Pay Taxes, Worm!

“There shall arise in his place one who imposes taxes on the glorious kingdom; but within a few days he shall be destroyed, but not in anger or in battle.  Daniel 11:20

From 1 Samuel to the letter to the Romans, tax or taxes is the subject many times in the Bible. And the things we see in taxes today, we also see in the word of God. Political patronage, national duty, how to avoid them, consequences if a person does that, and so on, all appear for our education through the years of the Bible. And entering into this epic journey is the despised tax collector. Yes, that one who in his zeal for the governing authority takes a bit too much in the opinion of the taxed population. Way back in Daniel, during the Exile, another tax collector was promised to Israel, the glorious kingdom, but this one will only last a few days. 

A few days? Why bother to mention him at all then? 

There is this word - imposes - that speaks of a political power over the imposed-upon person or nation. We wouldn't like this word in that context and neither did Israel, as we can easily see by the tax collectors in our Lord's gospel. These shameless characters were known as the worst of the lot, traitors to their people and stooges of the hated Roman conquerors. 

"Pay taxes, worm!" They shouted out from their little boxes of highway robbery. (Might be a bit of literary license going on there.) 

Imposes, we don't like that word much and this goes all the way back to when God imposed one little rule on a certain naked couple: Don't eat of this one tree in the Garden. Hmm, yes, serious consequences came from that bit of disobedience. One might even blame the invention of tax collectors on that fall. Whether we obey the imposition or rebel, obey under duress, or obey gladly, probably says much about what we think of the authority issuing the imposition. The disobedience of eating the forbidden fruit said a few ugly things from the created first couple to their Lord God. Things such as, we don't need You, we want to do what we want, and others of a separating nature. 

So, as I am about to launch into a review of the Bible in this not-so-short message, perhaps you can tell that I have a cold. And this sickness has imposed a few things on me that none of us like. A response to those things is a certain literary loquaciousness on my part, plus I no longer know how to spell 'loquaciousness' the thing tells me. 

Trust in God, even when the imposition seems overdone, and He will see us through the storm.

Bucky

Seeking Me?

But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.  John 4:23

A true worshipper? Yes, I want to be that! Surely then the Lord will have my name in that book of His. Easily do we lock on to our part in this verse and may miss what the Lord God is doing here: Seeking. Seeking me? Oh wait, I see it now. The Lord is only seeking true worshippers. I'm done for. It will be those holier than thou folks over there in that building that get chosen. And yet when the Lord Jesus met those we might judge as true worshippers, the Pharisees, He came down on them like the proverbial ton of bricks. So who is God seeking? Seeking me? Well, unlike the Pharisees, my outward behavior certainly does not qualify at a great many times in this life as a true worshipper, so there is that. And then there are those two persons of the Trinity that sound a lot like how God is seeking worship. One is the Spirit of our Lord given to us by Jesus; that can't be a coincidence. Then there is the One giving the Spirit who introduces Himself in John 14:6 as the truth. That must not be by happenstance either. So if the Spirit is the spirit of worship, and Jesus is the Truth of worship, then just maybe God is seeking those who do not have a monstrous rule book and a fearsome resume to present to Him at the judgment, and is seeking those who need the Spirit and the Truth for salvation! 

Rejoice! There's good news in them there pages of the Bible!

Bucky

New Life In Christ

Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. Romans 6:4

Now it seems a strange thing to us that the world should continue as before and we still feel the urges of the flesh, for Paul to tell us to walk in newness of life. Everyone who has believed in our Lord Jesus has faced this same day after the Resurrection sort of feeling. The disciples likely felt it too as the risen Christ was not with them at every moment in those forty days. Yes it is the Monday after Easter and each of us may not feel redeemed as we get ready for another in a string of work days going back many years. "It just doesn't always feel different!" we lament. And thus we know why feelings are not good guides for us to follow in this spiritual journey. There is the big test for us and all who will believe in Christ - faith takes the Lord at His word, as Paul is doing with this verse, while feelings float about on the stormy seas of the world wondering what is going on. 

We may not feel resurrected with Christ today, but in faith we live in the Christ each day. 

Rejoice in the Resurrection!

Bucky

P.S. I asked Mr. Spock what it feels like to be logical, and he gave me a Vulcan nerve pinch.

Easter, and What We Think We Know

Then she ran and came to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him.”  John 20:2

Like Thomas and Peter as doubter and denier, Mary Magdalene stands in for us as we come to the empty tomb with the burden of what we think we know. Yes, there was a bigger crowd outside that tomb than you thought! Mary and us thought we knew how death worked, even though not long before we stood with Martha outside another tomb and warned our Lord of the stench of death around poor Lazarus. Mary Magdalene, Martha, and we too seem to be remarkably slow learners at times. That burden of what we know just trips us up again and again. And there is Mary just a bit later demanding from the gardener where they have laid the body of the living Lord Jesus standing in front of her. It takes a powerful and persistent presence to remove from us the huge block of what we think we know about death. It's a good thing the Lord has provided that in His Holy Spirit! 

Rejoice in the risen Lord Jesus this Easter weekend!

Bucky

Springtime Depression Fix?

And further, my son, be admonished by these. Of making many books there is no end, and much study is wearisome to the flesh. Ecclesiastes 12:12

On the surface it would appear that perhaps avoiding Bible study for a bit during a seasonal depression might be the ticket. After all, do we not have this verse to learn from? My experience has shown me that no depression, anxiety, fear, funk, or even slightly down feeling can be improved by avoiding the Word of God. That experience does not stand against the wisdom Solomon discovered. And it is interesting to note that Solomon wrote this down about 1,500 years before the printing press, followed by electrical transmission and machinery would show us just how many books can be printed! There does come a time to rest from study, and that time is a great time to just meditate and pray on the verses studied in the Bible. But that temptation: I feel a little down, better avoid the Bible? Nope, doesn't work for me. 

Have a joyous day with Jesus! 

Bucky

Grandma's Influence

When I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded is in you also. 2 Timothy 1:5

Wow, it's a little chilly this morning for about mid-April! We have enjoyed a long run of grandma's influence in our culture. Most of us can recall at least one grandmother who was there for some years during our youth and even into adulthood. In the Bible we have grandmother mentioned just twice, and the other one back in 1 Kings 15 is not so nice. Grandmothers, it would seem, improved with time and the saving grace of our Lord Jesus. And it continues on to us today.

If your family had faith, there does appear to be a likelihood that you also will grow up in the faith or, at least in many cases, return to the faith. I have known several who were raised in the church, but then took a wander away for a time to see the world. I took such a journey and it will not surprise you that those were the years in which I thought myself smartest, but wasn't, and thought myself goodest, but did some of the worst things that I regret. Indeed I proved well in experience that to move further from God in my heart is to move closer to that adversary in behavior, hopelessness, futility, vanity, selfishness, and of course, pride. Grandma, as we well know, would not have had it that way and neither would her Lord and mine, Jesus!

Have a great day with our Lord Jesus, and if Grandma is still around, give her a call!

Bucky

The Return

“Thus says the LORD:
‘I will return to Zion,
And dwell in the midst of Jerusalem.
Jerusalem shall be called the City of Truth,
The Mountain of the LORD of hosts,
The Holy Mountain.'  Zechariah 8:3

We're back! Some might wonder where we went, but it was the Internet in our area that got snuffed out like the proverbial candle in the wind. The outage was about 36-40 hours depending upon the location in our little town. When the wind came up again yesterday I was going with the uh-oh face, but so far no further outage at my house at least. I am glad and praise God because it is Easter week!

Promises had been made such as this promising verse for today. But when? When Jesus came to Jerusalem early in that final week, the week that turned out to be not so final, He was greeted as the conquering Messiah. His plan though was to save the world by His act of greatest love. The promises we see of Jerusalem from the prophet were not done at that time in Judea under the Roman occupation. In fact, we know that Jerusalem would be destroyed, again, in A.D. 70 by those same Romans. So, it would seem that another return and fulfillment remains out there somewhere.

Jesus began a great conquest by dying on the cross and rising again in a time that was to us so very long ago. His promise to return has not gone away though. We may see Him at any moment!

Love to you this Easter week!

Bucky

The Good Times Never Last?

Judah and Israel were as numerous as the sand by the sea in multitude, eating and drinking and rejoicing. 1 Kings 4:20

We are warned often in the word of God to watch the times and to be ready for the ending. During times of war and distress we think that we are more ready, and indeed suffering does loosen our grip on this worldly life a bit. Times do not always seem so close to that 'soon' our Lord says will happen near the end. Judah and Israel were, in our verse for today, at the peak of the good times when a nation is fat and happy. David had reigned and conquered most of the promised land, and his heir Solomon reaped the blessings of the Lord God with the wisdom given to him. The people entered a time of great rejoicing. We may know from experience that this sort of thing leads to times of great temptation.

We look around, things are going great, obviously we must be living right, right? A little gratitude to the Provider of the feast is forgotten in the rejoicing of the moment and the downward trend begins. Pride comes as God's place in our plenty doesn't gain the attention from us our Lord deserves, and so on down, down we go. It has happened to many a kingdom and nation; are we so different?

Let those who believe in our Lord Jesus remain faithful to the Father and give Him our gratitude. Amen.

