all followers of Christ wallowing in regrets and dread. Put it aside and remember that Jesus makes all things new. You and I cannot go back and do some period of our lives over and dreading upcoming events will not make them easier. All the events in your life, good or bad, brought you to the point of giving over your life to Jesus. So in place of looking with regret upon some moment, look at it as necessary to make you place your trust in the One who can make all things new. Look for the opportunity to spread the Good News in upcoming tasks or events. Do you need coaching in this? Yes, me too. Praise God for the Holy Spirit who excels at giving us the spirit of power and boldness.

Make the day a special one in Christ Jesus!

Bucky

Learning in the Word - August 13, 2008

Good morning! A cool breeze caused a shiver this morning; a reminder that it will not be long until the windows are closed at night. Yes, the start of school draws closer once more. I received the first saleskid last night. Saleskid? That would make you think of a small child, but this was a young man, a senior in high school if I am not mistaken, and the child of a brother in Christ. This morning, that meeting last night made me think of the 1970's, the decade when I grew from a child not remembering much about the culture, to a young man. The latter half of the decade I remember a great deal about, particularly in regard to music, movies, television shows and what I was doing. Most of my memories center around "me", and this is not too surprising since I have found it difficult to remember events in which I did not take part. This is where learning comes into play. We do not remember Jesus' life on this earth, we learn about his life and death on the cross. We cannot remember what Noah saw in his life, but we can learn about it in God's Word. The study of the Bible brings us wisdom and knowledge. Knowledge about life and decisions in ancient times, and wisdom to see that their options, to sin or not to sin, are very much the same as what we face today.

God sent us a bunch of stories about a bunch of folks who are long dead. One story stands out from the bunch in that the protagonist is not long dead. We learn from the stories and live for the One. As we grow older, particularly in our teenage years, we grow from remembering little to remembering much. However, as our experiences accumulate, we also run into limitations in our brain capacity. Stories run together until we may find that in comparing memories with a sister, brother, parent, or old friend, that a particular incident is not remembered quite the same by all parties involved. This may very well be why God caused some of those old time folks to write down their eyewitness experiences. Without the guidance of the Holy Spirit upon Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John how might the stories of Jesus have changed over the years? Paul's letters teach us much about coming to Christ and salvation. Later Paul instructs us through his letters to others about living the Christian life and evangelizing. Finally, one of the more amazing parts of the Bible, we learn prophecies from the past about events that have not yet happened. This really sets the believers apart from the non-believers. A believer can look forward with eager anticipation to the coming events, a non-believer is frightened by the predicted events or dismisses them out of hand. Praise God for the Word that teaches! Just as the clouds have rolled in very quickly today, so the coming of Jesus will come upon us. Let us rejoice!

Rest in God's peace this day,

Bucky

We Love You, Lord - August 12, 2008

We love you Lord

In the beginning, you created a perfect universe for us.
A long time ago, you sent your Son to die for our sins on the cross.
In the now, you live in us and bring us closer to you each day.
At the end, you Son will return for us in great power and glory.

We are grateful, Lord, for your care of each one of us and our loved ones.
We love you, Lord, for all that you do and have done for us.
We love you, Lord, because Jesus lives again, our hope in a dark world.
We love you, Lord, you didn't abandon us after the fall.
We love you, Lord, for the forgiveness found in Christ Jesus.
We love you, Lord, in your glorious creation.
We love you, Lord, for the light of your love in a world of struggle and pain.

Thank you, Lord, in the dawn of a new day in Christ Jesus!

Bucky

Glory to God - August 11, 2008

Good morning, Lord! We are glad that you are here with each of us today. The beautiful sunrise reminds us of your promise to return one day and take us home with you. The soft blue of the sky reminds us to love one another, and the brilliant orange on the clouds shows your love for us. What a glorious day in Christ Jesus!

The Olympics are well underway once more. It is difficult to not talk about something that everyone else, at least in the media, is talking about. Just as we are called to do something in this life, so are the athletes from around the world called to perform in their respective sports. We can admire their physical talents and skills, but their calling is not our calling. You and I may never see a gold medal for our performance in this world. However, Christ has promised something much better in the next world. We also know that accolades and honors in this world can be used to bring glory to God the Father. The world came up with evolution in an attempt to shift the glory away from God. We know from the promises in the Bible that God will one day be glorified forever by those who believe in Him. How we look forward to hearing the angelic choir, and joining in with our own song of praise. Let the glory of the Lord rise above us on this fine Monday morning!

