The Fleecing or the Faith?

Calculator, ledgers, lists, pad and pencil, computer, and many, many forms: the basic tools of the taxpayer's trade about mid-April. What a privilege to be a taxpayer again. I'm trying to say that without weeping into my coffee. Jesus told the people to give Caesar his due, in other words to pay their taxes. We may think that our Lord had no idea how big and greedy government would become in our day. Imagine the IRS working on commission. That was the way of the tax collector back in the Roman days. Whatever a tax collector (publicanus) collected over his duty to Rome was his to keep. You might then imagine the temptation to fleece the rich...and then just about everyone else as well. Government-sponsored extortion as a career by people working for an occupying foreign government, do we wonder why the tax collectors were hated?

No doubt when Jesus told the people to render unto Caesar there was some resistance, a little pushback in a few minds. We feel the same when the tax bill cometh. But, what if we do this not simply as civic duty, but as a sign of faith in God's provision? Whether you are the two-months ago type of tax preparer or the not-before-11:59pm-April 15th type, the tax bill probably comes as a burden. If not, then you may have withholding going on from each paycheck. You were taught to share as a child, the government teaches withholding. Go figure...which is just what a lot of taxpayers will be doing today. The taxes may wipe out your savings or dig a new credit card hole for you, but faith reminds that God will restore what the locust has eaten. Today, I kind of like the imagery of the tax collectors as locusts.

Have a faithful day in Christ!

Bucky

Greater is He

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

This world seeks to throw us down, and easily may it do so when you or I try to stand alone. John points out something profound when he gives us the truth in words - the One in us is greater than the prince of this world. John writes with a paternal flair in this and comfort we gain from it. So often we feel like little children as the powers of the world rage at us, pushing the little Christ-one this way and that. Greater is a good thing when we take stock of our resources and strengths, and find that we most surely need a greater power. Greater is also good when that greater power loves and cherishes His little children. We do not serve an indifferent greater power and He cares for us as a father does his little ones.

Often, I think that I am alone in some circumstance. John's verse this morning tells me the truth of it. He who is in me must needs always be with me else God's love would be less than it is. Greater would become lesser for a time and that just ain't the way our Lord is. Praise God for the paternal affection of John in his letters. A paternal affection modeled on the one the apostle saw in his Father, the Lord our God. Little do we understand how constant and 'greater than' the love our Lord Jesus has for us His children.

Bucky

Joy in Christ

The times are tough for everyone, just as they have been since Adam and Eve were expelled from Eden. Yes, there are those who prosper in their way, some through wickedness and others through the blessings of God. We may think he or she or that other person has it easy compared to you and me, but most likely there is something we do not see causing suffering that we cannot know. If not, and that person really is prospering in all his ways, then praise God that someone is! Those who believe in Jesus have something that no amount of prosperity can replace: the joy we have in Christ.

Some days it may be difficult to find that joy due to circumstances in this life of ever increasing faith. Other days, that joy may be front and center jumping up and down clutching happiness to its breast. We will know both kinds of days and all those less extreme types of days in between. This morning, you may be having trouble remembering that last day when joy and happiness danced their dance of praise to God. Look forward to the next one, for there will be at least one more for all of us. In the Revelation, John receives a promise for us: “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” (21:3-4) I think all of us have some former things with us today that we will be overjoyed to see pass away.

Have a joyous day in Christ!

Bucky

When The Time Comes

All creatures want to live; that desire resides in all of us and we struggle with accepting death. Of course there is a reason this subject arrives today. The cat outside was walking funny yesterday and I had to wonder how much longer the poor old kitty (about 14 yrs) can make it. This morning, she cannot walk at all, and the pain of moving is about as obvious as it gets in a cat. I'll make her comfortable as much as I can, but Monday morning we'll go to the vet's clinic. Unless there is something going on that I cannot see that can be easily fixed, it is most likely that the cat's time has come. The feelings are tough with a pet, how much worse when the time comes for a friend, a relative, or a spouse?

Is it any wonder we need Jesus to help us with death? The coming of that time is too painful and frightening for us. Yet, Jesus said that He goes to prepare a place for us. Would He then make it terribly difficult to arrive at that place, or will our Lord bring us gently through that door at the end? I suppose the hardest thing may not be our own departure but having to watch others make their way into that place we cannot see. Suffering of any type is terribly difficult to watch.

Entrust your burdens to Christ and I will too.

Bucky

Grab Yourself a Bit O' The Word

Why can't I think of anything to write about this morning? Too few brain cells active on a Friday morning perhaps? Too many anxious thoughts swirling in the mind maybe? It may well be that I am depending upon myself as is too often the case, and not recalling that Jesus said that we can nothing without Him. I am a dried up branch if I do not remain attached and feeding from the True Vine. To keep this thing going that we call following Christ, I need to grab a bit o' the Word.

Situational awareness leads us to memorize or read passages and verses from the Bible that fit where we are and what is going on at the time. If we are fearful, we might recall the words Paul gave to Timothy, "For God has not given us a spirit of fear but of power and of love and of a sound mind." Your translation may use 'self-control' in place of 'sound mind', but I like the one quoted in this age of anxiety, depression, and other mental illness. That spirit of fear we hear from so often - not given by God, so we are free to fight it, resist it, and denounce it in the name of Jesus.

Feel a spirit of lust invading your peaceful Friday? Look to the psalm where David had to face his sin and repent before the Lord. What? I'm not giving book, chapter, and verse references today? There are 150 psalms to search through, which one are we talking about here? Ah ha, go on a treasure hunt in the Word of God today; you may find many passages and verses that fit the current attack on your faith. I have found that a treasure hunt in the Word produces results far more often than those other kinds of treasure hunts we engage in.

Have a beautiful Friday in Christ Jesus!

Bucky

THE Book to Read

I read a good definition of eternity in the comics this morning: imagine a book that each time you read a page...it gets two pages longer. Now, you only have one book to read, but in which place do you want to spend eternity? Aaaiieee! Do we get to choose the book? I like books, but I also like them to end. A good ending makes a good book into a great read. There is this one good book that we call the good book. It has an awesome beginning full of history, great deeds, and adventure. In the middle is this wonderful peak, perhaps the greatest story ever told. But there is more! This book turns foreshadowing into an art form - all the hints about the future come true in marvelous ways! Want more still? Yes, this book is about life, you, me, what has happened in our great past and a God who loves us. Throughout this book are revelations about our future and a way to have an eternal future in the best of places. Sounds almost too good to be true.

That much we know, for this book pulls no punches when it comes to describing the people who went before us and the condition of us in the here and now. Sin enters the story right near the start and doesn't leave until near the very end. Murderers, rapists, liars, the deceitful and treacherous, and all the worst sorts of people live in these pages and the main character reminds us that we are no better. We have a big bad in this story, a great enemy who stalks us seeking to devour. There is mortal peril that involves eternal condemnation - but also a bright and glorious future eternity just for the admission of sin and belief in a Savior.

Of course you know the book I am referring to and that it is a collection of books of history, prophecy, instruction, law, letters, messages, personal accounts, and God's love. In all our Bible reading and study, we must not miss that last one. God's love is the central theme throughout this great book from Genesis to the Revelation. Jesus said, "Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends." (John 15:13) How does that make you feel dear friend of Jesus?

In Christ,
Bucky

Those Yet To Come

Today may well be the start of that end time with the rapture of the church...or, we may wake up tomorrow and go to work as usual on a Thursday. Generations may yet come to this earth before the Antichrist and the Tribulation and all that begins. Weddings, children, grandchildren and graduations may come to pass before the end times. You and I may be long gone and buried before the day the Lord has set for the return of Christ arrives in all His glory. Like the generation long ago that Paul admonished to get back to work, we may find it easy to quit and wait for the Tribulation. God may tell us in few words or many that our mission is not complete just yet. And it is not such a bad thing to watch the generations come and go while we work.

The Word tells us that the fruit of the womb is a reward from God (Ps 127:3). Jesus told the disciples that in the end days there would be weddings and the many other usual things of life going on right up to the final moments. We yet have time before the final harvest to spread the good news of Jesus Christ. While we do that, we may get married, have children, work at a job, and the many other things that make up our daily life. Nations may rise and fall, rulers come and go, and one or two toe stubs may yet be in store for us in this life. All of us are now hoping that last one isn't true. Toe stubs? What a horrible thought! Where is the joy and love in this message? Alas, all the painful things we hope the rapture of the saints will rescue us from may yet arise in this life. Jesus will see us through!

Have a great day in Christ!
Bucky

Where Do We Go From Here?

Sunday, the big event: Jesus rose from the dead and the tomb was empty. Monday, tell everyone! Tuesday comes and the question must be asked, where do we go from here? There are those days in the Christian life where no instructions arrive to send us to visit a sick person in the hospital, pray for those in need, or sing a hymn of praise. All these can be done, but the express order line from God is quiet and angelic messengers seem to be in short supply. A sort of pause settles over the land of the Christian. The mighty armies of Heaven are not on maneuver, the assault of the evil one hasn't happened or has finished, and we wonder that same question: Where do we go from here?

It may well be that God has you and me positioned just where He wants us for the time being. A day without big events is something many look forward to in their hectic life. We must enjoy it while we have it. Some Christians are on the move this day and would look at us with a bit of envy should we choose to complain. Gratitude for the times and seasons of pause is our loving response to God. We know that the time of moving for the Lord will come in its due time. Perhaps our next move will be the one where we come home to that place Christ has gone to prepare for us. We may also have many a task to accomplish in Christ before that time too. Where do we go from here? Today, the answer may well be that we stay right here. Praise God for His plans!