Bucky

Baffling John, The Revelator

No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us. 1 John 4:12

Here is a verse for us today to test our faith. I'm going after that first sentence there and the man who wrote it to a group he called his little children and to us by way of the Bible. John, the one who wrote down, or would write down the Revelation from Patmos and saw the One seated on the throne. But wait, what about this statement from our Lord Jesus in John 14:9, "He who has seen Me has seen the Father"? Did we get our apostles and disciples confused somehow? John, the Revelator as he is sometimes known, wrote all of these scriptures, did he not? Yes, the scholars of the Word believe John did this. So, contradiction at last? Maybe not so fast there.

John wrote in this letter of testing the spirits. It would seem that those to whom John wrote were under attack by spirits claiming to be God, and even showing themselves so as to deceive by way of false prophets. Perhaps a different translation from the context of what John wrote might be, "Not one of you is seeing God in these visions you tell me about." And John would be the one to know having seen Jesus as his rabbi for about three years, glorified on the mountain, risen from the dead, and was of course present when Jesus made the statement to Philip about seeing the Father.

John may seem a bit baffling to us in between his writings, but God always has it all under His control.

Have a glorious day in Jesus!

Bucky

Who Are You, Kid?

So he went to his father and said, “My father.”
And he said, “Here I am. Who are you, my son?” Genesis 27:18

A man grows up desiring the recognition of his father. It would be the bottom of a valley for sure to have your father say something like, "Who are you, kid?" Of course we know from the rest of this particular story that this kid was trying to be recognized as the other kid, and trickery does not deserve the same sympathy as the child his father does not recognize due to age or infirmity. There is then the Father we all want to have recognize each of us as His own, and that would be the Father of our Savior, Jesus Christ. That Father cannot be tricked and those who sneak into the wedding from over the wall will be recognized for what they are and thrown out. We don't want that sort of recognition! We want to be seen through Christ and known by God as one of His Son's sheep.

Have a happy day in Christ our Lord!

Bucky

Snow Day 2022

Have you entered the storehouse of the snow, or seen the armory of the hail,
which I reserve for the time of trouble, for the day of war and battle? Job 38:22-23

Whooee! Looks like no work at work today as we clear out the 36" of windblown snow from our steps and driveways. If the boss can get to his skid steer, he will be helping others get their front doors open pretty much all day today. It's not going to work for even a moment, is it? The Internet has made those April Fools weather pranks a thing of the past. We can easily find the truth about the weather all over the world in a few moments. You may even have other reminders about what day this is before my message goes out. The devotional messages I get each day did not have anything about pranks for this day, though Turning Point did mention that day we expect/don't expect. Yes, April Fool's or All Fools Day would be a great day for bunches of folks to disappear, including some dead ones, but there would be no shout of "April fools!" to take the edge off. If the Rapture occurred today, those taken up by our Lord would still be gone on April 2nd. Being left behind is no joke...

For those who believe, have a great March 32nd!

Bucky

The Working Together Wagon

But that does not mean we want to dominate you by telling you how to put your faith into practice. We want to work together with you so you will be full of joy, for it is by your own faith that you stand firm. 2 Corinthians 1:24 NLT

From this verse for today, we might gather that Paul did not want to be the dictator-for-life of the church in Corinth. That should not cause a pause for us, but it might. We are so accustomed to those in power, yes, even in church power, wanting to dominate us that we may be surprised by this verse. Paul knew that he was just the messenger of the Word, and not the thing itself. As it is with all of us who write, preach, teach, sing, and speak the good news of Jesus Christ. We are just messengers, and if any of us begin to dictate to you, then feel free to remind us of this verse. Working together does not belong only to those corporate platitude posters, it should be those of us with the good news of Jesus who are leading the working together wagon!

And of course we know that leading in Christ means serving!

Bucky

More Than Enough

I tell you the truth, wherever the Good News is preached throughout the world, this woman's deed will be remembered and discussed.  Mark 14:9

The awards given by actors to other actors seem overly exposed to me already, and so I do not watch the show each year. It would seem to have become a form of light combat in my absence. However, since by now you will have heard, read, and seen more than enough about that event, I'll point you toward another one heard around the world. Seemingly small interpersonal exchanges can be told and retold down through the ages, but this one was promised by the Lord Jesus to be known wherever the Good News went in this world. In Mark's telling of the event, the woman is not named, but that jar of perfume went a long way in the telling! We are approaching 2,000 years for this tale and as long as the Gospel of Jesus is told, we are going to rejoice with her in the anointing of our Lord Jesus for His burial. And as we are about to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus, we get to hear this story once more. The good deed of this woman is so much better to read than that other one from Monday night.

 

Rejoice with our sister in Christ!

Bucky

No Force Required!

Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets. Matthew 7:12

If I should find myself with nothing to do, it seems that I might examine this golden rule in our verse for today and find that something I seek. What is it that I want my fellow humans to do to me?

Now asking someone else is always an option that will produce a great many suggestions, and we each know of someone who perhaps excels at this sort of thing, to put a polite spin on it. Sometimes we do not even get the chance to ask them before the suggestions come forth! The rule, as we call it, does not say to ask that other person though, it tells us to consider what each of us want others to do to us, and then to go forth and do it to them. Right away this leaves off anything requiring force or coercion, as not one of us likes to be forced to do a thing. And of course there is that deep dive into ourselves: would 'Me' really and truly want this thing done to/for me? The answer might not be so easy sometimes.

Have a joyous day this lovely Monday in Christ!

Bucky

Freedom To Not Speak

Then Pilate said to Him, “Are You not speaking to me? Do You not know that I have power to crucify You, and power to release You?” John 19:10

Easter might seem a bit late this year, being about 4 weeks from the start of Spring, but well, yeah, that is about as late as it can be by the method of arriving at the date each year. So, hitch up your rucksack and I'll give us an Easter teaser for today!

Jesus stood before the Roman governor, Pilate, in that famous scene we read in our verse for today. Pilate utilized his freedom of speech while Jesus took up His freedom to not speak. As Jesus is our true example in all things, we might do well sometimes to remember that we too can avoid some regrets by utilizing our freedom to keep quiet in certain moments. As we know, a bit later Jesus our Lord also gives Pilate a reminder of where his governing authority truly comes from, and it is not ultimately the emperor in Rome. We look forward eagerly to the many lessons and the celebration of Easter this year. Especially we look to that revelation of a man walking out of his tomb and rising from the mount to His Father in Heaven. 

It may not be Good Friday yet, but it is a good Friday in Jesus!

Bucky

A Decision To Know Him

But now, O LORD, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand.  Isaiah 64:8

The Potter and the clay, where have we heard that before? Some days in searching the Bible for inspiration, I find a verse that shows where a common church saying comes from that I had not before taken the time to look up. For a metaphor so useful in our Christian training, it also is found in more than one place in the Word. Jeremiah 18 and Romans 9 also use this same example of Creator and created to show a part of our relationship to God. Then comes the big decision: do we deny this as the world does and talk the various theories, since none of us are quite so old as to have seen the big bang, or do we believe by faith since as God asked Job, Where were you during the Creation? (My paraphrase.) Always there is space left for unbelief for those who will choose the easy and common way, and there is good help for those of us who will believe in the work of the Almighty Creator of the heavens and the Earth. It is our privilege to decide to know Him, the Creator, our God and Father, by the love He has shown in His Son Jesus. 

Have a wonderful day in Him who is called Wonderful!

Bucky

Not For Dishonor

But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor. 2 Timothy 2:20

We have been saved to live in a great house, as Paul indicates here, but for the moment we have not yet been refined into the perfect gold and silver vessels of our Lord's wedding celebration. While we may be of wood or clay right now, we are not vessels for dishonor. Yes, I also look within and wonder at times if I am not a dishonorable vessel. However, to call ourselves thus would be to dishonor the ongoing work of the dear Spirit of God in us. Heads held high followers of our Lord Jesus! We are made honorable vessels in Christ our Lord.

Put on the honor of our Lord as you go forth this day,

Bucky

I Am That Man

Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst, they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act. John 8:3-4

A question often raised in the teaching from this story in the scriptures is: Where was the man? The scribes and Pharisees brought the woman caught in the trespass against the law, but was the man too quick out the window? Was the woman the married one, or was the man or both of them? Jesus should have been facing two caught in the act of adultery, but the law worshippers brought Him only one. Well, these many years later, I can tell you that I am that man. And so are you and everyone who has been convicted by the Spirit of God of their sin. We all, each of us, are that other sinner that was there by our need for His forgiveness, but not there because we were born a few years later or ran fast enough to get away in a manner of speaking. The woman, caught in the very act, received forgiveness from the One who would pay the penalty for her sin. That other one who was not there with her, what did he receive? Did that man spend the remainder of his earthly life avoiding Jesus and the mercy that was freely given?

You and I may know someone who is in avoidance of our Lord right now. Encourage them to come to the One who comes with mercy and grace in Himself.

Bucky

​Simple Dreams​

“How long, you simple ones, will you love simplicity?
For scorners delight in their scorning,
And fools hate knowledge.  Proverbs 1:22

Or should that be, the Dreams of a Simpleton? Okay, so I had that dream last night where I knew a celebrity as a friend. Sort of an alien situation with me to be sure. The scary part of the dream came after I tossed her car keys to her and she left with her boyfriend. I went back into the house and found that the trolls and her fans had already found me on social media. Anyone who has ever wandered down to the comments section of any celebrity news knows the terror of which I speak. Rare is the person who would want all that vitriol pointed at him/herself!