God bless you,

Bucky

How Much? - August 10, 2008

Good morning...again. I have enjoyed one of those weekends. You know the ones. You expect a relaxing weekend at home, but for one reason or another you get woke up each night. I don't even get the luxury of blaming work, only circumstance. Last night an alarm went off in my home; an event guaranteed to bring me close to actual levitation. The alarm only rang twice that I can recall, but I could find no reason for the alarm and couldn't even tell which one might have done the alarming. I know the who, as in who was alarmed, but not the why. As in the night before (Saturday morning) I read a book for a couple of hours or more, and tried to calm down enough to go back to sleep. The night before, I had even less reason for waking up, but felt refreshed at 0230 when I woke up. I made it to Wal-Mart at 0500 and Safeway at 0600, something even the Army doesn't manage. All this means that I am writing in a state of "punchy" this morning. Praise God for coffee. Yes, you're right... I drink decaf. I can still praise God for coffee though. :-)

Today, we might ask God, "How much is enough?" We have probably done it before, usually in a moment of trial or stress. Sometimes we just want to know how much more we might have to endure in this life. I suspect that none of us have ever received a quantifiable answer to that. Only Jesus knew exactly what was required of him, and he suffered because of that knowledge. You and I probably do not want to know what is left for us in this life of trial and refinement. The knowledge would most likely cause a great despair to overcome us. How much is enough? Whatever God sends in this life is not only enough, but is in just the right amount. God gives us His strength to endure what comes in this life. Many times I have heard it said, and even written it myself, that we must come to the end of ourselves to find life in Christ. I still believe this was true for me and I am blessed because of it. When problems seem to overwhelm our own strength, that is when we find the strength from God in each of us to go on, to endure to the end. Jesus reminds us that "I will never leave you nor forsake you..." That is a strengthening promise if ever I heard one! So how much is enough? However much it takes to bring us to complete faith in Christ.

God loves you and so do I!

Bucky

The End is the Beginning - August 9, 2008

Good Saturday morning! I was honestly at a loss this morning. When checking my inbox, the LWF devotional had not arrived. I like to read the words from Pastor Rogers before starting my own writing. Sometimes I write in concert with his subject and other times I feel led to write on another area of our Christian life. I am glad that Pastor Rogers had the time to write many of these devotionals before he was called home a couple of years ago. Anyway, I had asked myself what I would do without the LWF devotional to start off the day and the answer was of course, trust in God! At that moment the LWF devotional appeared in my inbox. Amazing? No, as I come to know the Lord better, that kind of thing is more normal than a non-believer could ever realize. To the glory of God the Father, once more into the writing dear friends!

As a misty sort of rain falls outside, I woke up early to read more of book 5 in the Left Behind series. I do enjoy those books, but not so much as my Bible reading. It should come as no surprise that as we grow in our faith, we discover more meaning in God's Word and come to enjoy the reading more and more. At times we find ourselves chastised by the Word, but more often we find comfort, compassion, and a wonderful love coming from those hallowed pages. We are with Paul through trials and triumphs, we ride into battle with King David, and we learn from the wisdom of Solomon in the Word of God. However, above all we learn from and come to trust in Jesus, the subject of God's Word from beginning to end. A non-believer might tremble in fear while reading Revelation or Daniel, but we find comfort and a great joy in what the future will bring. While the world might point an accusing finger at us over the joy we find in Revelation, it is not the prophecies of death and mayhem that we revel in, but the promise of our Lord's return. Not one of us wishes harm to come to others, believers or non-believers, only that our Lord Jesus will return to us and take us home to be with Him forever. The ending of the Word is the beginning of eternal life in Christ! May God be forever praised.

Have a wonderful and joyful weekend!