Bucky

Back To Work

The angel gave a message that the risen Jesus would meet the disciples back in Galilee. (Mark 16:7) In Galilee, the disciples quickly began the work of the old life. Jesus arrived to find Peter and the boys fishing once more. After all the great events in Jerusalem, note how easily they went back to the old life. This is not a condemnation of fishing or any other way of making a living, but a demonstration to us that we need Christ and His Holy Spirit always lest we slip back into that old life.

While our salvation is assured in Christ Jesus, we have a tendency to the ol' backsliding into sin. Every bad habit and addiction shares this tendency. Have a bad day at work and there it is, waiting with open arms to welcome back the former sinner. Stop praying for a few days and Mr. Old Life wants to call you buddy again. Give the word of God naught but a passing glance for a few weeks and the old gang of sins stops in for a welcome back party. So...that means all I have to do is pray and read the word each day and perfect sinless life here I come? That sounds much like the answer the Pharisees found: read the scriptures, obey the rules, walk the narrow path each day, and it doesn't hurt to use the Law and our traditions as a bat to beat folks with eh'? If those pious Pharisees of old had the answer, why was our Lord Jesus so hard on them?

That tendency to sin must be rooted out by the Lord's dear Holy Spirit working in us through a lifetime. His work of sanctification goes on until the Lord Jesus welcomes you and me into His heavenly home. Not one of us can qualify under the Law by our efforts. Avoiding sin is good, doing good works is better, but our hope of sanctification lies right where our salvation does: in Christ alone!

Bucky

Darkness Covered The Land

I am remarkably non-motivated this morning. Imagine then how the disciples following Jesus of Nazareth felt on this particular day with their Lord in the grave. The world and its prince rejoiced; "Savior, what savior?" they may have said as the priests and Pharisees declared their troubles at an end with this man from Galilee. Many persons throughout the ages have noted a strong capacity in humans to do or think what is worst for us. Pilate asked "What is truth?" of the Man who said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life." The very Man who stood before Him at the judgment seat was the truth Pilate sought. The religious leaders who looked for the coming of Messiah demanded that same Roman governor execute the Messiah. On this day, many a doubt probably crossed the mind of all the disciples save the one who took his own life. Darkness of a most unfaithful sort indeed covered the land on this day. Yet, what was that light shining in the darkness?

Of course the very worst thing for our eternal life is to reject the very One who holds victory over Death and the grave in His mighty hands. As the new day dawned on a Sunday, Mary Magdalene found a certain tomb standing open that had held the body of a certain dead Savior. Something had gone very wrong with the plans and partying of the world's powers. John and Peter looked into the tomb and found only empty grave clothes and a folded hat. The Roman guards were fled, and then bribed and ordered to spread a lie. Darkness fought back with its usual methods, but the Light had shined forth from a tomb of all places.

Mary asked a 'gardener' what he had done with her Lord's body. Probably not a question the gardeners of the graveyard district received on a regular basis. One would not expect them to play practical jokes on the recently deceased or their grieving relatives and friends. With earthquakes, darkness at midday to afternoon, torn veils in the temple, believing Romans, and forgiven thieves, a person might expect Mary and the disciples to be ready for what happened. Furthermore, Jesus himself told them He would rise again on the third day. Yet, even with all of that they were caught in that spiritual and mental gloom. We surely have trouble believing what is best for us!

Several times and to many people, Jesus would show himself risen over the next month or so, yet they had trouble believing in the Risen Lord. What if Jesus had showed himself to Pilate late one night a week or so later? Maybe those records were classified by the Roman government and buried in a deep vault somewhere. Our Lord had the opportunity to do some ornery things for a while. Imagine our Risen Lord visiting poor old Caiaphas once or twice a day for a month just to say, "Hey!" Meh, probably wouldn't have worked when even those who were intimate with Jesus had trouble recognizing Him in His risen state. That resurrection must be some change; I look forward to it.

Have a wonderful Resurrection Day in Christ Jesus!

Bucky

A Conflict of Feelings

Snow on the ground, cold in the air, but, but it was just 80-something the other day? Ah, yes, normal weather shifts for the start of spring here on the high plains. On this day though, we must always come back to what our Lord endured: a night without sleep, rushed from court to palace to high priest's house to other places all while bound and standing some sort of false trial. Then, scourging in the Roman manner, striking, crowned with thorns, more pain and suffering and humiliation, before finally carrying at least a stout and heavy wooden crosspiece if not an entire cross to physical collapse, and the ultimate humiliation of death by crucifixion, the worst form of death the old world could invent. Yet, all of that is cause for celebration with us; how can this thing be?

We are caught on every Good Friday with this war of feelings. On the one hand we feel the guilt and shame of what our Lord endured because of our sin. Yet, the cross was a victory of Jesus over death and the grave. By His stripes we are healed and it is through His payment for our sin that we are set free from the law of sin and death. This conflict of feeling is, I believe, exactly what we should feel on this day. We are still in this world and do suffer the curse that sin brought to it, but we also know the relief of laying our sin burden at the foot of the cross. We know more each day of the Truth who is Jesus our Lord, and each day we are set free a bit more on our way to sanctification in Christ. Yet again, each time we sin we feel that awful guilt over what our Lord endured in our place. All on Him.

One day, Christ will end forever this conflict of feelings. Like one final and glorious Resurrection Day, we too will be one with Christ in His glory. No more crying and sorrow and pain as the sin clouds of this earth depart forever. Until that day, ponder on the suffering of our Savior, but also rejoice in what our Lord accomplished on our behalf.

In Christ we live,
Bucky

See Well Enough

My dream of earning a fighter pilot's wings ended early in life when I began to acquire a bookish demeanor. In other words, I got glasses in the second grade. Back in the day, we didn't have options such as Lasik surgery to correct us near sighted folk. If someone stole my glasses and I was found asking a tree to return them, I failed the initial examination for fighter pilot school long before I even knew that the Air Force had eye exams. There simply was no sense in showing up at the Air Force recruiter's office when my peers knew already that they wouldn't let the four-eyed fellow pilot so much as an unmanned target drone. In college, while our fraternity president was being courted by the Navy to fly fighter planes, I decided to give boxing a try one evening.

A few of my pledge brothers got together in the chapter room and someone found two pair of training gloves. Not wanting to be found wanting in the courage (or foolhardiness) department, I took off my glasses and entered the 'ring' with one of the bigger pledges in my class. One might argue these many years later whether I walked into one, stood still too long, or just didn't see it coming, but one good whack ended my boxing career right on the spot. Baseball offered much the same in the way of humiliation for me. When the coach said to see the spin of the ball as soon as you can, I was found saying "Ball?" Corrective lenses never seemed to do enough and setting them aside was dangerous to my health. What is all this coming clear about my vision all about?

Paul said that all of that does not matter. In his first letter to the Corinthians, Paul said: "For now we see through a glass, darkly..." (13:12a) While some may say that means Paul had poor distance vision too, I tend to think the great apostle was telling us how it is here in this life. Even with the Word of God given to us for reading and study, we see poorly what the Bible tells us. We look around at the world but we don't see as we ought through the darkness of sin. It isn't a good or poor vision thing, it's a curse of sin thing. The prophecy of the end time is called a revelation or an unveiling because we need it to see what is coming. However, even with that we have difficulty understanding or seeing well what we face in the Tribulation. Praise God that my Lord Jesus sees all things. Just one more example of my complete dependence Him!

Bucky

The Quick Fix Sounds Good, But...

Good morning! Could Jesus have somehow beamed the knowledge and gifts of the Spirit into His disciples in one day? Probably, but we must wonder if that quick fix method is always the right one. In this world we have many opportunities for the quick fix. God doesn't always grant that to us and we may wonder over it. The question we may want to ask is: What is the Lord developing or growing in us that requires the long, slow method? In either case, slowly or quickly, we have faith in the Lord's sovereign will and wisdom. A good crop of endurance, patience, or self-control may not grow overnight. A tall plant of faith may shoot up overnight, but may only grow strong through years of weathering ever-increasing storms. This life may seem long to us on one day or short on the next, but always Jesus is right here laboring with us. A long train passes slowly while we wait at the crossing, but it carries a big cargo to its destination.

Betcha can guess where the train analogy comes from! We get one or two by here on a morning. Speaking of patient endurance, Jesus waited through days of knowing all that awaited Him during this Easter week. My anxious imaginary fears are more than enough, I cannot imagine what our Lord endured to save us. Praise God that our Lord endured His mission; we live in Christ!

Bucky

The Tower of Thought I Knew So Much

In ancient days, the peoples and rulers built towers of great strength, many of which were built well enough that they stand today. If you read tales of the medieval times or play the role playing games that feature knights and dragons and such, you will be familiar with towers and keeps and castles. In the life of a Christian, especially prior to salvation, we tend to build these strong places in our minds. Today, technically speaking since 3:00am or so is in fact today, I thought of one of those towers of old. The Tower of Thought I Knew So Much is one that my Lord Jesus has thrown down more than once in my life. You may have built similar towers at times like, maybe, the Tower of My Great Strength or the Tower of I'm Gonna Be Rich and Famous just to name a couple that our Lord must throw down to find the lost sheep of His who wandered inside.

We have a bad habit of building these imaginary strong places and then locking ourselves in for an extended stay. Some folks even think that salvation depends upon a strong place like the Castle of Self-Righteousness. A lot of effort and time goes into building these strongholds and they work no better for saving our eternal life than those times when I occupied the Tower of Thought I Knew So Much. Praise God that our Lord Jesus has the siege engines, battering rams, and engineering knowledge to knock down these precious towers of ours. The Lord must be our strong place; His salvation is our refuge.

Go forth, good knight, in Christ Jesus!

Bucky

Easter Week, Hosanna!

