July 15, 2007

Good morning, it is nice to see the clouds keeping it cool(er) today. Walking through Walmart, I saw the displays of school stuff already. It seems that Christmas isn't the only shopping season that is pushed at a time that to me seems much too soon. The first of August, okay, but the middle of July just seems a bit like torturing the kids. Summer break is only half over for goodness sakes. It seems like I went off about this last year; Walmart apparently didn't take notice of my opinion, how rude of them! :-)

Last night I was asking for forgiveness for my sins, which seems to happen a lot, and the thought came to me that I should call it the "lust of too much". What that means is that often sin begins with a lust for too much. Wanting one woman or one man and entering to a relationship leading to marriage is good for us. Wanting a wife or husband and having an affair is lusting after too much and is sin. When we commit adultery is hurts us more than it hurts God. He is disappointed in us and grieves over our sin, but the hurt is really to all parties involved in the breaking of trust. Pornography, many movies and television shows, and even a lot of advertising is based on that lust of too much. When a person of wealth starts collecting automobiles what happens? You know it, the collection will eventually encompass garages and buildings. In our consumer-driven culture, the lust of too much causes houses and closets to overflow with "stuff"; we have things that we have not used for years, clothes that no longer fit, and furniture that only the pets use. Then we can start in on the credit card debt...

What happens is that "lust of too much" cannot be satisfied, one car (knick-knack, model, figurine, etc.) doesn't make a collection, but two only calls to three, and so on, until suddenly the collection is out of control. Advertisers take advantage of this lust to tell us how much more we need to want and buy. Even Solomon, the wisest man in the Old Testament, fell into the trap of that lust. He had 700 wives and a thousand concubines, and that is just asking for trouble. Now all of this does not mean that we should stop living; you will still need things and want things, not all of that is automatically a sin. However, we can usually tell when we have fallen victim to the lust of too much. If you find it difficult to pay for that last collectible you bought, you may be there already. If the credit card bills are piling up, say it in your best Jeff Foxworthy imitation, you might be a victim of the lust of too much.

Praise the Lord for forgiveness in Jesus Christ!

Bucky

July 14, 2007

Good Morning! What a nice morning too! Last night I thought about the story of the Prodigal Son. If you are at all like me, the prodigal part came easily, even naturally. I cannot remember a time when I was not good at the prodigal part of that story. Rebellion, spending, gluttony, all of these come naturally to a creature stained with sin from birth. Have you ever noticed that all of Jesus' parables have an element of "me" in them? As in, "oops, that's me. I'm often like that." I read the stories of Jesus coming down on the Pharisees and their legion of rules, only to think badly of someone else for some small infraction. There seems to be no getting around the fact that I am all of the wrong things spoken of in the Bible.
That is why the Law points to Jesus, the fulfillment of the Law. Read in Leviticus the extensive rules for how to do everything in life. Is it any wonder the Israelites had trouble keeping the law? What are the corners of the beard anyway, and why should they not be trimmed? I think that God made the Law difficult to show us how we cannot keep it. They didn't back in the day, and we don't keep it now. Prodigals everywhere I look and I am not the least of them. Praise the Lord for forgiveness in Jesus!

Paul tells us in Romans that all have sinned and fallen short of God's glorious standard. Almost 2,000 years later there is no better way to put it. We are all prodigals from birth and only in Jesus can we be saved. Heavy news for a Saturday? Yep, me too, but that is what came to me for the devotional today. On the other hand, we have the Good News of Christ's resurrection and life! He has risen! Conquering death and the grave, none can overcome our Lord Jesus. We cannot be condemned when God has forgiven our sin. Jesus paid the price and we cannot be charged again with the same crime. Hold your hands up to heaven today and rest in the glory of our Lord's sacrifice for us.

Give glory to the Lord this day!

Bucky

July 13, 2007

Good morning. Do you ever find yourself thinking that a problem or trial that you have experienced is unique. You might have that thought, "Why does this only happen to me?" or something similar go through your head. Later, God will bring someone into your life and you find that not only is your problem not unique, but yours is in some way lighter or easier than the next person's. When we speak of stories where God has humbled me in some way, my stories will often come from that direction. At times it can be a longevity or length of time complaint, "Lord, when are you going to heal me from this?" About that time someone will mention that same or a worse problem they have endured for much longer. Ouch, there I go scurrying off under a couch in shame, since my new inch-high size allows me to do such things. Stress at work and a desire to get out? Hardly a day goes by that someone I thought was strong and doing well in the hectic environment does not mention how they have a dream or plan to get out and do something else for a living.