Bucky

Show a Little Gratitude - August 8, 2008

Good Friday morning! Wow, Friday arrived very quickly this week. Today, I feel the soreness that comes from a job well done yesterday. I led a team on an early trip to a remote site and we worked hard all day accomplishing much that needed to be done. Now, as the leader of that little expedition, my responsibility is to show some gratitude for all that hard work. Often we notice that our leaders forget that same gratitude. However, how our earthly leaders behave, especially if in a bad way, may not be something that we should imitate. If you or I work for an ungrateful leader, we can still bring glory to God by showing gratitude when placed in a position of leadership. As I think that some areas of my own workplace are deficient in showing gratitude, I take every opportunity to show that God has changed me for the better by showing gratitude to teammates. My first assignment for today is to get in early and submit my team for an award. The fact that I worked with them and feel the soreness today is my own reward. God has blessed us by giving a good feeling when accomplishing a difficult task. It just feels good to work hard to the glory of God the Father.

I pray that you will enjoy a wonderful and relaxing weekend!

Bucky

Grateful for Everyone - August 7, 2008

Good morning! Today I am up with the sprinklers. Yes, that is a strange thing to say, but in looking around the neighborhood this morning, I see sprinklers running almost everywhere. I think most people like to set their timers to water before they get up for a shower, a convenience to be sure. In the first part of Timothy, Paul tells Timothy to pray for everyone and to be thankful for them. Wait a minute, be thankful for everyone? Even that... fill in the blank. We all have persons with whom we do not get along well. We also may look with disgust on certain personalities we see on television. However, the command from God goes out to us as well. Be thankful for everyone. One day each of us may face persecution of some type for believing in Christ. We are to be thankful for our persecutors too. This is a difficult task for most of us. I don't even need to think hard to recall several examples of persons who have treated me wrong. Giving God thanks for those persons seems an alien concept. Yes, and to our worldly thinking it does seem strange to be grateful for those who hurt us. However, Jesus brought new thinking into our lives and gratitude for everyone may be the first step toward loving everyone. Loving is the first step toward reaching out to them in sharing our faith in Jesus. And we know that everyone in these difficult times could use some love and hope in Christ Jesus.

Praise God for the new day and our renewed hope in Christ!

Bucky

A Little Good News - August 6, 2008

Good morning on this great day in Christ! This, http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26042475/, interesting discovery reminded me of the prophecy that signs and wonders would appear in the heavens before the end times. There is nothing ominous in this discovery, quite the opposite in fact. I would certainly call this a wonder, but what will the world call it? Wonder or simply an interesting astronomical phenomena, that is the choice that each of us must make. We speak a lot of choices in our Christian discourse, for that is what it all comes down to, our choices. At some point in their lives, some people have chosen to believe in Jesus and accept the wonderful free gifts that He brings to their lives. I believe in Jesus and I believe that as more and more of us come to know Jesus as Lord, there will be a great revival happening around the world. The Good News is spreading daily around the world and we have a part to play in the great events going on around us. Let the glory of the Lord shine through us this day!

God bless you as you live in Christ today!

Bucky

The Word - August 5, 2008

Good morning in Christ Jesus! We are up and ready to begin the new day. I do believe that allergy season is in full swing around these parts; the sudden increase in sneeze attacks is what tipped me off. The signs may be subtle, but I pick up on them eventually. Speaking of signs, do you ponder on the Bible as a whole from time to time? The world would have us believe that something is lost with each Bible translation, that words in the ancient tongues do not translate well to the present. The problem with that is in forgetting, or not believing, whose word the Bible is. If you believe in God, then you have no problem believing that God guides each and every faith-based translation of the Bible texts. Each version says exactly what God wants it to say. If you do not believe in God, then of course you will be able to find all manner of excuses, sorry, evidence, that the words are not exactly right. If a person chooses not to believe then it will not matter what the Word says, for it will not speak to the heart as it does to a believer. However, with faith and belief in Jesus comes a wealth of life changing Word from God himself. How we do love the Word of God, both in the flesh as Jesus of Nazareth, and in the printed form in our Bibles. The Bible, bestseller and words from the Comforter, a Christian's hope and crutch in the time of need, and a powerful sword of truth in the hands of those who will believe. Do not doubt or deny the power of the Word. Love and cherish Him who spoke the Word.

Thank you Lord for your holy Word on this wonderful day.