The week appeared to begin on a high note. A donkey's colt, palm branches laid down in the entry, and the crowd shouting, "Hosanna!" However, there is a bit of demand in that shout. "Save now!" may come from a different place than the salvation we have been given by our Lord Jesus. The shout may mean to come forth as a conquering savior to chase the occupying legions of the Roman Empire out of the land. The shout may demand the the King of kings ascend His earthly throne right at that moment. The crowd wanted the Savior of the world to do just what they wanted at the time they wanted it. The arrival of a savior means a very different thing to those who believe in Jesus.

We celebrate the arrival of Jesus on Palm Sunday with joy in our hearts. Faith brings to us a Savior in His full might. While the crowds of the time thought Jesus was the way to get what they wanted, Jesus arrived as the Way to reconcile sinful man to God the Father. The occupying power of the day seemed everything the Jews did not want - gentile, pagan, and taxing - but the occupying power Jesus came to redeem us from was (and is) far more diabolical. Like the crowds back in the day, we don't need to get what we want so much as we need to get behind the donkey and find out where the Man named Jesus is leading us.

Have a great Easter Week!

Bucky

What Would Have Been

What a great gift God gives to us by withholding the knowledge of what would have been. I've done it before, most likely you have as well. We look back and think on what would have been if we had just made this decision differently, or spent a bit more time hitting the books in school. Why not imagine a future/present time as Superman if you had eaten Brussels sprouts for every meal? A career as a superhero not looking so palatable now? Yeah, me too.

If we knew the would have beens and might have beens we might truly have cause to despair by this point in life. I would wager that there is not one among us who cannot think of one mistake or sin or, uh, crime, that he or she does not regret from the past. Dickens let his Scrooge character see a tough might-have-been when the Christmas spirit showed poor Ebenezer his former lady love enjoying a rich Christmas celebration with her brood of children. Of course a fiction tale is allowed to do that. We don't know these things and it is dangerous to think on them. God withholds that knowledge for good reason. After we thank God that we do not and cannot know those wouldabeens, we can trust Him for our Now. Yes, the one you and I live in Christ right now.

Tomorrow, we celebrate the anniversary of Jesus entering Jerusalem just before the city turned on Him and demanded the life of their Savior. I enjoy thinking of how our Lord did not have one regret from His life, no could-have-beens, no what-if's, or even a might-have-been. How did the Lord do this? He simply did only and everything that the Father gave Him to do. Hmm, could be there is a lesson in that life!

Have a marvelous Palm Sunday!

Bucky

P.S. And watch out for these things:

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Always the Cornucopia

"But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." (2 Peter 1:5-8)

If I could have but one fruit of the Spirit, I would take... Hmm, just one problem with that, our Lord is a giver beyond any we have known. Love does not come without faith; hope does not arrive without patience; peace steps in the door with godliness. The fruit of the Spirit grows in big bunches of mixed clusters. Peter gives us a plan for our efforts, but there is only one true vine. At our best, we are but fruit tenders helping the Lord to grow and prune the fruit growing by His Spirit within us. Without the seeds planted in our soil by the Holy Spirit, we would not grow anything. Without the sap of Jesus our vine, we would have nothing with which to grow and stand. Not that our efforts are wasted, far be that from our glorious service in Christ!

Adam's job at the start was the tending of Paradise. We may be far from such a nice place as Eden was before sin came, but we too have tending in our job description. Peter's plan is not separate from the Spirit of Christ. When we turned to our Shepherd in that first belief, a cornucopia of spiritual fruit began to grow in us. The main work is done by our Lord, but we have the privilege as Adam did to help with the tending of this brave new garden. "But, but, how do I add godliness to perseverance?" any one of us might ask on this cloudy morning. Praise God all of us gardener sheep have a Shepherd who is the Master Gardener as well. The answer to so many questions in our Christian walk is found in Christ Jesus and in His Word.

Have a wonderful day and a great weekend!

Bucky

He's Coming!

Easter arrives soon, that great celebration of the Lord's resurrection and our great hope in Him. This week doesn't get any named days for Easter, but we know that our Lord was at work healing, teaching, and helping His sheep to live. Even as the little group approached Jerusalem for the final time, a room was being prepared for the Passover. It may be that the owner did not know why he or she was preparing the room. Perhaps no reservation was made, yet somehow the owner knew the room was needed. A rent may have been the hope of someone, but none was taken or for reasons unknown she refused all that came. We can speculate for some time on this, but the room was ready when the Master arrived.

At times, we may not know why we do something or something was done on our behalf, but we must always remember that our Lord is coming again. Even as we wait for that great day, we are being prepared for His arrival. The dear Holy Spirit will not be slack concerning the promise made for the return of Christ. We may not see the preparation going on in a room of our heart, but the Master approaches to fulfill God's perfect timing. Some of us may go to a waiting place prior to the day of our Lord's second coming, many of the saints have done so. Yet, we too will see the coming of the great and awesome day of our Lord.

Be patient, He is coming!

Bucky

A Great Celebration, and We Missed It

Is that rain or snow? In March it may be difficult to tell. Anyway, say there was this great celebration. All the population came and it was without a doubt the greatest celebration to that point in time. The only problem is that we missed it. It gets worse, not only were we absent, but the celebration was about us and centered on each one of us. The guest of honor not invited? Say it isn't so. Well, there is a rightness about that in that not one of us did a thing to earn our celebration. Nope, all the work of salvation that the saints in Heaven celebrated was done by our Lord Jesus. A wonderful celebration, a marvelous party over your salvation or mine, but we got left out.

Praise the Lord! That's the way it goes for every lost sheep that Jesus saves. The first celebration of our new life goes on without us. But who would deny the saints in Heaven their rejoicing? Not I, those who followed Christ before me deserve their celebration, after all they missed their own salvation party just like I did. You wouldn't, for at the time not one of us could say what was going on in Heaven. Likely enough, we were busy praising and thanking God for the salvation Jesus earned on the cross for us. Later, we study the Word and find out that a rejoicing party went on at our salvation. We missed it? Well, maybe not so much as we might think. When we stop to think about it, I believe we feel that rejoicing going on to this day.

Have a rejoicing day in Christ Jesus!

Bucky

A Lifetime Study

Springtime in the Rockies...yeah, I wouldn't know. We live in Colorado, but there are no mountains out here. It should be a law that everywhere in Colorado can see mountains. I guess we'll just have to use some of that mountain-moving faith. Do you suppose Sterling will mind if I drop a mountain or two on them? Okay, probably not the way to show neighborly love.

I have to admire Paul this morning. Imagine if you will a lifetime of study prepared and well underway. Paul had the equivalent of a doctoral education and a good job with the best company. He had a mission and probably a sense of being in the right and on the right path in life. Paul may well have had his eye on a fine home and a marriage into a well-connected family. Then, on an important business trip, his life was turned upside down. Not only was he going the wrong way, but he was doing the wrong things, and he wasn't even right about the things he thought he was right about. A life, religious, and faith crisis arrived in one blinding light.

Oh, but what a turnaround! Paul gave up all that had gone before to gain a life in Christ. His letters to the Gentiles form much of our theology and take up a goodly part of the New Testament of the Bible. From a life well-ordered, Paul moved from place to place preaching the Good News, debating, enduring shipwrecks, snake bites, getting thumped with rocks, sewing tents, serving time in jail, and finally his former mates put him on the Pharisees' most wanted list. Paul, a man born for such a time as that where God placed him.

In Christ,
Bucky

Fear Fear

A good spring morning to you! The art of word play seems to have found a home in the American English. There was that book title Hurt People Hurt People by Sandra D. Wilson. As in, people who have been hurt tend to hurt other people. A couple of fellers back in the day did the Who's on First? skit. No doubt you have examples of your own. However, sometimes the word play isn't funny and doesn't work well. The person who lives fearing fear would be in a pitiable state. Many is the time Jesus said "Don't be afraid." So many are the cases of God's word telling us not to fear, that it has been pointed out that there is one 'do not fear' for every day of the year. Perhaps the idea was that we are to practice no fear for a year.

Advising someone to fear fear is of course terrible advice. There is no advantage in fearing fear. You may wonder about that presidential quote from back in the day. President Franklin D. Roosevelt once said, "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." This came in his inaugural address of 1933 when it seemed that the nation had much to fear. Montaigne, a fellow from the 16th century, said, "The thing I fear most is fear." Of course neither was telling anyone to fear fear. What FDR saw in his lifetime was the panic that caused stock market collapse and the fear that sent stampedes to the banks. We have lived in similar times over the past few years. Fear causes all sorts of pain for others when panic spreads to a mob. For that reason we may well fear fear, but I don't advise anyone to get into that state.

What do we do then about this fear of fear? The same thing we do about fear itself! We obey Jesus. Prayer and faith work wonders over fear. Is it easy? Certainly not, fear seems to be one of our first 'go to' states for anything out of the ordinary. We can easily share fear and spread it like a virus. Which sort of brings us back to the first point. Fear fear, fearing fear, it's all just the devil's way of getting us away from living in Christ. We need the perfect love of Christ to cast out all that fear!

Have a better Monday in the love of Christ Jesus!

Bucky

Peace I Leave With You

The first day of spring. On days when life seems wonderful, we might wonder why Jesus left His peace with us. "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." (John 14:27) War is at hand in the mind and in the world. We may live in a land at peace, or we may enjoy a season of peace in the heart, but war stands ready to engulf us at any time. The day may seem peaceful on the surface, but we have an enemy. The Adversary who came to Eve at the beginning tempts Gods children in the same way today. At the moment we called to Jesus to save us - and He did! - the enemy placed each of us on the world's most hated list.