Yes, we will go over it once again. Each of us is a unique creation of God, but none of us has problems that God has not seen before and handled easily in his mighty power and wisdom. Isn't it great to know that God is in control of our problems and knows exactly how to take care of us? We need not fear outcomes when we walk in the Creator and he in us. Let the glory of the Lord rise above our problems and trials.

God bless you this weekend!

Bucky

July 12, 2007

Good Morning! The light of the Lord shines in us today. I pray that one more letter of love might go out to you on this day. What a beautiful sunrise this morning. This is one of my favorite times to write the devotional, that time just before the sun comes up when only the occasional car goes by and even the animals are quiet. The annual harvest report, since I know that I did this last year, is that about half of it is finished. As I drove to Scottsbluff and back yesterday, it seems that about the same number of fields are cut as are not. I saw harvesters working in Banner county; they may have received less rain than we did.

Yesterday, I heard a couple of embarrassing Lord stories. What in the world could that be? It goes like this, we ask the Lord in prayer for something that might seem at first to be a little silly or selfish, an "I want" or "I would like" request, and later, perhaps years later, the Lord answers in a way that humbles us. I thought it might be interesting to collect some of those stories. What stories do you have wherein you received what you asked for and were humbled by the experience? Did the Lord fulfill your request through someone whom you didn't expect? Did a child in some way fulfill your request? I have come to see a God-sized sense of humor in our Lord. Remember the story about the Seven Sons of Seva in Acts? You know the one where the demon responds, "We know Jesus and we know Paul, but who are you?" and proceeds to thump the pretenders to a fine fare-thee-well. Sometimes a person or persons deserve a good thumpin', not the least of which might be myself! :-)

God loves you and so do I!

Bucky

July 11, 2007

Good morning. The rain came last night, along with some lightning and thunder to help me sleep better. Right. Sometimes we get in a pattern of late night storms that can really put a crimp on the sleep time. It does make for a nice, cool morning though. I hear from one of my farmer friends that her wheat harvest is complete. Praise the Lord for that! Did you ever think about practicing to listen? I have often thought that talking comes very naturally to most people, but listening requires more practice. I see in the secular media that there is no need for sexist remarks in this area any longer as a new study has shown men and women are both equally "chatty" in conversation. Years of bad jokes and a few funny ones have just been killed off with one study. Actually, you are correct; the jokes about talkative women will probably not go away quite that easily. I have noticed in our meetings at work that men are just as deserving of those jokes; there are men who do love to hear themselves talk, and just like the women in those jokes, they don't have to say much while doing it. While we should always remember that God created man and woman to be different and how wonderful those differences are, we should also rejoice when an unfair wrong is set right. Either sex has its share of "bum raps" saying one group is worse in some regard to the other, and it is good to see one disproved. Praise the Lord for all of our differences, not just the ones between the sexes!

God bless and keep you!

Bucky

July 10, 2007

Good morning! We have some thunderstorms rolling through this morning, an unusual event for us; our thunderstorms mostly occur in the evening and mornings are clear. Reading in Revelation once more (yes, again!) I read about lightning and think about the symbolism. The throne in heaven is surrounded by lightning and thunder which may signify an impending storm. When the angel throws the coals from the altar down to earth John says that "lightning flashed and thunder crashed and there was a terrible earthquake." That may be literal or a sign of a great storm. The symbol of lightning is used often and not just in the Bible. It is one of the awesome forces of nature that we have no control over. We can reduce our risk by not running around in thunderstorms holding a copper pole aloft, or simply by staying inside a structure, but we cannot control the lightning. I suspect that if we truly understood the forces at work in God's creation that we would not think of the lightning as capricious or random. However, we do know that God is in control of each lightning strike, none will surprise him or catch him off guard.
Events in our lives are no different. They may seem random to us, but to God all was planned out long ago. You and I are saved through his great plan. We run the race to arrive at the place God has already planned for us. Is it not wonderful that God has created this entire universe that we might come to him at the appointed time? The thought of that kind of stretches the ol' mind a bit doesn't it? Today we can watch the lightning and hear the thunder, and then celebrate the glory of the Lord!

God bless you!

Bucky

July 9, 2007

Good morning! The time for me to return to work has arrived... actually just the morning, it isn't quite time yet. It was a nice cool night, but like me, you are probably finding it difficult to cool down your house these days. The heat of summer has got into the cement, the drywall, and most everything else by now. Attention! No, not as in listen up, but as in recognition. We want it, we desire it, but often we don't know how to get it in the right way. One of the big black marks against any organization is a failure to recognize its employees. Worse would be when volunteer organizations fail to recognize the volunteers in some way. Yes, we are storing up treasure in heaven, but it is also good for a peer to say a "thank you" or to send a note or card in even the small things. I don't think that God takes away our reward in heaven when honest compliments or awards are given here on earth; that would be out of character for a loving father, and we know that God is the ultimate loving father. Now if we seek only the acclaim of man, then that is probably all that we will receive. Accept the honest compliments of your brothers and sisters in Christ with good grace and no false modesty. When we say, "Jesus is Lord!" we not only pledge our allegiance to him, but we also pay him a sincere compliment.