Most of us, perhaps even all of us who read this message today live in a state of modern anonymity. We are online, but not online sensations. The proverb has Wisdom wondering how long we will love simplicity. This is that state of being too unaware of the dangers lurking in the world, especially the online world these days. Much of the opinion making, shifting, leveraging, and so on was done online in the past couple of presidential elections, and gradually we are becoming more aware of it. And that is the more obvious part of the online danger. Every day we are hit with stuff from those same scorners and fools trying to make us doubt our faith in Jesus. Online is a large portion of the frontlines in the battle between Christ and the world powers, and the battle is for your mind and mine. We dare not remain simple in this age!

Before I ramble on forever... place your faith in Jesus today!

Bucky​

What Happened Then Cannot Happen Now

Oppressors treat my people cruelly; creditors rule over them. My people's leaders mislead them; they give you confusing directions.  Isaiah 3:12 NET

So many believe the title line in our time that we must occasionally bring back a verse from of old to show that indeed, as Solomon said in Ecclesiastes, things do come round again and again. To see that creditors ruled over the people of Jerusalem and Israel back in the day for us brings the understanding of sharing a common experience. Misleading leaders? Pick your flavor, blue or red, or even leaders from foreign lands, and examples will abound of the people being misled. Confusing directions? We have read those too in our time, and not only from a malfunctioning GPS. Oh, oppressors, we don't get to skip that one either. As you will know from your own experience, oppressors come in many forms and flavors in our age. The political-military sort is much in the news lately, but mental health counselors and addiction treatment professionals could tell us tales of a legion of other oppressions. Then there is that champion of all things sin who would be glad to see God's people fall. It would seem that what happened back then does indeed happen now to us.

We have only one Savior from this and much good help that He has sent to help us stand with Him. The Lord Jesus will save us from the world in whatever age we live. Have a great day in Christ Jesus our Lord!

Bucky

Jesus In The Center

And He, bearing His cross, went out to a place called the Place of a Skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha, where they crucified Him, and two others with Him, one on either side, and Jesus in the center. John 19:17-18

At the end of things, there is another separation to the left and right of our Lord Jesus. And it comes that there are those who are saved by our Lord and those who are not, much like the two crucified to His right and left. The mother of two of His disciples desired that one be raised to the right and left of Jesus, obviously not knowing what she asked, and our Lord in His mercy could not grant those places to those sons of thunder. The years of our calendar are even separated to either side of our Lord Jesus, placing our Savior in the center of time. As we walk this road with our Lord, we also find that He is in the center between the newborn spiritual life in Him and the old lusts of the flesh that cry for our attention. Yes, sometimes that yapping of the old life leaves our view slanted off to the down side, and we feel off without our Lord Jesus right in the center where He should be. Prayer, meditation on the word of God, fasting, and faith all help us to re-center Jesus in this life.

Bringing my view back to the Lord in Christ my Savior!

Bucky

Faith on a Sleepy Day

So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.  Romans 10:17

The annual observance of Sleepy Monday has begun. On this day we are obedient to the law even as we question what purpose that law serves. We do not disobey this law by doing everything an hour late, but still we sleepily question if the reasoning seen in the beginning of this law remains valid. If we were more awake this morning, we might even stage a protest of this annual strange odd ritual. I suppose I could try to look up the origins of this thing, but I'm too sleepy this early in the morning. 

The sleepy morning, the dark night, and the times of stress and distress, these and many others are why we read and hear the Word of God. If we wait for the thing to happen in ignorance, then we will be caught wondering why or how it began. When the disaster strikes, we who hear the word of God have a storehouse full of comfort by faith in Christ our Lord. The world knocks us down, but our Lord stands ready to lift us up. 

The Lord, our constant defense on the sleepy day and in the heat of battle,

Bucky

A Friday of Perseverance

Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.  Revelation 3:10

There is a dash in front of the number on the temperature readout thingy again. Winter is an enjoyable season for me up to a point. That is of course the point where I grow weary of it and hope to not see those little dashes on the thermometer for a few months. March is usually about the time that point comes and I am tested in patience and endurance. 

That seems rather a minor testing to you, and you might think me overly dramatic, weakly faithful, or even just downright silly. Look at all the wars and plagues around the world! See the persecution of our brothers and sisters! What have you to complain about? You would say to me on this frosty morning. All too true, I say, but what we want to examine today is how easily we tramp down the sufferings of others. Always to us the real suffering is way over there in that foreign land. In the meantime, a neighbor right here is laid out with a mortal condition, a family is financially ruined, a friend suffers mental illness in silence due to the stigma she feels, and another one goes to work to get ground up in all ways by a corporate machine. 

Those of you who have read many of these messages will be thinking, "Bucky read another of those books where the author says all persecution is over yonder and we don't know nothing in our safe and secure place in America!" You're right of course, and I still hate it when they do that to us. Persecution comes in many flavors and it ain't all way over there. The Lord will see me through another cold day, but in our land are people suffering this day. And I would like to remind those 'only over yonder' authors that our Lord Jesus called them by a term we do well to recall, neighbors, as in love them.  

God's love and my love to you on this frosty morning, whatever you may be suffering this day. 

Bucky

God Done It?

In all this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong. Job 1:22

The chief detective gathered the suspects in the drawing room and laid out the evidence to them. Then, he concluded to their surprise, "God done it!" What?!! A similar reaction comes to that last bit of our verse for today. Charge God with wrong? And yet, we know that this is a common thing among the fallen of this world. The dying spouse or suffering child is but the beginning of the many things humans blame God for in this age. Following our father Adam and our mother Eve, we reach for the forbidden fruit again and again, and then pause in our chomping to blame God for the state of the world. However, patiently God grants to us His mercy until we can know the precious gift He gave to us in His Son, Jesus. And one day we confess: I am the sinner, Jesus is my Savior, great is the name of the Lord God!

And the chief detective said, "Not God, y'all done it, believe in the Lord Jesus and be saved!"

Bucky

Where The Grass Grows

So Samson went down to Timnah with his father and mother, and came to the vineyards of Timnah. Now to his surprise, a young lion came roaring against him. Judges 14:5

Surprise! A lion comes to rend and tear and devour. But, this prey is no ordinary prey and the Lord is with him. In this story we understand how a predator is dependent on the prey to be weaker, slower, less crafty, or something lesser that allows the predator to overcome and devour. One might imagine that the nightmares of predators involve herds that all become faster or never come close enough to catch. Then there is that performance anxiety one, the one where the predator leaps and the prey is completely unaffected as the claws and teeth will not penetrate. Maybe predators on the Serengeti have that dream where they leap and find that they have left their britches behind and all the antelope are laughing at them. The grass eaters can go wherever the grass grows, but the predators must follow or starve. And the predators are the ones we tend to admire?

Praise God that we can be the sheep of the Good Shepherd. We will follow Him to the green pastures!

Have a great snowy day in Christ the Lord!

Bucky

You're Going To Hear

Son of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him...  Ezekiel 38:2 KJV

After the word of the Lord came to Ezekiel the prophet again, the prophecy begins with words that you're going to hear quite a bit for a time. We are going to study it in our Bible study tomorrow. However, is this the beginning of the prophecy in our time that we read in the news feeds, or is it another war and rumor of war that are but the beginnings of those labor pains of the end time? Until the mountains of Israel become involved with an army of a great coalition, this is but one of those other wars. This does not mean that we can set this aside lightly, for every war brings with it suffering and death of innocents, plus the deaths of military personnel who are sons, daughters, fathers and mothers of someone who loves them.  The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan did not so long ago, as did a great many other wars going back many centuries. We can join in the outrage over this latest war, or study and learn from it, or we can pray that it ends swiftly, but the first thing Jesus told us to do was, "see that you are not troubled." Yes, it's in Matthew 24, right after 'wars and rumors of wars'.  

Set aside that worry, depression, or anxiety and pray to the Lord in faith!

Bucky

The Man Covets

They covet fields and take them by violence,
Also houses, and seize them.
So they oppress a man and his house,
A man and his inheritance.
  -- Micah 2:2

No one needs to tell you the subject behind today's verse. It is a sad and familiar tale that comes to us from history as well as the present. A man holds the power of a nation and he covets another nation. His armies invade but there is resistance and so more weapons are called for to complete his theft. However, more weapons deployed means more destruction. And so the ends of covetousness become apparent to all: if the coveting one cannot gain it without a fight, he will destroy and kill so that the victim cannot have the property either. If we did not understand the reason behind that tenth commandment before, we can see how it plays out in the news right now. The man covets, destruction and death come after.

We are not without recourse though. We have the honor to make our request to the Almighty God of Heaven and Earth. Please do so for those who take their stand and face the conqueror this day.

Bucky

A Well-Trodden Pathway

“Many shepherds have destroyed My vineyard,
They have trodden My portion underfoot;
They have made My pleasant portion a desolate wilderness.
   -- Jeremiah 12:10

Can a shepherd, or in our day, a pastor, go wrong and tread down the Lord's pleasant portion? Whether using ruler, shepherd, or pastor, what we have in our verse for today is a leader. A pastor can lead a congregation down a well-trodden path to desolation of God's word if he goes astray. A CEO can lead a company to financial ruin. A person who desires nothing but to be master of his own life can also tread that well-trodden path to desolation. It began when Adam and Eve each led themselves away from the Lord by their disobedience. Of course, the opposite course is possible too. A pastor who follows Jesus can lead a congregation to a pleasant vineyard in the Lord's delight. Whether CEO or servant, each of us can believe in Christ and be led to pleasant green pastures of our Lord's tender care. This does not free us from the tribulations that our Lord foretold would come, but does keep us close to the Good Shepherd who will lead us through the tough times. Just imagine trying to endure the tough times on your own! We don't have to of course, as we have tried it and both found and made the desolation our Lord does not like. The narrow gate beckons, let us tread quickly back to the Lord Jesus our Good Shepherd!