At the head of this list is of course the name of our Lord and Savior. Our Lord gave us peace that we might have that gift while the world rages about and at us. Daily, we live bombarded by images of sin. Persecution in this land seems directed at the mind and emotions of the Christian. Yet, we also hear news of our brothers and sisters in Christ suffering death and pain in lands far away. A gift of Christ's peace in the heart helps us to live each day with all of this battle going on. Peace of heart helps when sudden bad news comes in its battalions. Not every day is one of bad news and persecution though, but why does a day seem wonderful in the first place? Probably because Jesus gave us His peace.

Have a peaceful day in Christ!

Bucky

Dressing Up For Jesus

A couple of actors through the years have impressed me with their character. This is something we don't often see when looking at them through the characters they play on the screen. The characters they play typically have much less character than the character the actors who impress me have shown. Ouch, quit trying to be clever at this time of the morning! Of course a 'couple' out of the hundreds of actors I have watched in this age of movies and television shows is not a very good batting average. That is not entirely my fault or theirs, we tend to have much more of celebrity mistakes and bad behavior presented to us in the media than their good works and gentle behavior. What we are given to watch or see most of all though is their outward adornment.

Back in the day, Peter the apostle gave some advice directed toward the women of the church. However, these days the adornment is expected of all of us and thus the advice is good for the men too. "Do not let your adornment be merely outward - arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel - "(1 Peter 3:3) Peter called us to work beyond that without setting aside that outward adornment that is so pleasing to the eye. In verse 4, Peter continues, "- rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God." Dressing up for Jesus includes the hidden person we find much more difficult to beautify.

The hidden person does tend to reveal him or her self in our speech and expression. Vicious and cutting remarks, gossip, mean guesses, and all sorts of other hateful things show that the hidden person needs some dressing up, and perhaps a bit of a dressing down so to speak. Fortunately for us, at salvation Jesus sends His dear Holy Spirit into us and He goes right to work on that hidden person, the depths of the heart where evil lurks. We don't fight the battle of the mind alone anymore! While we prepare ourselves for work this morning, let us thank God for His help in dressing up for Jesus.

Have a great and godly day at work today!

Bucky

An Elite Group

The thought came to me of a singular experience in the Bible, that of the transfiguration on the mount.

Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John, and led them up on a high mountain apart by themselves; and He was transfigured before them. His clothes became shining, exceedingly white, like snow, such as no launderer on earth can whiten them. And Elijah appeared to them with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus. Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; and let us make three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah”— because he did not know what to say, for they were greatly afraid. And a cloud came and overshadowed them; and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son. Hear Him!” Suddenly, when they had looked around, they saw no one anymore, but only Jesus with themselves. (Mark 9:2-8)

A great honor for those selected, but perhaps it is time to wonder why. When we are a part of a select group, we might well be champions of the selection process and the status it infers. However, once get left out and we may well grab the protest placards and march with the mob shouting, "Elitist!" Is that the case here? May it be that those not invited to the mount were in fact not ready to see those things revealed that Peter, James, and John saw? Imagine the shame that Andrew or Nathanael would have borne for a hasty exit from a holy place when fear overcame their better sense. What if Thomas had gone up to quell his questions but fainted at the sound of God's voice? These are speculations of course, but we gain the chance to refuse the earthly mob and give unto our friend Jesus the benefit of expecting goodness, mercy, and love in His choosing of only the three disciples. In place of an implied criticism of our Lord, we trust Him with the great qualities we know He demonstrated at all times.

Praise our Lord Jesus for His love on this day!

Bucky

Division of the Chosen

Confusion, desperation, depression, the tools of the enemy are many. You could name several more probably from your personal experience that work to divide God's children one from another. Jesus predicted the time would come when families including His own church family would be divided. We live in that age even now. Peter pictured the Adversary as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8) Today, we might picture our enemy as a troll walking around with a hammer and big crowbar seeking whom he may divide one from another. Churches fall apart for no apparent reason, marriages suddenly turn sour, and families split up right out of the blue. We are under attack and its quite past the time when we should realize it. But of course you did already.

Whether in a company, marriage, family, organization, or church, you likely have felt the pain of division that came as a result of the Adversary's successful attack. A spouse became an ex-spouse, a relationship was broken, or a church split into two or more congregations, all because we are more easily defeated when split away from those we love. Even our very thoughts are easily split from the study of the Word.

How often has your Bible study or prayer been distracted by something? Fairly often I suspect. That too is the assault of the Divider. That division the enemy seeks most of all is to divide you and me from God. But fear not, one of the great passages of scripture comes from our brother Paul who was convinced beyond all doubt that nothing can divide us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. (Read in Romans 8, it's toward the end of the chapter!)

Praise God for His abiding love!

Bucky

Career Advice

Spring approaches with the ending of the week. At this time of the year, as another significant event comes closer for many high school and college seniors, we often take the time to give or seek career advice. Why do we need so much career advice? Most of us can remember how smart we thought we were as high school seniors and how so very certain we were that fame, fortune, or at least a good paycheck awaited us forever and ever, amen. Some very few made the right choice - at least as much as they will ever admit - and never looked back from the career path they set for themselves those many years ago. Some others of us must admit somewhere down the road that we didn't really know a thing about the field we chose and broadcast to the never ending queries, "So, what are you going to do?" Years later, we may still be wondering what the answer is to that particular question.

What career advice does the Word give to us? Remarkable silence. No 1st Century equivalent of the colored parachute? Sorry, there doesn't seem to be a career guide in the Bible. It would surely seem that something so important and that takes up so much of our time would be addressed, but no. John the Baptist gives some advice to people who already had careers. Jesus takes up a new career and then pulls twelve fellows out of their current occupations, but career changes and selections are fairly uncommon. What about that Joseph fellow?

Yes, you could say that Joseph had a major career change: Teenage Joseph went from Daddy's favorite boy, messenger, sometime herdsman, and occasional spy, to slave, steward, and CEO of Egypt, Inc. But at no point did he get to choose which way he would go. David probably thought his career was to watch sheep with occasional chances to be a soldier. Then Samuel showed up one day and anointed him king of Israel. No choice, you're it, young fella! And...we've broached a subject that is just too big for one little devotional.

One bit of career advice Jesus gave goes something like this, "Come, follow Me!" But what does that mean in regard to my career choice?

Bucky

Careful Experimentation

Out of coffee beans again! I mixed the last small measure of fresh ground CO2 decaf dark roast espresso bean (or something like that) with a couple teaspoons of Folgers Decaf this morning. Okay, so it's not exactly like mixing acids and bases at random, sometimes a bit less excitement is called for early in the morning. Did you know that IRS Form 1099-Misc has a blank for "Excess golden parachute payments"? Blank 13 on the form is at least appropriate, but I have to wonder who this morning is looking at a figure in that space and wondering what to do with it. Of course, they can send it to me and I'll see what I can do to help with the disposal of such a heinous thing. By careful experimentation this morning, I have produced a pot of palatable coffee and discovered that some folks live on a different financial planet than I do. The next blank over on the ol' 1099 is "Gross proceeds paid to an attorney". Yes, yes, I can see how the recipient of the one might need to make some gross payments to an attorney.

Enough Saturday morning nonsense! How can we praise the Lord on this fine morning? Well, perhaps with a bit of nonsense. Not all the Christian life must be serious reflection. How can we become as children without some play? At this season of the year we face the seriousness of Ye Olde Taxe Filings, but we also face the coming of spring and the celebration of Easter. There is much to mourn on any given day, and the Lord no doubt hears all about that, but we might also give to Him prayers of joy and thanksgiving. With a bit of careful experimentation, we may find much to be joyful over in this life. A short blessing inventory may give us ample reason for giving thanks to God. Life is tough here, but we don't always have to come to the Lord with tales of doom and woe.

Have a better Saturday with a little joy and thanksgiving!

Bucky

Unrealized Dreams

Dreams of this life may well be for us like treasure piled up on this earth. Wealth, fame, power, and accomplishment dreams often go unrealized in this life of ours. Even in those award shows that come each year there is only room for just a very few winners. Many other dreams must be left behind that year or shelved until the next time. We only elect a president every four years; kings and queens last a lifetime, and we haven't seen an emperor for quite a while (probably a good thing). The wealthy are known as the 1% with good reason, as in 99% of us aren't. Many who live in what seem to us positions of power actually live in frustration for what they cannot accomplish. However, there is another kind of dream that seems unrealized to us right now.

Jesus left to prepare a place for us in His Father's house. Right now, that dream seems unrealized, but our great hope is in Christ. The world appears gone to the dogs, up in smoke, gone wholesale higgly-piggly, or whatever expression you like to use. We long for the return of Christ to set the world right, another unrealized dream...just for now. Again, our great hope is in Christ, not like the unbelievers with their hope in the perfidy (deceitfulness, untrustworthiness) and blind luck of this world. The greatest tragedy may well be to gain all this world has to give, and to miss out on the great hope we have in Christ Jesus. Hmm, I believe my Lord said something very like that, "What profiteth a man..."

Enjoy a wonderful Friday in Christ!

Bucky

Mayhap It's Only a Problem When We Make It So

Last week I could write about the sunrise at this time; this week, just a note about the darkness before the dawn. A weak attempt to be literary maybe, but I think I'm just half asleep. The problems of this week may only be problems because we worry them to a frazzle. Of course, the problems never become frazzled, it is us the worriers who become frazzled. True, there are some problems that only become mountains when we worry over them. However, events like the twice-yearly time changes do have physical symptoms for us. Some would have us believe that some problems only exist in our minds, and they would be correct, but that does not mean that it is less of a problem. Whether the mountain to climb exists in the mind, the spirit, or the body, we still climb it with our Lord.