Bucky

Celebrate the New Week - August 4, 2008

Good Monday morning! Today is the imaginatively entitled "Civic Holiday" in Canada. Although we are not celebrating any specific day here in the U.S., I couldn't help but think that everyday there is a celebration going on somewhere on this big planet. The celebration might be the birth of a child, or a wedding, or even a national event commemoration. An event of international scope takes place this Friday when the Olympics begin in China. However, what do we celebrate each and every day of the year? That's right, the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. Some days that celebration is a bit muted, a low-key affair. The body may hurt from injury or disease, the mind may be depressed by bad news, or we may just feel far from our Lord on a particular day. Other days we may celebrate the Good News with overflowing joy and blessing as trials are endured and overcome. From small victories to the final victory when Christ returns, we have joy and grace in our Lord! Take a moment this morning to reflect on the victories that God has given you through His Son on this day.

Have a wonderful week in Christ!

Bucky

Struggles - August 3, 2008

Good Sunday morning! How goes the struggle with you today? I know that as believers in Christ Jesus, you are facing some struggle on this day. Perhaps more than one, but I know that whether the volume is muted or turned on full, your struggle will confront you every day. Am I possessed of some pipeline to knowledge about each of you? No, I simply know that as each of us lives to believe and trust in Jesus we will be at odds with the world and its prince. We cannot avoid it without giving up our faith in Jesus Christ, our Lord and Messiah. Jesus will not let us go, and we don't want to be let go. Therefore, your struggle and my struggle will continue throughout this lifetime. Does that make you want to give up? To go back to bed? No, we also know that in this great struggle we are borne up by the love and power of God Almighty. The life of struggle is capped by a great promise. Whoever believes in Him shall have everlasting life. We read it in John 3:16, a verse that comes up many times in our lives. However, in times of struggle and trial, we need to remember that promise and trust in the one who made that promise. Who loved the world so much? For God loved the world so much that He gave His Son... A promise sealed with God's own Son, Jesus. Life may be a struggle, but life everlasting with Jesus is a reward beyond our imagining. Hallelujah to the Son!

Have a wonderful Sunday in Jesus!

Bucky

Tidbits - August 2, 2008

Good Saturday morning! Time for a couple of garage sales this morning, both have promised books for sale. Some interesting tidbits in the news today. An overly clean house may up the risk of bowel disease. Okay, just looking around the office here shows that I should be safe from that risk. A sports star was asked what happiness was and responded with "ice cream". I thought that was a very good analogy for happiness. Ice cream is good, but it satisfies only briefly before you want more. When the heat is turned up, ice cream melts and runs away. Ice cream only endures under stringent conditions (cold), and is not very nutritious. The sugar in ice cream makes you feel good, but again only briefly. Also too much of it can be bad for you. Contrast all that with the joy that Christ Jesus gives to us! Joy is present through good times and bad, it endures through all manner of terrible or benign conditions, and it is not dependent upon circumstances. Joy can easily be shared without dividing what you have, unlike ice cream which if shared will leave you with less than you started with. Happiness in this world, like ice cream, will come and go with your circumstance. Joy endures until we see Jesus, when our joy will be made complete. Enjoy the day!

God bless you on this fine, hot Saturday!

Bucky

Discipline - August 1, 2008

Good Friday morning! It surely seems easier to say a cheerful "good morning!" on a Friday. August begins today, the children can look forward to school starting up toward the end of this month. Of course, "look forward" might be a positive spin for some as not all children will be overjoyed to return to the confines of school. The "confines" we speak of generally involve some form of discipline. Sitting in class, doing homework, listening instead of daydreaming, and reading what someone else would have us to learn, all involve something that is by nature alien to us, discipline. In the adult world, work is the most common form of external discipline. School and work are often fun, but are also often not so much fun and our rebellious nature fights against the discipline required in both activities. However, Jesus commanded us to become disciples and to make disciples of all the nations. Disciple - discipline, see the resemblance? Our inborn nature, that spirit of rebellion doesn't like to hear things like that. We want to do what we want to do. Sadly that spirit of rebellion in us, the lusts of the flesh by another name, do not know what is best for us. That is where daily Bible reading can help guide us to the right path. Instruction and obedience are not easy for us, but we can depend upon the strength of our Lord Jesus to bring us closer to Him through discipline and learning. Praise God for the opportunities we have in this life!

Enjoy the privilege of learning in Christ!

Bucky