Love to you in Christ our Lord,

Bucky

He Came Home To Rejoice

And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’ Luke 15:6

Jesus spoke many parables and this verse for today is a snippet of just one of those parables. However, we can easily see this in a different setting too. The Lord Jesus having died on the cross and risen again on the third day, ascends to Heaven from the mount and here He comes home. What does our Lord do? He calls His Father, and the Holy Spirit, and the angels and archangels, His neighbors, and they have a rejoicing party as our Lord has found and saved His lost sheep. The imagining of such a scene remains a bit beyond our means just now, but the invitation to join the celebration has gone forth by us to all the Earth. Indeed it is one of our mission statements from the Lord to spread the good news. We do not have to go about saying, "Sinner, sinner, sinner!" We can instead offer an invitation to believe and to go with us one great day to that great party of rejoicing as the sheep come home.

We were lost sheep but in Christ are found; no longer do we fear the cold, cold ground.

Rejoice today in Christ the Lord!

Bucky

Mercy on Jacob

For the LORD will have mercy on Jacob, and will still choose Israel, and settle them in their own land. The strangers will be joined with them, and they will cling to the house of Jacob. Isaiah 14:1

The history of Israel is not one of constant faithfulness to the Lord their God. We can read it in the Bible histories of the scattering of the ten northern tribes, and in the captivity in Babylon of the other two tribes. Many of the injustices seen in our land today we can read of the same thing in old Israel. Unbelief was common in those olden times, as was idolatry, adultery, and many other trespasses against the Lord. And yet, there is mercy for Jacob and the Lord will still choose Israel, as we can read in our verse for today. The faithfulness of the Lord never ends. What sin lurks in your past or mine that the Lord cannot show mercy and forgive? You can probably find the same sin committed somewhere in the history of Israel. The Lord always remembers His work and His promise. Fear not!

Rejoice in the mercy of our Lord God!

Bucky

Time Of Love

“When I passed by you again and looked upon you, indeed your time was the time of love; so I spread My wing over you and covered your nakedness. Yes, I swore an oath to you and entered into a covenant with you, and you became Mine,” says the Lord GOD. Ezekiel 16:8

A time comes, or has come many times already, when you or I may feel ashamed, unloving, unrighteous, and basically inadequate for the Lord. What we have from the Lord is the promise that we will never be left that way, were not left that way, and that He has covered us with His love. Yes, there are horrors in the past of each of us, whether caused by us or suffered by us or both. The Lord wrote to Jerusalem by Ezekiel that it was at that awful moment came the Savior and her time of love. The world to us looks absolutely horrible in so many ways in our time, but perhaps we are coming into a time of love. Watch for the Lord's work in all of this. See if prophecy does not unfold before our eyes in this time we live.

Pray for the strength to endure!

Bucky

Well, Then There's That

But I am like a green olive tree
in the house of God.
I trust in the steadfast love of God
forever and ever.   Psalm 52:8 ESV

A long climb up a steep mountain or something like it may have been mentioned by me last week. This week seems much the same. Well, then there's this war, not a rumor any longer, but actual war in Ukraine. When I am disappointed in the world situation, which seems rather often these days, it is to verses and passages of the Bible such as this one from David I turn to for comfort. In the end times, which are now, and in the great tribulation that is to come, many people will turn to something for comfort. We read the Word of God and pray, but others will turn to other devices, activities and substances for their comfort. We may want to look to our nation though, the powers of this world may be counting on the U.S.A. to turn away from God. In fact, it may not be about who is living in our White House, but where our faith is that causes the powers of the world to deem the time ripe for conquest.

Have a prayerful day in the Lord Jesus!

Bucky

Not Even The Next Hours

Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is. Mark 13:33

The fallibility of myself and others has been given to my attention in these later days. A warm weekend brought out some bugs, and they have suffered because of it this cold week. The assembly of a book shelf came to a halt last night when I found the factory had shorted me by one screw. During the assembly project, I played a list of top tracks on a streaming service from a band popular back in the 80's. Suddenly, after 15 heavy metal tracks came the sound of a Disney princess and a bunch of Chipmunks singing about Christmas. Then we went back to the metal for track 17! And I wrote to you on Monday about not writing about cold and death, not knowing that merely two hours later we would learn of the passing of our friend. Plus the cold came on Monday whether we wanted it or not. As a foretelling prophet, I can't even tell you the next hours, much less years and centuries in the future as God did through His prophets. Truly as our Lord Jesus said in our verse for today, "Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is."

I cannot promise you a wonderful day, but if you will turn to the Lord Jesus, then you will enjoy time with our wonderful Savior!

Bucky

Cold, Death, And Others

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. Matthew 6:34

And that Jeopardy question is: What are things you would rather not talk about on Monday morning? Yes! Good work. How about those things Jesus brought: life, joy, peace, kindness, hope, and of course, the love of God. Those are better subjects to begin the week. There are armies of arguments stalking the land regarding doctrine and actions that others think we should have or do. What would I have us recall on this Monday? The star shining in the darkness, guiding the seekers from the East to the Christ child in Bethlehem. The heavenly host singing for joy to God above the shepherds in the field of the reason for rejoicing born in a stable. It is good for us to recall the promise our Lord Jesus made to return for us and to bring us to His Father's home. And of course, that God so loved the world that He sent His only begotten Son on a mission of salvation. Let cold, death and the others wait as we rejoice in Jesus Christ our Lord!

May your Monday be filled with the eternal joy of the Lord!

Bucky

Seeking Their Way, Not The Truth

“If You are the Christ, tell us.”
But He said to them, “If I tell you, you will by no means believe." Luke 22:67

It is a part of our Lord's trial before the Sanhedrin, but the prosecution has already decided the case and the judgment. Jesus had previously told His disciples to not throw their pearls before any swine, and in this show trial the oinkers are carrying the prosecution. In our verse for today, our Lord is examined before the court, but states that they will by no means believe His answer even if He states it. This is of course not how a trial is supposed to go, as the entire procedure is to find out the truth of the matter. If a person decides the answer before the trial, then there is no hope for finding the truth no matter how many times it is stated. And what is left is a round and round sort of useless discussion that resembles what is going on here in my writing. We would call it a waste of time. And yet, testimony, even in a show trial, is recorded. And if one enters a trial not wanting the truth, but only his or her own way, then that too is recorded for us to read these many years later. 

What will be our testimony today? Let us speak of the One who is the Truth!

Bucky

She Was Shown To Us

Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls filled with the seven last plagues came to me and talked with me, saying, “Come, I will show you the bride, the Lamb’s wife.” The Revelation 21:9

The research project got to the end, and the answer was there all along. Who is the one Jesus is to marry? Some argue that it is Israel, others that it is the Church, and yet we can read that John was shown the Bride of Jesus. As I am one who does not like arguments, this is one that is headed off right quickly by one of the seven angels John sees pouring out the last judgments on the earth. The Revelation of Jesus the Christ reveals many things to us, and this one is not the least of them.

We read on to be shown this great city, and the question comes, "But who will inhabit this city, the Bride of Christ?" Ah, now there is a question. I can only retell that the Spirit and the Bride say, "Come!" Sounds like an invitation to me!

Let us go up to Jesus and His bride,

Bucky

Family Travels

David therefore departed from there and escaped to the cave of Adullam. So when his brothers and all his father’s house heard it, they went down there to him. 1 Samuel 22:1

Illness, injury, and other troubles cause family to rush to our side, as they did with David way back in the day. We had news here of a family on the way to their loved one yesterday, and it eased our burden greatly. Family can do things that even friends may not be able to accomplish under the law, as we found out when asking hospitals for news. It can be frustrating when you are left on the outside through nothing but the accident of familial birth.

You can see it coming though, and yes I'm going there!

In the new birth in Christ we are born into the family of God. And in the heavens and the new earth there will be no 'left out' for anyone in the family of God. I do not know whether we will look the same, be of one skin color, or of many more than we are now. I cannot say if there will be names of families such as we know here. But all those in the family of God will count on the name of our Savior and hold Him dear. That's the family for me, and that's the family for us all!

Have a great new day in the Lord's family!

Bucky

The Testimony Of Love

Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.  1 Corinthians 13:1

Happy Valentine's Day to you in the love of Christ Jesus! As the holiday is about love, it is to love we go on this day. The imagery of romantic love is used often to describe the lengths our Lord goes to save His people. And it is with this in mind that our testimony includes the love God showed for us when He gathered you and me into His flock. Ours may not be the most beautiful sounding, but let the love flow through us from our Lord Jesus. We have heard in our day some pleasing sounds given in testimony but lacking in love. The words may be well written and carefully rehearsed, but without love they are just noise; an actor delivering lines to the crowd. We are called to testify of love, His love.

Have a loving day in Christ!

Bucky

Struggles With The Word

But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him! Luke 12:5

Jesus told His disciples to not fear those who could kill the body and do no more. Then comes the verse that I struggle with, the one we read for today. The question is: so many times the Lord tells us to not be afraid, but then here tells us to be afraid of the very One who tells us to not be afraid! How can one be afraid of the One who loves us?

Paul may have part of our answer in the two persons we are: the old human who inherited the sin of Adam and Eve, and the new human who has been given the renewal of our Lord's grace. The former should certainly fear God and the judgment that casts out those who do not believe in His Son. The latter no longer fears this by faith in the sacrificial death of our Lord Jesus Christ. However, there is a second part of the answer for this new person in Christ. The word used as 'to be afraid', phobeo, has another usage: reverential obedience. Here is where the work in Christ of the new birth comes into this journey we have from salvation to sanctification and justification. We are no longer terrified of our Lord God, but we have a reverential obedience to Him as our Father God.