Everyone who believes in Christ gets his or her share of trials, tribulations, mountains and molehills. Some problems are small and some are true mountains that require faith, endurance, patience and the strength that only Christ can give us. The true mountains highlight our weakness and bring glory to God through His magnificent strength and provision. For some of us, our biggest mountains are in the past. For others, we are on the slope right now, perhaps even facing what seems an impassable cliff. Jesus may tell us to be wise and find a way around that cliff. He may tell us to be strong and go straight up. Our Lord may even go first and haul us up at the end of a line. Just maybe, our sweet Lord may show us a set of stairs He carved in that seemingly impassable cliff a long time before we were born.

Face those problems today in prayer and the Word!

Bucky

Proper Soil

As we begin our installment of the gardening blog this morning, I'll have you know that I have a little expertise, so little that I'm not even sure how to spell the word, and no formal training in the gardening arts. However, be that as it may, I feel well prepared to make sweeping and pontifical statements about the matter at hand. Every plant needs the proper soil to grow and produce its fruits. Some plants, such as the asparagus officinalis, grow nearly anywhere and are quite impossible to eradicate. These are properly called 'weeds'. Others, such as the succulent, lovely, tasty, and altogether desirable fruits that a person really wants are as difficult to grow as the weeds are to destroy. Without the proper soil base only weeds grow and mature...over and over again. The best way to overcome all of this in our area is of course to level the soil in the gardening plot, and then build a greenhouse on top of it where the proper soils can be imported into raised boxes and irrigated by a drip system.

Okay, that's it for the gardening blog. Sort of. Gardening or farming works quite well as metaphor and analogy for the Christian life. Weeds stand for sin so well because they are related from the start, that is Genesis and the fall of Adam. The more difficult things to cultivate, love, hope, peace, patience, and the other fruits of the Spirit grow in us seemingly like that fruit tree that refuses year after year to produce much of a crop. So many factors go into a successful garden that we cannot but help make the comparison with how difficult it is to be like Jesus. Fail to read the Word on a regular basis and it is like trying to grow a good plant in bad soil. No prayer or Christian fellowship and we are like that plant trying to grow without watering, a method I have experimented with from time to time in my gardens. Constant weeding is necessary in life to keep the little sins from growing into large 'weeds' requiring heavy tools and intervention to remove. On and on they roll; is it any wonder Jesus used farming a lot in His lessons?

Have a great spring, or almost spring, as we grow in Christ!

Bucky

Why So Many Boats?

Big ships, narrow ships, fast or slow, barges, barques, powerboats, sailing vessels, fishing boats, bass boats or tugs, and so many more that we might be here all day were I to attempt listing them all. In the days of sailing vessels, the master builders attempted with every type and revision to find that perfect ship which could skim the waves with the slightest breeze, while of course carrying tons of cargo and sporting at least defensive weapons and their heavy cannon balls. By this point, one might think that us clever humans would have the matter of sailing the oceans conquered, but alas, a tug cannot do what an oil tanker does; a battleship does not carry enough cargo to make it cost effective as a freighter, and if fire should break out on board, one could quite understandably be disappointed should the Coast Guard send out a ferry. We do not have that one do-everything-really- well ship that we seek. Of course the same can be said of Christians.

God has sent His Son to find sheep who are of so many different types and colors that we might well wonder who among us is that perfect Christian. While we fall to arguing over various means and methods for obeying the Great Commission, God might well say, "All of 'em, of course!" God has made the preacher to preach, the singer to sing, and the writer to write. (Yup, even the ones who only think we can.) Each of us has God's work to do, but not all of our work is the same. As followers of Christ though, all of our work does belong to Him.

Rejoice in the Lord this day!

Bucky

The Reward After the Valley

A hint of spring in the forecast this week and that is what March usually brings. Now, who do you suppose will feel more blessed with the arrival of spring this year, those of us who have enjoyed a fairly mild winter or those who have endured a more epic sort of winter? Those who enjoy a well-rewarded life here may well miss out on the glories of Christ's Heaven. Little can we be satisfied for long with homes here on earth, but those built for us in Heaven by our Lord will satisfy the deepest longings for home we hold in our dear little hearts. The trials we face here prepare us well for the reward of Heaven. Of course the saddest circumstance would be to endure a life of trial and difficulty with no hope of Heaven.

Life here may seem at times like a constant journey through the valley of death's shadow - funny how the spring time change brings that out every year. Yet, rather would we walk through that valley daily with Jesus than to have no hope of living with Him forever in Heaven. Jesus gave us a great promise; one filled with hope and joy for those who will believe. “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you." (John 14:1-2) I'll bet there are no spring time changes there.

Enjoy the morning in Christ!

Bucky

Knowing All About Him

So, after yesterday's devotional, you are wondering that maybe I have gone right off the cliff's edge and fallen into the deep end of the moat. Ha, I've got you there; cliffs don't have moats. The question that comes from a claim of knowing Jesus our Good Shepherd is: How can a mere man know all about the Lord? I'll admit first that I don't even know all about me. And I certainly cannot know all about you. In attempting to know anyone it is helpful to have a biography. Hmm, it seems that we have something along those lines called the Bible. What does this Bible tell us about Him?

We know from the gospels about His birth, death, and resurrection. Most obituaries will have the first two, but I haven't seen very many with that last one. We may be on to someone special here. Revelation 1:8 tell us “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,” says the Lord, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” Whoa! The remainder of scripture in the Bible tells us much more. The life and person of Jesus is probably the most open and well-known story we have to read. Does that mean I can know all about Him?

Though any of us can read John 1:3, "All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made." That does not mean that we were there to see or to understand how He made all things. As God, Jesus is indeed beyond our limited comprehension. As a man, we know much about the life He lived because we live it each day. All our weaknesses and temptations Jesus knew and lived. The triumphs and joys we meet in this life, how short they are and how fleeting, Jesus knew that too. Like all who believe, we want to meet Jesus in person one day and spend a lot of time getting to know Him more. How will He do that with a million billion people in Heaven? I don't know, but I surely do look forward to finding out!

Have a wonderful Friday in Christ!

Bucky

Stand Firm in Who You Know

Job seekers learn quickly the old adage: it's not what you know, but who you know that lands the job. Then the starry-eyed little job hunters are shuffled off to a class where they will learn how to put down what they know on a resume. It's just one of the myriad ways in which the world tortures its own. If a well-qualified job candidate were to present a resume listing every person, famous or not, that he or she knew, it would look presumptuous and not pertinent to the position. Gee, if I try a little harder, I can use every 'p' word I know in just one sentence!

Well, Christian, you know someone whose name makes the demons tremble in their subterranean lairs. "But, who really knows Jesus?" you may be tempted to ask. Perhaps we know more than we think. Jesus has a verse for those of us who doubt our knowledge of Him: "I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own." (John 10:14) As is often the case we have little trouble accepting the first bit. After all, Jesus is God's Son and knows all. We're okay there, but suddenly we run into the rest of the story, as Paul Harvey used to say. Jesus said that we, His sheep, know the Good Shepherd. We claim the name of Christ in calling ourselves Christian, yet we doubt that thing He said about being known by His own? Too true! Of course we know where doubts come from. Probably better that we learn to trust the statements of our Good Shepherd, dear fellow sheeps, and force aside those flaming darts of doubt from the enemy.

Enjoy a great new day in Christ Jesus!

Bucky

Attending To His Needs

Good morning on this lovely white morning! Snow covers the ground like a blanket of the purest white. Now let's attend to the mundane like the Bible. Don't believe me? "So he came to the sheepfolds by the road, where there was a cave; and Saul went in to attend to his needs. (David and his men were staying in the recesses of the cave.)" (1 Samuel 24:3) There you have it: the basest human function documented in the Bible. It seems that the first king of Israel liked a little privacy when he attended to his needs. Unfortunately, he was also given to not paying attention much while doing so. Perhaps King Saul liked to peruse the latest copy of Jerusalem Weekly while attending to his needs. As we know from the rest of the story, David was able to sneak up on Saul and cut off a bit of the royal robes. Of course the basest of human needs isn't the point of the story or the moral of the parable.

Lessons abound from this story. Think you are down and out in life? David and his men had to hide out in the royal toilet...and he was already anointed king! Don't see your life going anywhere at the moment? An entire army had to wait on the road because the king needed a potty break. Of course, we usually learn the important lesson of wisdom and restraint from this tale. David did not take the opportunity to win his throne by murder, even when his followers urged him to do so. In the same way, Jesus our Lord did not always do those things His brothers and disciples at times urged Him to do. Sometimes the leader is in the lonely position of not doing that thing the disciples think is right at the time.

Stand strong in Christ today!

Bucky

Is it Good or Bad Outside Today?

Blessings on this cold, blustery, snowy day. Yeah, right, what sort of loony associates weather like this and blessings? We don't know how good we have it. Changing of the mind comes fairly easily when we look at the Revelation and see things like 100-lb hailstones, 1/3 of the sun darkened, and water turned to blood. While we complain a bit about the weather now, we know that things will be really bad near the end. On the other hand, we have some idea of how much better circumstances could be too. However, I'm not sure that I know how very wonderful God could make it at any time or what the Lord has in store for us for eternity.

What does a new Earth mean? Much of what I can imagine is but an extension of now. A bit more snow one day, a little less on another. No more of that earth shaking and quaking thing. Volcanoes should behave themselves and hurricanes should use only gentle breezes and soft rains. Tornadoes of course are just plain banned from my imaginary, perfect world. If the heavens declare the glory of God now, what wonders await on that new earth and in the new heavens? As Paul wrote in his letter to the Corinthians:

But as it is written:
“Eye has not seen, nor ear heard,
Nor have entered into the heart of man
The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” (2:9)

In Christ,
Bucky

It's a Creation!

Dear Christ-ones, what a glorious day in the Lord Jesus! Some in this world would have us to believe that God used sleight of hand to pull the universe out of some cosmic hat. In this age, it is so easy for us to lose our sense of wonder in what God has created for His pleasure. Created in the image of God, man creates many useful and beautiful things. However, this should not take away that sense of wonder we had as children for God's creation. The great psalmist, David, wrote "The heavens declare the glory of God!" (19:1) Stars sing in the Bible (Job 38:7), but can we hear them today? Do we take the time to listen?

I know the story: If God would just let me have that house out in the country with this thing, and that much land, and this amenity, and so on, then, then I would listen to the music of the stars in the silence of my country estate. Yes, I have felt the same siren call, and a nice place it would be to share with friends and family. Would that get us in the listening position though? Would God hear more prayer and get to enjoy more of our attention? More likely would be additional time at work, more time getting to and from work, more cares and more responsibility, and where would the time to enjoy God's handiwork be left?

Today, we enjoy our Lord's works,
Bucky

Cleaning Day

Saturday in life is not a day off. Not that I haven't taken a few of them off, but the Lord tells us of six days of labor in His word. If Sunday is the day we honor the Sabbath by resting, then Saturday must be a day of labor. This does not mean that you must go into work and give the boss a day of your labor for free. Homes, cars, and even families require maintenance and cleaning. Today can be a cleaning day for us, or perhaps a day of volunteering at a local charity or other good works. Attending your child's sports event probably requires a good bit of labor. Of course labor does not necessarily involve physical exertion in this age. Perhaps we are missing something in that though. Is it possible that men should leave the offices and cubicles and go back to the fields and lands to labor? Maybe, but at a certain age that sort of thing becomes less appealing as our ability to perform wanes. I at least would need a training program of some sort before attempting a long day under the sun at hard labor.

Why so much talk, er, writing about labor this morning? I think I will clean my home today. Winter firmly holds spring at bay across much of our continent, but I feel the mood for a spring cleaning today. I pray that my strength and endurance are in line with what my spirit is willing to accomplish this day. Yes, easy to say what I will accomplish before the work begins!

Praise God for the strength to get started on this Saturday!

Bucky

The Transient Place

Ah, Friday, the day of anticipation for the weekend. So, why do I feel sort of waiting, kind of peaceful, but also a little down; no forward motion, but yet nothing held in check either? Feelings of this type are certainly nothing to guide life by. However, we do come to moments of waiting in a transient place. Tomorrow may bring that great challenge. Tonight may see the bursting forth of that new mission for Christ. Today, life seems on hold. Another work day, a few duties to perform, and the normal chores are all that life appears to offer on this day. Rejoice! God has brought us here, and this is the day the Lord has made, we will rejoice and be glad in it.

Life cannot be easily solved each hour, as we see on those television shows we watch. We cannot make spring arrive today or force God to action when He would have us be still. Saturday will not come any sooner by wishing it so, Sunday arrives in its own good time. The day of our Lord's return cannot be advanced by me or you. Today is what we are given let us rejoice in it, especially when no storms are breaking and no alarms are sounding off. Enjoy a day of peace as God provides.

Hallelujah for the day God has given us!

Bucky

Such a Rebel

The up-and-coming model claims she doesn't like to be told what to do. No surprise there, diva-like behavior is often associated with models and other celebrities. But that isn't the reason we aren't surprised; we too have the rebellion in us. Few people like to be told what to do. This is why surrender to Christ is so important for salvation and sanctification. Once the Serpent mucked things up between the Man and God we all went for a ride on the rebellion train. Where there had been a loving relationship, now the Man and his woman hid in trees and covered their shame. The fruits of that rebellion gave us the first murder in short order, then all the other first sins. Sacrifices for sin, punishment by death, a world-ending flood, but no, none could stop the rebellion for long. God gave His good and perfect law, but that couldn't stop the rebellion. Prophets, kings and teachers came with words of hope and warning, but no, the rebellion continued.

Finally, after an entire Old Testament of rebellion, Jesus told a teacher that he must start over, completely over, as in a rebirth. Learning couldn't do it, wealth and giving were not enough, even obedience to the Law could not change the basic rebel heart deep down in each of us. So, God sent His only Son to give us a chance to be reborn. A start over that we long for, but not in the way we usually imagine it. No going back to an age of our choosing with the knowledge we have gained since that time. No restart in business with our youth and strength intact. Instead, God provided a gift of the Holy Spirit to change that heart within, a gift of mercy for our sins, and a gift of grace paid for by Jesus on the Cross. Our restart is more like a seed that must push up the new growth through layers of filth and decay. That old rebellion tries to grab the new plant and choke it out. The world doesn't like to lose one of its own. Praise God for the cleansing, healing power of our Lord Jesus Christ!

Let that old rebel die a bit more today, Jesus is coming!

Bucky

The Death Pledge

Sounds very sinister, no? The origin of the commonly used term, mortgage, is from the old French legal term for death pledge. I guess back in the day buying a property in France really was a 'til death do us part sort of thing. So, speaking of that, is this what a Christian does when giving his or her life to Christ, a death pledge? Doesn't seem quite right, does it? For one thing, we would be like that person who walks into the real estate office to mortgage the most expensive property, but has no money or means to pay off his 'death pledge'. The person might further be sent to his or her banker to determine the life's worth, only to hear, as most of us would, a depressingly low figure tallied up for what our life is supposedly worth. No means to pay, and our 'death pledge' is judged insufficient even to purchase an earthly home. How could a life here possibly pay for that which we desire, a home in Heaven?

We know of course that Jesus paid the price and went to prepare a home for us in Heaven. We can no more pay for that heavenly home than we could hope to buy every house on this planet. Our earthly fortune is unclean, our good deeds counted as dirty rags, and with Paul we account our former accomplishments as refuse for the trash pile. We don't attempt a 'death pledge' we pledge our lives to Christ. Without the price Jesus paid for us on the cross, we know that even our life pledge would be judged unworthy. However, Jesus made our lives of incalculable value by purchasing us at the cross.

We don't buy our place in Heaven, Jesus will return and take us there when that place is fully prepared; no charge and no mortgage. What we can by no means afford, God's love bought for us at Calvary. Why does our Lord do this for us? Simple, He wants us there with Him forever. What a glorious Lord we have in Christ Jesus!

In Christ,
Bucky

An Obvious Mutiny

Three of those atomic clocks grace my home, and this morning one of them staged a mutiny. I woke up to find the clock on the north wall 2 hours ahead of the others. Other than that momentary look of surprise and panic on my face, I cannot see a good reason for this mutiny. Of course, I had to then conduct a poll among the other clocks in the house to make sure I hadn't lost 2 hours somewhere. With nearly every other clock in agreement, we had a rather obvious mutiny in the ranks. I use 'nearly' as there is one clock I failed to fall back, but that problem will be corrected soon. In the first chapters of the Bible, God ran into an obvious mutiny too.

As the Lord arrived for an evening walk with His favorite gardener, He found the man hiding in the trees. The Lord asks the natural question, "Where are you?" The Man proceeds to the next step in that parent-child relationship that continues to this day. It is interesting that from the moment their eyes were opened, the man and woman began hiding things. What the Lord had created and saw that it was good, now felt bad. What the Lord created as innocent and pure, now felt ashamed to face the Creator. Nothing can be hidden from God, but Adam and Eve tried to hide. When found out, Adam the Man blamed Eve. Eve in turn pointed the finger of blame at the Serpent. Notice that the Serpent was not questioned by God. The obvious mutiny was traced to the obvious source.

Does that mean we get to blame everything sinful on the Devil? Sorry, we are responsible for the decision to sin. Our obvious mutiny and every sin must look one and all like that very first one back in the Garden of Eden. We try to hide it, then we try to blame someone else; we have no good excuse, and if it weren't so tragic it would be funny. If we could but see how silly and childish we look trying to hide our mutiny from the God who sees all things, we might just choose another route next time. But, we don't and even cannot in our own strength. So, we come as Paul did to the point of offering up our weakness to God. It seems a strange thing to do, but then again, we are the ones trying to hide in the trees.

Have a great new day in Christ Jesus!
Bucky

Chasing Your Tail

By the time the latest investment trick comes along and someone publishes a book telling how to get rich using it, it is too late for people like you and me. While the person who did the trick gets another fortune from the book, we find out that it isn't a trick if everyone is doing it. The world is quite skilled at making us chase our tails in that way. However, amongst all that whooshing noise of people chasing their tails, we may well hear the still small voice of God telling us something that does work and to get to work on it.

Not every method in this madness is a trick, but discerning the kernel of good work from the chaff of tricks can be quite daunting. What does God send to help us with this discernment? We can calm our emotional reaction over the latest thing by asking a few questions: Is it obedient to scripture? Is it faithful in the small things? Is it loving my neighbor? And one that always requires prayer it seems: does it glorify God or is it only for my glory? I, for one, find it easy to come up with ideas for glorifying myself. A lot of fantasies seem to end that way in my daydreams. Prayer and fasting help to separate the chaff from the good works too. The counsel of righteous brothers and sisters in Christ also helps us to calm the doubts, banish the fears, and throw out the chaff of fantasy in our business dealings and life in general.

Following Christ is a sure thing; chasing the tail is so exhausting!

Bucky

Spam and Salvation Without The Savior

An instant lottery winner? Alrighty! The lottery is so instant that I didn't even know that I had entered. Spam can be fun when you are in on the joke. However, fall for it for just a moment and click on one of those links... then doom and destruction follow as surely as the fool said, "I can save myself!" The world offers up a great many little salvations. Save up enough loot and surely the person is safe in life. Accumulate enough power and surely the wealth necessary to save this life will follow. Work hard and acquire enough skill and surely power will follow dragging the inevitable wealth with it. Big deep breath. Work hard, gather a lucky break, become famous, influence millions and surely the power and wealth will come to save this life and make a mark on eternity. None of that works for eternal life!