There, my mind is at ease on this now! May the love of our Lord God guide you this day!

Bucky

Put On The New

and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness. Ephesians 4:24

The old person of the flesh that clings to us so tightly at this time may object to our learning of the spirit of the new human that Jesus has placed within us along with His Spirit. However, what has changed? Do we show this righteousness and holiness as Paul said? One analogy that came to me this morning is that dog. No, not the family pet or the friendly one next door, but that dog over there. You know the one that is kept on a short chain and it annoys him all day long. Frustration is the poor thing's daily existence. He is totally dependent upon his owner for food and water because there is nothing he can reach and nowhere he can run. Leave aside the deplorable owner for a bit and consider his behavior. Growling, whining, gnashing his teeth at all who approach. You just know that if he ever got off that chain it would be a bloodbath and you hope to not be a part of it. And then it happens... But what a delight the doggy is off of that chain! Running from person to person, greeting each one with tail wagging and happy kisses. Who is this angelic copy of caninus horribilis? Why do we find it so difficult to emulate the renewed pooch?

My guess is that the chain on the old human did not entirely fall off just yet, and occasionally it catches on the things of this earth and gives us a good yank by way of reminder. Our Lord may be in His eternal wisdom removing the links of our chain one at a time so that we do not get too happy too soon. There are temptations and powers in this world that we must not greet joyously as a long lost friend. The finish of His work is sure and certain though!

Rejoice, His freedom is near!

Bucky

Something Was Changing

Then He said to them, “But now, he who has a money bag, let him take it, and likewise a knapsack; and he who has no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one. Luke 22:36

Jesus had just reminded His disciples of that time when He sent them out with nothing but their clothes and how they had lacked for nothing. But here they are told to prepare and to take supplies with them and... weapons! It tells of leaving home. Probably not the news the disciples expected that day. Something was changing, and they were to gather the stuff of a journey into enemy territory. Or so we might think in our distant age. However, those disciples were raised on the scriptures and they may have rejoiced in the conquest of Israel they thought was about to begin. They would certainly need the power of God for a conquest of even one of the many Roman provinces with just twelve sword-toting disciples and one leader. Before we go too far down that road though, we know from the newer part of the scriptures that this conquest was not yet for those twelve men. Jesus had told them what was to come, but it was easy to not believe it. We have the testimony of what happened with Jesus, and it is still easy to not believe it.

Something changed in us though, and believe in the Lord Jesus we do!

Love to you in Christ,

Bucky

He Manages The Crossing Over

​Remember the former things of old,
​​For I am God, and there is no other;
​​I am God, and there is none like Me,
  -- Isaiah 46:9

We tend to remember our former things of old, but here God tells Israel to remember His former things of old. And one of these is of course that crossing of the Red Sea in the Exodus. Now to someone hundreds or more years later, this was no small task. Just as it is for us, it was easy for them to not believe such an incredible story from a distant past. However, that story is such a great allegory for our walk with Christ today. First there was trust in God. How else do you make one foot step off in front of you when you see a canyon with walls of water stretching out before you? "Go there," he said, "easy for him to say!" The way of escape was not an easy one and went against everything the Israelites thought they knew about water and the world. We also face our walls of water as we make the crossing of this life. Death seems to loom over us on each side, but by trusting in God we have that one path of dry ground to walk on. Did those Israelites, as we often do, walk the path crying in fear? Probably to begin with, but it likely dawned upon them that God could take each and every life whenever He pleased, and moment by moment their confidence in the Lord grew until they could see the end and knew the Word passed to them by Moses was true.

Walk with faith in God, and don't fear those walls on either side of us, trust Him to manage the ending!

Bucky

Let Us Write Of The Lord

Son of man, write down the name of the day, this very day—the king of Babylon started his siege against Jerusalem this very day. Ezekiel 24:2

The prophet was commanded to note the day. But what a day to note! A siege was not fun on either side of the wall. Attackers would do their thing, defenders theirs, and people would die. Later, there would be boredom and hunger, and so on until the siege came to a conclusion. Ezekiel had already demonstrated the end of this particular siege, and it was not good for Jerusalem. And yet, the Lord would have the prophet note the day for posterity. Seems like maybe some counting would begin from the date of this day. While we cannot know certain days, the Lord through the prophet Daniel did give us some Sevens to count. Tick-tock, when does that last Seven begin? Until it does, let us write (sing, speak, preach, witness, et al.) of the Lord and His wonderful mercy and saving grace!

Have a beautiful Friday in Christ the Lord!

Bucky

The Solo Ascent

“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.  John 15:5

We have seen this verse not so long ago right here, but it seems that we need it back again. It is a constant temptation to do something for the Lord on our own. Whether it be resolutions, or a plan of improvement, or cleaning up this life, or even following those teachings of Paul, Peter, James, and the whole gang that present a plan for the ideal church person, we fall into climbing that mountain alone. The solo ascent, how proud one might be to reach the peak. But this mountain is not the usual rocks and snow that we see in the Rockies or the Andes. This mountain is that perfecting required to enter the gates of Heaven. Or is it? Jesus in this verse speaks of us bearing fruit right here, today, in this place. Even in that we need Him, "for without Me you can do nothing," our Lord said.  

Today's worries are enough, let our Lord lead us up the mountain in His way and in His time.

Bucky

A Container For The Testimony

And you shall put into the ark the Testimony which I will give you. Exodus 25:16

The artisans were given instructions for building a container. A special container, for it would hold the Testimony of the Lord written by His hand on the stone tablets. We are often shown two big rocks carved in the shape of tombstones with large writing on them. It must be that someone thinks God is big so therefore He must write big and needs big tablets to write on. The thing written on these big stones is usually a list of ten commandments...in English. Was that the writing of God on those tablets? We cannot know by visual inspection at this time. However, there may be a different container made more recently by an artisan that we can hear from today. That container you may be familiar with, for it is you and me. All those who believe in Jesus become containers of His testimony. In fact we are all sent to spread His good news to all the nations. At this moment today, you and I are the containers God has made and we bear the testimony He has given of His Son, Jesus the Christ; the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.

O lovely container of Christ's testimony, bear your light unto the world this day!

Bucky

The Veggie Burger Way?

For one believes he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats only vegetables.  Romans 14:2

Weakness of faith in many areas of life may become a division if we are not careful. Paul faced the challenge of leading a group of disparate folks from the riding-the-ragged-edge steak chompers to the fearing-the-lightning-bolt veggie mashers of Rome; two gangs known to be at odds with one another. This of course assumes that the person in question had a choice, since one of the things to go up quickly in price during times of stress is meat. Your church would never have such a problem. 

You may easily test this by suggesting, not spiking the communion pitcher mind you, but just suggesting that only real wine should be used for the holy observance. Whether you are holding the communion tray or not at the time of your suggestion is up to you.  One can only imagine the tone and timbre of the lovingly and gently delivered chastisement that would come forth. I'm thinking of my childhood church right now, but you may have one nearer to this time in mind. Of course then we must decide whether the wine communion folks or the grape juicers are the strong or weak faith. No we don't. As we well know, the point of communion, celebrating the Lord's table, is to remember Jesus. And if someone chooses the veggie burger way, they too know that it is faith in Christ, whether it is called strong or weak by Paul, that is the way to tread this life with Him. 

My faith may be weak, but it is firmly in Christ Jesus! 

Bucky

A Loaded Chicken

So Adam gave names to all cattle, to the birds of the air, and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper comparable to him.  Genesis 2:20

At times we might like to argue over that chicken and egg thing, as in which came first of course. As one who believes in my Lord, I am confident that God is quite capable of creating a loaded chicken. An egg for the rooster and an egg for the hen, and we won't have to do this over then. But, it seems that matching helpers were found for every bird and beast, but the man, Adam, had none. It was this Adam who was left without the matching mate. Perhaps it was a counting problem. As he was naming them, Adam was also counting...1,2,1,2,1,2. But then he came to himself and said, 1... And couldn't find a number two for  himself. Adam looked over at the loaded chicken and asked, "Why only me?" So, God put the man to sleep, because as every parent of a needy newborn knows, that is the only time that peace is restored to the house. And as we see in scriptural wonder, God did something different for the man's mate, He took a bit from the side of the man and created a woman. 

Why that way? 

Bucky 

Love Today

Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?  Matthew 6:20

Why do we love today? It is where our Lord walks with us. He knows about tomorrow and has our way planned out, but it is today where we walk together with Him. When Paul tells us to rejoice in the Lord always; it is today that we do the rejoicing. We cannot rejoice tomorrow, for as the old saying goes that moving target will never come close enough for us to hit it. Don't recognize the old saying? I did mash it up a bit. Today is where we can enjoy the day with Christ. Tomorrow is just too far away. Today is a good day to enjoy a meal with one another and with God. Tomorrow holds too many worries. Today is a great day to love one another. 

Rejoice today in the love of Christ! 

Bucky

Not Thorn Bearers

For the earth which drinks in the rain that often comes upon it, and bears herbs useful for those by whom it is cultivated, receives blessing from God; but if it bears thorns and briers, it is rejected and near to being cursed, whose end is to be burned. Hebrews 6:7-8

If your little garden patch bears a crop of those high plains goatheads (sand burrs, stickers, @&$##!'s) and you have a desire to prance daintily through the rows with your tender soles to gather some tomatoes for the sauce, then you will soon know what it is to curse the bearers of thorns. The garden bears the fruits of the seeds that are in it, and so do we with some important differences. We are given the opportunity to decide some of what is put into our garden, and we have decisions to make that may bear fruit or thorns. Praise God there is a gardener though, and He has provided His Spirit to make sure that we are not thorn bearers. It is true that some deep digging is done to get the long-buried thorn seeds out of our gardens, but our Lord perseveres in His good work. We are the Lord's work in progress!

Have a fruitful day in Christ the Lord!

Bucky

Tribulation Comes

For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?” Revelation 6:17

One could look upon the news feeds of today or study the history books of the last couple thousand years and conclude that the first five seals of the Revelation have been opened and operating for some time now. But then we run into that sixth one, known by many as the Wrath of the Lamb. This one appears unmistakeable and global. And the sixth chapter of the Revelation closes with a question that we read in our verse for today.

It is true that conquest, war, famine, pestilence, and death have been with us for most of the history of the world that we know. However, our Lord Jesus also spoke to the disciples and us about yelling "Tribulation!" too soon. Wars and rumors of war are on the table this morning, and so have been earthquakes in diverse places. "But the end is not yet..." our Lord said. Given that no man knows the day and hour when our Lord Jesus will return, it may well be that we won't know the starting day of those final years either. More study! More watching!

Tribulation comes, but when?

Trust in the Lord always,

Bucky

Third Horseman?

And I heard a voice in the midst of the four living creatures saying, “A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not harm the oil and the wine.” Revelation 6:6

Famine, shortages, depression, and other uncomfortable times have come and gone throughout history. Yet, each and every time, it would be easy to say this is it, that black horseman has gone forth! (The horse was black, not necessarily the horseman who is only described as a sitting 'he' with a pair of scales in his hand.) We have lived through part of a sort of rolling famine with one thing being short for a time and then a different thing taking its place, followed by other things with some overlapping, and so on. Now we have inflation...which is more apparent in some products and services than others. No one looks to be starving around here, but all are worried, a little or a lot, that we might be next in line for something awful. This sort of thing describes the seals, trumpets, and bowls of the Revelation quite well. At least until we get up to that sixth seal. Hard to mistake that one for anything but what it says. The first five seals may be open now, but yet, our Lord told of a time of intense tribulation. What is going on now does not seem to fit that word pair, intense tribulation, not even from what can be seen in the news. So, more earthquakes in various places? It may be so, and then later today we might all be looking on this with our Lord from His place. 

Have a greatly blessed Friday in Christ our Lord!

Bucky

Nothing Restrains Our Lord

Then Jonathan said to the young man who bore his armor, “Come, let us go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised; it may be that the LORD will work for us. For nothing restrains the LORD from saving by many or by few.” 1 Samuel 14:6

Jonathan may not use saving in the way that we do in this age, but it is those little quotes from the elder covenant that often grab us by the attention span. "For nothing restrains the LORD from saving by many or by few." Indeed! We may see churches on television with thousands of worshippers or we may watch a social media video where only a few are gathered there, and yet the Lord our God can save a person in either place. A person walking in the world may hear the Word of God witnessed by just a few believers in a small town and seek to know more about this Christ. In another place, a secular person may grow weary of the many times she hears the Word spoken from so many diverse sources that she wonders if there isn't a message trying to get through to her. Indeed we know that such a small number as two or three gathered in our Lord's name will rejoice in His presence among them. Also, we can see no reason for the Lord to withhold Himself from two or three thousand gathered in His name as well. Two or three million would not inconvenience our Lord in the slightest either. For nothing restrains our Lord Jesus from anyone He wants to save!

Have a beautiful day in Christ Jesus!

Bucky

Freedom of Peach

For the king, before whom I also speak freely, knows these things; for I am convinced that none of these things escapes his attention, since this thing was not done in a corner.  Acts 2:26

In his defense, before getting shipped off to Rome, Paul spoke freely. We grew up in a nation that prided itself on free speech. And yet, it does not seem quite so free now as it once did. Exercise one's freedom of speech in a way not approved by the popular correction (PC) policers and get canceled. There has often been freedom to preach but with opposition, especially if one should want to hold public office as well. So, today we will exercise a little freedom of peach, to keep the search engines at bay for just a little more time of peace. 

To speak our faith freely has been enjoyed by us for many years. We also hear our faith spoken freely, share with each other freely, and write to one another of Jesus Christ freely...for now. Today it might seem just silly for me to write to you of my freedom of peach, but for how long? One day soon we all might be speaking, sharing, and writing to one another with code words. Not to overthrow some despot, but to encourage one another in our faith lest we too face the financial, social and even legal terror of cancellation. 

Phew! Now after all that, look to Christ Jesus to rejoice in a good day,

Bucky

For There Is One

For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time. 1 Timothy 2:5-6

We have been relieved of the burden of choosing between many ways and we are grateful to God for the simplicity of the One Way who is Jesus the Christ. Some may respect that, and yet feel that the one Mediator is not for them. That person may look around and estimate that he or she is good enough to be welcomed into our Lord's home. The humility of the Way is that none of us are good enough and all need the Lord's salvation. What a great equalizer for today! I don't need to look down on anyone - all are born sinners. I don't need to look up to anyone - everyone needs the Lord's Christ and His salvation. So, stop looking around to compare and let the Lord take care of His own. Cease looking at the dark spaces inside and open them to Jesus for His redemption. Praise God for the salvation and hope we have in Jesus!

God's grace to you and all the brothers and sisters in Christ this day!

Bucky

Grace To You All

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.  Revelation 22:21

What is this little word that Noah finds in Genesis 6:8, grace? The little word continues all the way to the end of the Bible and is in the very last verse of the written Word. Grace, it seems like such a thing that we might not have in the one sense, that of a simple elegance and refinement of movement. At least, I have never been credited with grace in that regard except in the sarcastic way. I wonder if it is the elegance or the refinement that I'm missing? However, grace in the biblical sense is that unmerited favor of the Lord God that saves us. Like Noah, we obtain God's mercy from His love and by His grace. That grace was paid for by Jesus on the cross. And like Noah, that grace saves us from the destruction to come. 

You may hear more of Noah in this time because of one statement from our Lord about the end times, "But as the days of Noah were..." 

Let us find the ark of salvation in our Lord Jesus Christ!

Bucky

The Thoughts Turn

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. Philippians 4:6

The imagination gears up for the day by bringing a cavalcade of phantom conflicts with those we are to love. When blocked there the thoughts turn to disasters that have not happened and likely never will. After that, like a gang of rampaging Vikings, the thoughts bring out the sins of the past to torment the forgiven victim. The thoughts turn...Yes, it sounds like the dreadful work of anxiety on the human mind. All of these are manifestations of fear and unbelief in our Lord's saving power. Set the mind at ease; the Good Shepherd did not save the sheep in order to drop the trembling things down a ravine filled with brambles. We are in His good hands, no longer subject to those things the anxious mind generates to fill our days with fear. Stop this morning at the filling station of God's love before you go to work. Rejoice at the well of the Lord's salvation as you prepare for the day. Fill the thought of the mind with Jesus and, as Paul reminded us, be anxious for nothing!

Have a glorious day in Christ the Lord!

Bucky

A Hope Came To The Hopeless

For we are aliens and pilgrims before You,
​​As were all our fathers;
​​Our days on earth are as a shadow,
​​And without hope.
      1 Chronicles 29:15

Walk your own way, live your own life, do whatever it is you want to do and only what you want to do, and this one short lifetime you live will likely not offer much in the way of hope to the world. A few years later someone might remark, "That guy? Oh, I recall that he did only what he wanted and then died alone." As David wrote in his psalm, our days on earth are as a shadow and without hope. However, David was among those who were given knowledge of a hope only God could provide, a Savior. Isaiah wrote of the hope of God with this:

The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light; they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined. (Isaiah 9:2)

We are blessed to live in a time of hope. Hope that not only lives in our risen Savior, but in the gentle anticipation of His imminent return.

In Christ our Lord,

Bucky

Faith In Christ, In Christ Alone

Moreover those who work in fine flax
​​And those who weave fine fabric will be ashamed;
-- Isaiah 19:9

Reading this verse for today might bring up a few questions for us. What could possibly make someone ashamed of their job or art? Events of the past couple of years have given us one possible answer; inability to fulfill orders due to supply shortages. No one who serves likes to disappoint a customer, especially one who may have placed a deposit down on an order. A spiritual awakening might be another answer. What if those fine fabrics and flaxen weaves had pictures woven in that suddenly became shameful to the weavers? You have answers of your own that might fit the bill as well. However, one such thing I experienced a few years ago was placing faith in a job. Whether it be in the skill, position, employer, or economy, placing faith in a job will neither save a person nor will it necessarily be faithful in return. Employers have no control over the economy, skills can become obsolete, and as many of us found out one day, positions can be terminated. We live both now and forever by faith in Christ, in Christ alone.

Grace to you from our Lord Jesus,

Bucky

The Gift Of God

Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.”  John 4:10

It is kind of difficult to not write about the cold after the latter part of this week, and yet, it is what it is and winter has come. Near the beginning of winter on the calendar, we celebrated a holiday with gifts to one another. We name it after this same gift Jesus said to the woman at the well would give even more gifts, the Christ. The gift of God to us is the Christ. And by this gift we call those who believe in Him our brothers and sisters in Christ. 

Lots of words bounce around in my mind, but there it is, brothers and sisters in Christ!

Rejoice in our new family!