The wealthy, powerful, and famous of yesteryear are all gone to the grave. Those who died without the hope of Jesus are gone forever. How awful! What effort went into that life only to see the body dumped in a hole in the ground? How many gained everything but that lucky break then ended their one given life in despair? What became of that person when power crumbled under rebellion, accumulated wealth disappeared in a financial crises, or fame found that no one in the far country cared? We must have something better stored up for eternity, preferably kept safe where thieves cannot break in and steal or rust destroy.

Spam and salvation without the Savior are pretty much the same amount of useless. Jesus said that He alone was the way to the Father, who gives eternal life. All attempts to save myself will end in that hole in the ground. All accumulations of earthly treasure will end when you leave this life. But we have our hope in Christ Jesus, and that treasure cannot be stolen, disappear, or be lost. Eternal life is ours in Christ the Lord! We don't need to leave our name on things that will crumble and fall, for our name is held safe in the Lamb's Book of Life. Jesus said, "The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. (John 10:10) More abundant life, therein is our hope in Christ. Reject the thief; live in the Savior!

Have a great Saturday in Christ Jesus!
Bucky

Wait, The Powerboat Speaks

We don't all move at the same speed. When it comes to quiet time, some of us need more and others less. I don't have to change the person who loves to be busy. The Christian who seems to constantly move at a 'hundred miles an hour' doesn't need to speed me up. Jesus didn't command us to change everybody to what we think is best, but to "love your neighbor as yourself." Obedience to that command gives us two reasons to avoid envy of our neighbor's condition or circumstance. Loving your neighbor makes one glad for who he is and what he has. Loving yourself means that you don't need to become him or covet his stuff. In the same way, Christians who are very different in their approach to life come together to form the Church, the bride of Christ.

The powerboat and the sailing vessel strive toward the same harbor. We all want to see Jesus and enter into His eternal kingdom. However, the boats make different speeds at different times. There are those times when the wind is fair astern and the boats could, it seems, be lashed together. This may not be well as then neither vessel can do what it does best. Could they not complement each other, or help the other in some way? Sure, but it would take cooperation, mutual respect, love, and a master sailor to be in charge. Ah...I suppose we have hit upon the way Jesus will bring all these very different vessels of ours into that one eternal harbor. Love and the Master, a sure way for us all to arrive safely.

Let Christ Jesus lead the way!
Bucky

The Advantage of Wooden Ships

The old days of wooden sailing vessels bring back fond memories of salt air and slow delivery. An order from the back of a cereal box involved the ancient art of waiting 4-6 weeks for your parcel to arrive; probably to give them time to make the ship. Actually, the advantage of sailing vessels that came to mind this morning was the day of no wind. A becalmed sailing ship could make no progress save where an ocean current might lead. The master of the ship might have sailors swab the decks a few times, take a swim if any were so inclined, or mend some gear, but eventually the crew came to the point of nothing to do. Today, we avoid this with all our might through entertainment, study, exercise, work, and other tasks of a busy nature. The advantage they had back in that day was in an enforced nothing at times.

In this age, we have to imagine say a week off work combined with a week-long power outage...and some sorry jerk broke in and swiped all the batteries, even the ones in the devices. The car keys are missing, the truck won't start, and the phone is dead. We have quite a few potential distractions to quiet time! Nothing to do looms before us, boredom, ennui, oh, the dreadful quiet! A day of nothing to do might just force us to get alone with God and listen for His still, small voice the prophet heard way back in biblical times. Why should we be forced to this extreme? Well, because we tend toward the busy so much, as though quiet is the name of a monster chasing us to our death by work. A bit of enforced quiet time brings the Christ-one closer to the Lord.

Have a beautiful day in Christ Jesus!
Bucky

Ah, Lent, Why Am I Worried Over Thee?

Build a large and lengthy obstacle course, and inevitably someone will complete it and feel pretty good about themselves. That's all well and fine if it is just for physical exercise, but what happens if a religion does that on a spiritual level? Construct plenty of monuments, command enough ceremony, set aside enough holy days, build an educational ladder of duties and classes, then grant levels to attain like a video game, and you may have the Pharisees beat for a self-saving sort of religious exercise. Lent or any other religious duty is not bad of itself when used properly, but one must take care to not give the impression there is any other way to salvation than Jesus Christ.

Too many religious exercises, and a person may fall into the trap of thinking that he alone accomplished his goodness. Much like the wealthy fellow who sees no need for God in this life, the self-righteous may see a strict training regimen as a way to save the self without the Savior. Our churches and even small study groups should not help to foster such a self-centered belief. With good reason Jesus said that He is THE way in John 14:6. Nicodemus could not birth himself again - or even the first time for that matter - and no one can save him- or herself. We need our Savior, and praise God we need Him every moment of each day.

Have a wonderful Wednesday in Christ!
Bucky

The Spiritual Right Cross

Nicodemus came to Jesus seeking, but he definitely didn't know what he was getting. Before the man could begin asking the questions, he got an answer that laid poor Nico out like he'd been hit with a spiritual right cross. "Be born again?" he sputtered, "How can a man enter into his mother and be born twice?" John 3 tells one of the great stories of the Bible. Jesus met with the teacher of the Jews who tried to tell what he knew: "We know that you are..." Jesus told the man to start over his entire life by being born again. Yeeowee! What a spiritual smack down our Lord could lay on a person. Well, of course He could, but never in anything but love did our Lord use that power.

Highly educated, honored among his people, and a ruler of the Jews, Nicodemus fit the bill for what the world might call a 'good' man. Yet, Jesus from the very start did not buy into the 'we know that you are' bit from Nicodemus. Instead, Jesus began teaching that teacher until Nicodemus was left speechless and learning. The Bible does not say that Nicodemus was saved at the moment after he asked, "How can these things be?" However we know from later references that the man came to believe in and honor Jesus, even to the point of risking all by preparing the body of Christ for burial with Joseph of Arimathea.

May God bring us to the point of learning from His Son often in these end days.

Bucky

To Judge or Discern

A couple of president's are celebrated this day. One who ran a large plantation with slaves, and one who set all of the slaves free. Of course, no president has been or is the perfect man. We can dig up something in each presidential life that is probably not to our liking as judges. Oops, isn't that judging thing what Jesus told us not to do? Ah, but we are also to discern and be wise. Judging levies a sentence on the accused: discernment sees the fruit and notes the soundness or rottenness of it. For too long Christians failed to say anything in order that we didn't judge, and a few rotten fruits fell into the crate of society.

We live in an age of unparalleled information. In this age, there is something else going on too: Christians gathering in prayer for our government and our nation. The rotten fruits may be in the shipping crate already, but we can pray for God to send a cure. Many a formerly 'rotten' man or woman has come to believe in Jesus and received the healing from within, right where all that rottenness lurks. The healing power of Christ works on all that bad fruit, and it is not too late for prayer and the power of our Lord.

Well, someone on the media waves said that the cold and flu season was winding down last week. I guess that means that it still retains enough punch to wind a fellow right down. I was out of it from Thursday night until sometime yesterday, and the aftereffects linger yet awhile. Praise God for the body's defenses, and for the noble sacrifice of many Kleenexes.

In Christ,
Bucky

We Need a Strong Leader

"We need/want a strong leader," so say many in this world according to polls conducted in many nations. Who then is stronger than the Most High God? We wonder in this age if God is not given only to work through our hands and feet. Many ask, "Where is He?" However, as a believer in Christ, I'm thinking that God does as He pleases, just as He has since the beginning. In Psalm 33, the word tells us, "The LORD brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; He makes the plans of the peoples of no effect." (v10) Then, to remind us of who does hold the strength and power, verse 11 states, "The counsel of the LORD stands forever, the plans of His heart to all generations." The word of the LORD shows the strength we already have in a leader, why is it that so many desire more?

Of course, our human leaders are much like us. As we learn of our weakness, we desire a leader who is all that we are not. All that I am not? Yikes! What an awful burden to place on a poor human leader. We have the privilege in this nation of complaining about our president, and complain we do! With our prominent place in the world, many others feel the need to complain about our leader too. Fortunately, none of us are able to solve all the world's problems, and we must come in prayer to the One who saves.

We will have that strong, perfect leader one day. Jesus will sit on His throne and judge between the nations. Until that day, expect a lot of leaders in the world who give us plenty to complain about. The very things that go into a strong leader these days tend to make him or her a celebrity, which in turn brings pride, and we know what comes after that. Well, at least we should know. The biblical version is: "Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall." (Prov 16:18) We tend to hear the shortened version a lot, but the result is similar.

Have a better day in Christ,
Bucky

Remember the Night

Good morning! Time moves on and the sun rises. The desperate prayers in the darkness are forgotten and self begins the day in its own strength. While it doesn't do for the Christian to dwell on the past overmuch, it does well for us to remember the strength and consistency of our prayers during those tough times of darkness. We did not easily forget our Sovereign Lord when the fear in the dark brought us near to tears so powerful did it seem. Self did not feel so strong then! We did not cease from prayer when the forces of the world gathered against us. We do not live only in the darkness, but it does us well to recall the night at times when life is easier and we pray somewhat less often.