Bucky

A Most Unusual Star

When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. Matthew 2:9

Happy Epiphany! Finished with Christmas? Not quite, we celebrate today the visit of the magi or wise men coming to visit our Lord Jesus the newborn King of the Jews and worship Him. As they left Jerusalem, they found an unusual guide to lead them to our Lord, a star. How do we know this is unusual behavior in a star? We don't really; it's just that in our experience stars do not lead people from city to town to a single house. It's better than GPS! However, they had to travel at night though because that is when the stars are visible, right? No, the scripture says nothing about day or night travel, and typically their riding or walking would have been done in the daylight hours. This was, at least to our experience, a most unusual star.

Not too surprising though as the sons of Adam and daughters of Eve needed a most unusual salvation.

May we bless our Lord God for sending us the Savior!

Bucky

A Profusion Of Possibles

Then the LORD said to Moses, “Write these words, for according to the tenor of these words I have made a covenant with you and with Israel.” Exodus 34:27

And the Lord gave to us the importance of the written word. Want to remember something? Write it down. Need to recall a Bible verse? Look it up in the written Word of God.

There are a profusion of possible subjects to write about this morning from a frozen traffic jam on I-95 to more news of that virus thing still going back and forth across the Earth. However, today we are all the more impressed with the eleven remaining disciples and a few others who took the good news of Jesus forth to the nations without the written new covenant. Even written copies of the Hebrew scriptures were likely not easily obtained in their day. We might have this mistaken impression of Peter and the gang handing out little copies of the New Testament, but the printing press wouldn't be around for a while yet. And it would be just shy of 1,900 years before the Gideon's got together in Wisconsin. However, those first believers from the disciples to the Pentecosters had someone with them even better than the written word- the Holy Spirit of God.

We may not think that we have the right equipment for the witnessing job, but our Lord Jesus gave to each of us a bit of Himself.

Faithful in Christ,

Bucky

Where Are You Going?

So I said, “Where are you going?”
And he said to me, “To measure Jerusalem, to see what is its width and what is its length.” Zechariah 2:2

The first working day for most of us in 2022 might bring with it a question such as that one in our verse for today. "Where are you going?" For many of us the answer might be obvious such as to work or school, but for others there may yet be no answer. As for Zechariah and later John, the dimensions of the city are not so important as the fact of the city. Jerusalem is there and it is physical. There are prophecies about another city, but we don't want to go there because it is slated for destruction. At the moment there are a great many cities of tremendous size scattered about the Earth, but one place stands out for its renewal, the new Jerusalem, and its physical presence in scripture enough that it is to be measured. So, in the end where are we going? Up to Jerusalem to see the King of kings!

May we soon gather with the Lord in His great city!

Bucky

Happy New Year!

As we look at the new fallen snow this first few minutes of 2022 in the love, grace, and peace of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, my brothers and sisters in Christ pray dear Father for Your Good News to reach the lost sheep of every nation, people, tribe and tongue in this world. Happy New Year! To You our God and Father. Amen.

Your children on Earth by the grace of Christ Jesus

The Close of 2021

But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. Jude 1:20-21

2021 ends in yet another disaster and one not far away from us in this little corner of Colorado. Our love is called upon and our faith tested once more. Hundreds of people lost their homes yesterday as the front winds of a winter storm brought a fast-moving fire to southwest Boulder County. About the time they have the fires under control, all may be covered in snow tonight...and cold. Prayers for mercy, comfort, and restoration are needed from those of faith in our Lord Jesus. None of us of course wanted to end this year on such a note as this.

Jude said to keep yourselves in the love of God. Some of the comments I've read online this morning certainly remind me of why Jude would need to say this. Let us pray in love for those who have suffered loss this year.

In Christ our Savior,

Bucky

That Old Year

And you shall sow in the eighth year, and eat old produce until the ninth year; until its produce comes in, you shall eat of the old harvest.  Leviticus 25:22

As 2021 begins to slink away into history, we might just feel as though we are enduring the old produce from 2020. Much of the news seemed similar with slightly different names. We had Mr. Delta and then Ms. Omicron, but both of them still brought that COVID thing to us. More lockdowns came to some places and more violence to others. We expect some stumbling from a new president, but this one appears to have reversed a surging economy and brought in inflation at the same time. We might just look around and see that we are in a sort of ninth year where we are partaking of the old produce until a new harvest comes in. And then to vax or not to vax, that is the question. Sorry, Will! Yes, another year is going away, but sheesh! 

If things continue downhill toward complete lawlessness in 2022, then we know that our Lord returns soon! 

Rejoice in the Christ!

Bucky

Why Did The Lord Jesus Need To Grow Up?

Then He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was subject to them, but His mother kept all these things in her heart. And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men. Luke 2:51-52

There is this passage in Luke when Jesus was twelve and it can be a stumbling stone even for us. We might even wonder why they didn't turn around and place the young scholar in the hands of the priesthood for His training. And then there is this bit about our Lord Jesus increasing in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men. It all comes down to: Why did the Lord Jesus need to grow up?

The answer likely has something to do with our benefit. It shows us something about Him or about our condition. We can learn too that timing was important, and His time had not yet come as He would say later in His life. Also, we might easily protest the unfairness if the Lord got to skip over those years that caused many of us such difficulty. Strange though it may seem to us as we admire the perfection of our Lord Jesus, part of His mission was in growing up and into His lordship. How remarkable!

Truly we are still working to understand the wonder of our Lord Jesus,

Bucky

Where Did Joseph Go?

So when they saw Him, they were amazed; and His mother said to Him, “Son, why have You done this to us? Look, Your father and I have sought You anxiously.” Luke 2:48

And that, my friends, was the last mention of Joseph, our Lord's earthly and adoptive father. You might say that Joseph was part of the 'them' in v51 of course, but by his name or position as father, this was it for that man of many angel dreams, dear Joseph. The man who believed the angel messengers is gone from our Lord's story with no explanation or incident on record. At some point between our Lord's twelfth year and His baptism by John, Joseph left the story. And we wonder down through the years, where did Joseph go? John the Baptist said that he must become less and less, but Joseph simply vanishes. As with all of those who we cannot place our earthly hands upon right now, we have faith that our Lord has gathered them unto Himself.

Let us journey on to meet our Lord Jesus soon,

Bucky

Awesomeness!

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:

"Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!"
-- Luke 2:13-14

The dawn comes on Christmas Eve! Merry Christmas to you on this day before the celebration of the birth of our Lord Jesus.

A dark night in the fields of Judea near Bethlehem, an angel had appeared suddenly before the shepherds with glad tidings of great joy, the Son of God was born! The glory of the Lord had shone around them and fear had overwhelmed their senses. Then, a multitude of the heavenly host appears! The awesomeness from God ending the drought of the word the shepherds had lived through for generations. 

Truly we live in a similar time, having endured in our families the centuries since our Lord Jesus ascended to Heaven and waiting for His return. Just as suddenly this period will end for us. The shepherds had zero warning that their night would be any different from the multitude of nights before that one. Yet it was. Live for the day.

Merry Christmas Eve to you! 

Bucky

Stomp Away!

Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Luke 2:8

When writing each year about the story of Christ's birth, it seems so easy to stomp on what another has already done, even myself as I study and write down notes for next week's Bible study. As this event took place more than 2,000 years ago, I am not likely to come up with anything another writer or minister has not pondered before. So, the word today is...stomp away! And here we have that classic peaceful, pastoral setting of shepherds abiding in the fields at night keeping watch over their flocks of sheep. As the song goes, all is calm, all is bright, you are about to feel a terrible fright! What? You've never heard the horror movie version of Silent Night? The shepherds were us, now, waiting for the return of Jesus. The appearance when least expected of the angel of the Lord happens in just the way Jesus told us to be ready for His sudden, instant, and even immediate return. All will be calm, all will be as usual, and then it happens. We will not have time to be frightened though, we'll leave that to those left behind. May they get over the shock and come swiftly to believe in Jesus our Lord!

Have a beautiful Christmas celebration in honor of our Lord Jesus!

Bucky

Intense Angelic Activity

Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense. Luke 1:11

The understated way of the Bible is often a delight to my eye. This was not a common occurrence in the priest's day as he did not expect when his lot was drawn to be facing a messenger of the Lord. His reaction was one of fear, because well...yeah, that is the usual when an angel appears. Beside the altar was a place no one should be, startle reaction. But then Zacharias could tell this was not a stray priest or curious traveler right away, fear of the uncanny. And then comes that famous first line, "Do not be afraid." To which Zach may have thought, as we might in his place, "Too late, already got there!" This visit from Gabriel was not exactly an isolated incident at this time though. A period of intense angelic activity seems to have kicked off here with Gabriel also visiting Mary, an angel appearing to Joseph in a dream, and then the angel and a multitude of the heavenly host appearing to some rather frightened shepherds out in a field near Bethlehem. This sudden increase in visible visitations was of course part of that great event, the birth of our Lord Jesus.

Peace and joy from God our Father to you this Christmas!

Bucky

Not In The Usual Way

“Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.” Matthew 1:23

From our biology classes and parental instruction way back in the day we learned how human conception works. So also did the ancients know from teachers and parents that there was this enjoyable hobby that brought about babies. And then one day God said through Isaiah, quoted here in Matthew, that He would do it another way. When the time came, Mary heard it again from Gabriel, and she too had a bit of trouble understanding it. God told us it was coming and Gabriel announced to Mary that the time had come. Our only explanation is that the Holy Spirit would take care of it. Praise God!

And so it goes with our salvation. We cannot explain it, but we know the Holy Spirit will take care of all the changes needed in the heart of the sinner. Jesus paid the price, the Spirit of God works the magic in us, and we are saved! Get ready, here it comes!

Have a blessed Christmas in Jesus our Lord,

Bucky

What We Don't Want To Do

And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city. Luke 2:1-3

We just had a census last year, or sort of last year; there were some delays it seems. However, one thing we did not have to do was travel to our family's hometown or region to be registered. Each year this bit of Luke reminds us that God does at times work through things we might not want to do. Joseph and Mary may not have wanted to take an extended trip to Bethlehem at this time. All those folks filling up the inn at Bethlehem may not have been too pleased to have uprooted their normal lives either. Sometimes though, we forget that Mary and Joseph did know who they carried with them, they probably knew from the scriptures quite well that He needed to be born in Bethlehem, and all that census hubbub just made it that much more difficult. However, all that Caesar, the governor, and everyone else did was bring Jesus our Lord right to the place He would be born, at just the right time, and in a way that was perfectly humble. Whether those young parents of our Lord were already on the way to Bethlehem or had to do something they would rather not, God's will was done!

One week to the Eve of Christmas! Have a wonderful weekend in Christ the Lord!

Bucky

All Was Perfect

And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.  Luke 2:7

When we think on God's perfect ways and come to the story of His Son's birth, we might see what we think are imperfections. No reservation at the inn for our Lord's birth? A feed bunk for animals as a cradle? However, for all those who have endured that question, "Were you born in a barn?" Jesus is our hero. We do not believe ourselves worthy of that honor, as our Lord was, having been born in hospitals, houses, and other less honorable places. Our Lord's birth less than perfect? Say not so! It is rather our definition of what is perfect that needs perfecting. And may our Lord Jesus work in us to fix that! 

Have a wonderful Christmas season! 

Bucky

Long Before

For unto us a Child is born,
Unto us a Son is given;
And the government will be upon His shoulder.
And His name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
      -- Isaiah 9:6

Yesterday some old feller thought that some big day was coming next week and I had the pleasure of gently reminding him of a holiday we know as Christmas. As the 25th is on a Saturday this year, it may seem kind of a 'long before', but it is next week. However, when Isaiah wrote down the prophecy from the Lord about a Child to be born, it was not a next week thing but a hundreds of years down the calendar sort of thing. You probably do not have a calendar sitting in a drawer for oh, 2535 AD? 2600 AD? Not even published yet, you say? Should the appointed date for our Lord's return be that far out, you and I will likely not be alive on this earth at that time. While one or two might ask why the BC numbers counting down each year toward zero didn't give them an idea that something was coming, we think that the whole BC to AD thing was invented sometime after the big event in Bethlehem. 

So, to us the birth of Jesus seems so long ago, but Isaiah wrote the prophecy long before that, and then we learn that God knew that His Way was the only way to save us long before even Isaiah's time and our little mind gets lost in the long ago-long before-eternal past sort of thing, and we stop and say, 

Merry Christmas! 

Bucky

Behold, A Mystery!

Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed—  1 Corinthians 15:51

We shall all be changed... Before this pandemic thing that began almost 2 years ago, this might have been just a skoosh harder to believe. Now we can see that even in this world all of us have been moved a little or a lot in various directions. Our faith may be stronger or there may be doubts in some. How much trust we put in governments may be changed from what it was at Christmas time in 2019; an innocent time just before the news reports of a new virus began popping up in the media. Over the past couple of years, you may have found out things about friends and relatives that you did not know before this thing moved across the world. Therefore, it is not at all difficult to believe now that God shall change us all when this time comes that Paul writes of back in his day. 

The good news of this great change is that our Lord Jesus is on it! So, no worries my brothers and sisters in Christ! 

Bucky

Showing The Lord's Strength In Us

And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 2 Corinthians 12:9

Most of us in reading this verse from Paul to the Corinthian church note that we have much to offer our Lord in making perfect His strength! Excellent, we must be right where He wants us!

Have a beautiful day in Christ our Lord!

Bucky

Swiftly Winning The Race

Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it.  1 Corinthians 9:24

We have to win a race to get the prize? Well that leaves me out. I guess opposite week continues as I have never been complimented on my racing speed on foot. When it came time to think about career choices, NFL wide receiver was not on my list. In fact, I think the guidance counselor crossed out anything involving running before she gave me the form. This verse always reminds me that our Lord Jesus does not choose in the way that we picked teams back in the day. Those who believe in Jesus may or may not include the swiftest of feet, strongest of body, fattest of wealth, or prettiest of face. On our Lord's team we may find those of us who are a little below average in some respects. In this race we are also making sure that our brothers and sisters in Christ are finishing too. We invite others to join the race and are not worried over whether they are fast or slow. It is the Lord's race to win and we believe in Him!

Have a good race in the Lord!

Bucky

An Offering Of My Wisdom

O God, You know my foolishness;
And my sins are not hidden from You.
      -- Psalm 69:5

Talk about a weak offering! This week seems to be an opposite title sort of week thus far. The verse from the psalm says it best for most of us. Sin and foolishness showed strongly in life before we gave it to our Lord Jesus. Much of the wisdom we had in those days came from hard lessons experienced, often of the won't-do-that-again variety that is more like self-preservation. While we may still have some leanings toward foolishness (Yes, and sin as well.), we can ask the Lord for wisdom and rejoice in His generous giving.

Thank You, dear Lord, for wisdom in this life in Christ!

Bucky

Director Of Music

The Sovereign LORD is my strength;
he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,
he enables me to tread on the heights.

For the director of music. On my stringed instruments.  Habakkuk 3:19

Preacher and prophet are mentioned in the Bible at least a couple of times as jobs we might have in our service to the Lord, but director of music occurs 54 times too. All of these are in the Psalms plus a 55th in little Habakkuk. No one, that I can recall in my lifetime, has asked me to be their director of music. Other than that I have no music education or experience beyond high school, and even that involved no practice on my part, I just cannot understand why they would leave me out. Hmm, yes, there might be that little problem with Christmas music. While even the grinchiest might allow one Christmas carol into the church program about this time of the year, I on the other hand feel that even a moderately cool day in August is cause enough to bring out the Christmas tunes. And I have done this many times! So, for those of us excluded from high position over our affection for Christmas music, we say with the prophet:

The Sovereign Lord is my strength!

If ever I had cause to doubt scripture comes the next bit: That would be one clumsy deer and I'm terrified of heights. Of course much of scripture requires faith of us and speaks to a time yet to come. One day, we will leap on the heights together as surefooted as the deer... and sing our Christmas carols to the Lord! 

Merry Christmas!

Bucky

He Is Willing, Be Cleansed

Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, “I am willing; be cleansed.”  Mark 1:41

The question was: If You are willing, You can make me clean. Often we have a similar attitude as though there is something that would make our Lord Jesus unwilling to cleanse us from that thing that makes us outcast. Yes, I am thinking of the end times, even the end of the Bible where those cast out are in the outer darkness. It doesn't get more outcast than that! And those choices that place them out there are the things that Jesus is willing to cleanse us from by His atoning sacrifice. And, no, you and I do not have time to cleanse ourselves from this unrighteousness. Like ol' grain bin guy in Luke 12, our soul may well be required of us this night. The parable warned those trying to save themselves that Jesus our Savior is the only answer to our sinful condition. The question of our Lord's willingness was fully answered at the cross. The question now is whether we are willing to come to Him and let Him cleanse us of sin and anything else that grieves us this day. 

Have no doubt; He is willing, be cleansed!

Bucky

Wise As Serpents

Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. Matthew 10:16

This is one from our Lord that almost seems wrong to us. Be wise as serpents? How much wisdom is in a snake? As a critter prone to being stomped on by huge beasts, maybe more than one might think at first. And how about those doves? It may seem easier to us to understand their innocence, but do we? Again, maybe more than we think. If the body of a dead squirrel lies in the local park this morning, people will likely not level any accusations against the local dove gang. They are likely innocent to our knowledge without us calling in Sherlock Holmes. And then there is the whole sheep and wolves thing. Wouldn't the message spread faster by sending the wolves out to preach to the herds of sheep? Sheep are after all a bit wayward and according to those who have worked with them, quite the dumb animal. So, likened to sheep, snakes, and doves, we are sent out among wolves? Help! Which is what our Lord would have us to do, I'm sure. Call upon Him every step of the way in our journey.

Walking with the Lord this day,

Bucky

Prayer Bystander

​I am one mocked by his friends,
​​Who called on God, and He answered him,
​​The just and blameless who is ridiculed.
       -- Job 12:4

Some things are not shared with me, and my prayers are therefore somewhat vague as I trust in God to know what the issues are in that relationship. As a prayer bystander I have no information to act upon, and yet I am mocked by many for not doing something to solve the problem. Other times I may know more about the problem, but be distant and unable to physically solve anything. Once again, I am a prayer bystander and mocked by some. There are the problems of a financial nature that are too big for me alone, and so I enter into prayer with the Lord as a bystander. Our government has become so large as to be a force for change or to prevent change in the world, and my vote seems so miniscule in the election, but my prayer is heard by God.

Yes, those who would look down on the prayer bystander do not know or believe in the One to whom I pray. For those of us who believe in our Lord, prayer is the action we love to perform and prayer is action. For those who refuse to believe, prayer is easy to mock. I believe in Jesus the Christ and in the power of God in response to prayer. I am that weak prayer bystander, but the Lord is the Almighty who hears my prayer!

Bucky