Jesus our Lord often drew apart to pray in the night while the disciples slept. As a man who walked the earth without fear, what we feel in the dark is not His reason for coming to the Father in prayer. We too should look up and pray in those times when we are fearless and strong. We may not feel the need as we do in the darkness, but let those times of adversity teach us consistency in our prayer life. Share with God the good times in life. Celebrate with the Lord when things and circumstances seem high on the mountaintop. Need a reminder at such times? Recall the night when the Lord crossed the darkness of death's shadow firmly guiding you and me through that dreadful time. Remind the Lord that He promised never to leave us, even when all seems well in life.

Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, Rejoice! (Phil 4:4)

Bucky

Presenting My Success

In the days of my unbelief, I had the answers for Jesus. He wasn't asking any questions from the likes of me, and I certainly couldn't explain to the Creator's Son how to go about His business. On the other hand, when it came to salvation, I thought I had the answers for Him. Jesus is the Savior, He is all about the business of saving the nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, but little ol' me thought the answer was in how good I was...or could be with just the right circumstances involving education, wealth, job, etc. Sometimes, I even presented the makings of my success to the Son of Man, and told Him in prayer how to best go about making me good and successful. How else to save myself but to be so good that God had to let me into Heaven? Then faith knocked on the door of my heart.

Jesus, it seems, will not accept the dirty rags of human goodness. No matter how sweet or lovely (in human terms) I tried to make the package, Jesus wanted to save me in His way. Once the Holy Spirit brought me to the point of belief in Christ Jesus, then the old rags of my goodness looked pretty much the way the Bible writers said: dirty, ugly, foul, and worthless. I realized, at last, that for Jesus to be The Way, then all of life, love, salvation, goodness, and righteousness must be His way too. I cannot place Christ in a box and present Him to God as my success. He must present me to the Father as His success. Only Jesus' way will work; presenting my success is a sure way to offer nothing of value.

Have a wonderful day in Christ Jesus!

Bucky

The Monday Morning Superhero

In the comic book days of yore, or maybe that was the days of mine, the superhero sprung from bed or whatever and went speeding to the rescue. Seldom did a comic book superhero fail to answer the call to come help. Superman's day job not only allowed him the necessities of life in the big city, but also the freedom to take off whenever needed to attend to the big bad causing so much trouble. We all want to be like the big guy, but even the super fellow had his one weakness.

As I recall, if a chunk of his home planet, Krypton, came near him, he would have but the strength of a normal man. How horrible! To be reduced to what every other man must depend on each day, oh, the tragedy, the utter horror and despair that must consume the poor less-than-super man! As I grew older and away from the comic books, I had only what strength God gave me to face the day. And, I grew to have less sympathy for the comic book superhero and more for the Monday morning superhero.

This hero gathers up what seems a rather sparing provision of strength and praises God that it was just enough for this morning. The big bad may not spew flames and toss buildings around for this hero, getting to work might take all she has on this particular day. The kids spring out of bed, but for these heroic parents the bedspring failed to fire (or worse, it seems to have fired all night long). We know the day and we know that feeling. It doesn't happen all the time, and a big praise to God for that, but on those days when it does the struggle seems that much heavier for us. We know that God provides just enough strength on some mornings, but it feels like just less than enough.

Praise God that feeling falls to such small things on most days. A bit of breakfast, singing a song of praise to God, a little time in the Word, and we are ready to go for the day. Going over our memory verses during a morning stroll defeats the feeling too. Get up and have a godly day in Christ Jesus!

Bucky

God's Word of Love and Delight

Once, or maybe twice or thrice, I thought of the Bible as a big paddle. I would arrive in church and the pastor would paddle me with the Word. Surely I was going to Hell with behavior such as mine. There was no way that I could make the grade; every Sunday brought another spanking, each Wednesday night another time of sore spiritual buttocks. The Bible even agreed with me. "For there is none righteous, no, not one," it said, just before another paddling for the thou shalt not's that I had shalt, at least in thought if not in deed. The thought life was wicked beyond all reason, and the Word agreed with me on that too, letting me know that my heart was desperately wicked and wondering who could know it. Then Romans came and a solution presented itself - just get rid of the body and the 'heart' can live in perfect behavior, ready to be fully qualified to receive Heaven. Weird how those disembodied 'hearts' went around Heaven in the Revelation complaining about whens and how soons.

It takes every new Christian of whatever age a long time to come to grips with grace, salvation, holiness, and imputed righteousness. We can get a lot of things wrong along the way. God sent a message of His love and delight, but in our original sin we often see all the worst parts and none of the good in the Bible. We see the depravity of our sin, but fail to take in the cure that Jesus worked in our behalf on the cross. We begin to know the wickedness of the heart, but don't quite get the grace of God through Jesus Christ. We still feel the urge to self-justify, self-save, and try with all our might to be self-righteous when Jesus alone is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. This is why Jesus gave the command to make disciples of all the nations and sent the Holy Spirit to remind us of His Word. The Word that says, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." (John 3:16)

Bucky

I'll Admit It!

First of all, I have discovered that I cannot save myself, not spiritually or even physically. I have been lost and someone found me in so many ways. The state of lost is a good thing to discover, else one tends to continue forging ahead to the point of destruction. Found is a good thing after discovering lost, and I'll admit it; I didn't do it on my own. In life I have helped others, but I must admit too that I have been helped far more than I can ever repay. So then, where does all of this soul-bearing admission take us this morning?

I wondered about witness. Part of it is to spread the good news of Jesus Christ, but where does witness come in? What is my story worth in the overall witness and how do I go about it? Of course, the answer is found in, "I'll admit it!" Mistakes and assumptions I have made throughout my life. Admission of these things shows that God didn't give me some 'better than thou' head start. I have been afraid, so deeply afraid that it has a name in medical dictionaries. I have desired wealth and endured poverty. Thoughts of illicit and illegal gain have tempted me. I am so much like every other Christian who has ever been saved that we won't go into all the sinful thoughts that have tempted me over the years. All can be a part of my witness for Christ.

Amazingly, Jesus did not reach down and pick out only the perfect, sinless ones from the human sea. Paul reminds us that would be an empty bucket in any case. Our Lord did not pick out the ones with strong resumes in self righteousness. The religiously accomplished found no affirmation in Christ. Lost sheep the Savior came to find, and find us He did. We have a witness to share. Every Christian I've known can match me mistake for mistake, sin for sin, none of us was already found when Jesus slowed down and then turned around our headlong rush toward destruction. We all can say with the saints who have lived before us, "It's good to be found by our Lord!"

Enjoy the day in Christ,
Bucky

Nothing, Never, No Not Ever

Hmm, snow's back. Back in the day, well, his epistle to the Romans to be more specific and biblical, Paul was convinced that we could never be separated from God's love. What convinced the apostle of this? We may never know, or will we? Insights and convincing such as that must come from God's Holy Spirit. Man is too flawed and fallen a creature to come up with something as foundational as the idea or knowledge that convinced Paul. Nothing and never and 'nor any powers' are big terms when looking at eternity, and only God can see all of eternity.

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:37-39)

The powers of the world we fear cannot separate us from God's love. The powers of the imagination that cause anxiety cannot separate us from God's love. The powers that act in the circumstances of the world may separate us from each other for a time, but nothing and no power can separate us from God's love. The power of my emotions cannot separate me from God's love. Strange dreams, odd happenings, a little snow in the morning, a lack of time, an overabundance of sunshine and good cheer, nothing and none of it can separate us from God's love. Yes, not even the good things given to us can separate me and you from the love of God in Christ.

Now, go out and enjoy that love!
Bucky

Skimming Just a Bit

There's nothing quite like a bit of Internet spam to get one thinking in the morning. One I received this very day uses uncomfortable terms like skimming and loophole. In our Bible study lesson this morning, we learned that the priests and merchants back in the day had found a loophole in the Law and were skimming some profits off the folks who came to Jerusalem for the Passover. Jesus, you may recall, did not take kindly to this sort of activity. Access to the Temple required passing through a gauntlet of moneychangers, vendors, inspecting priests and other obstacles to worship. Jesus took up a whip of cords and chased the obstacles back outside the Temple. If something makes my Lord angry, then it follows that I should stay well clear of it.

Terms the world uses to entice us, such as, simple trick, skimming, and loophole, kind of bring to mind the sort of trick that lands the simple in jail. While we can witness in jail, it makes for a better witness to obey the law and live a clean life. If what the world offers us sounds a bit like something the Mafia does in those movies, then let the Christian be wary. Praise God for the promptings of my conscience from our dear Holy Spirit.

Bucky

Second Guesses is So Easy

The comments about the final play of the Super Bowl remind me that second guessing after the fact comes so easily to some folks. Of course it's the worst play ever and all that... after we have seen that it didn't work. If you have been privileged to have a design or engineering job, you know the second guessers will come out in force when the project is ready for showtime. Those who have put no, that is zero, none, and not any, work into the design show up to take their potshots at the result. I have seen my boss sit down with a customer and ask them to name a price, whatever they may think. The customer has no thoughts to share. The boss then names a listing price based on his years of experience with selling homes. Suddenly, the customer has thoughts, sometimes several of them. Where did these come from?

Of course, we are just as guilty. We second guess God all the time. Why does He make me suffer so? Why doesn't He shower me with all that I think I need? Why does God seem to ignore my prayers? These and many other questions and second guesses come to mind often, probably helped along by the fiery darts of our adversary. Even the thought that I might somehow earn my salvation is a second guessing of the price God already paid at the cross. We seem to be born to it. No surprise there, as soon as the Serpent said his lie, Eve began second guessing God. Is there any hope for us?

Jesus is our hope. In Christ we find the strength for faith; which is the opposite of second guessing God. We believe and our faith grows strong. We trust and faith in Christ becomes our shield against the enemy. Hey, I think Paul wrote something about that shield of faith. Guess I don't need to second guess the great apostle!

Have a wonderful Groundhog Day in Christ!

Bucky