Let the glory of the Lord rise from us!

Bucky

July 7, 2007

Good morning and a hot one it is already. That is July around here, not much that we can do about that. Looking over my utility spreadsheet for the past six years in this house, the July bill is always the summer peak for electricity usage. That makes sense, summer begins, the days are long and hot, and the nights short and do not cool down very much. The grass gets a lot of water and the AC runs a lot. This earth-shattering news flash brought to you by ObviousNews! :-)

I took my summer expensive WalMart trip this morning, I should be set on the consumables for a while. I also picked up something that I probably should have done long ago, a personal shredder. All of us should be doing this, and I have been slow to get around to it. A $50 shredder is a relatively inexpensive measure to help prevent identity theft. Of course a shredder does nothing for the Internet stuff that can get any of us in trouble. Back in the day defending your house or herds was about the extent of most people's defensive problems. If a king arrived with an army, a person could become a vassal, be conquered, flee, or fight to the death, and that was about it. Now we can be attacked in so many ways that it is too much ground for anyone to defend. Most people trust in ignorance and luck; I think it better to trust in the Lord first and do what we can second.

I hope that most of you are enjoying some time at the lake or beach on this second Independence Day weekend. I am still in school. Yes, poor pitiful me, but next year it won't be that way; school will be finished and summer will be different. God willing, I will do a lot more writing next year.

May the God of grace and peace be in your heart today!

Bucky

July 8, 2007

Good morning! I see signs that the wheat harvest is underway in these parts. No doubt the hot, dry weather we have seen recently has helped the harvest. The wind has changed directions though and we may see some rain at some point during the coming week. The arrival of harvest is always a milestone each year, no matter what crop and what time of the year it occurs. Jesus used the metaphor of harvest to let us know that the end time is near. It may seem that every year I speak of how close the end times are as yet another harvest arrives. This has happened with or without me for the past 19 centuries and then some. None of us knows when the end will arrive and the harvest will be finished forever, and so we continue in hope and faith while the world scoffs. Today I pray for those who believe in their own intellect, power, strength, or luck. Belief in such things will not save them. No governement, minister, priest, friend, or relative can save anyone, only Jesus saves and he is available to anyone and everyone. Praise God for our Savior!


Bucky

July 6, 2007

Good morning! Time to get up and shake it all about once more. I haven't had my breakfast yet, so that may explain the "shake it all about" thing. Last night was one of the more still nights that I have seen for a while. Even this morning the breeze is nowhere to be seen. Very unusual out in these parts. Today, reading in Revelation, I am struck by the how the personnel in heaven fulfill their duties. The four beasts are saying, "Holy, holy , holy..." and the four and twenty elders are kneeling and setting down their crowns before the throne, as John says, "Day after day, and night after night." That sounds kind of dull and redundant don't you think? Yes, from our human perspective we think of sore knees, aching backs, raspy throats, and other conditions that would cause if we did that here on earth. Not that praising God constantly would be a bad thing, but that we are still too earth bound in our thinking. John reports what is going on, the coloring we give it comes from our own prejudices. I notice, or more likely was prompted by the Holy Spirit, that nowhere does it say the beasts or elders are forced to do this. In fact just a few verses later one of the elders speaks to John, and then the beasts and elders bow before the Lamb. That tells me that this group still has their freedom in heaven, no one is making them praise God constantly. We cannot place our earth bound notions and ideas on heaven, Jesus tells us that he will make all things new. If all things are new from God's point of view, how can we possibly imagine what that will be like? Sorry, but we will simply have to wait patiently to find out just how wonderful the new heaven and earth will be when Jesus comes.

Praise God for the day!

Bucky

July 5, 2007

Good morning! Sleepy and tired from the loss of sleep during the last couple of nights, I sit down to write once more. I am glad that many people had their fun and now I am once more glad that its over for another year. Ha, I get dopey after a few evenings of sleep loss, I can only imagine what living with a new baby must be like for sleep deprivation. Did you ever notice how much more easily the mind starts to wander when short on sleep? Writing the devotional takes twice as long when that happens. Sentences come one at a time, with a lot of mind wandering in between them. You might imagine that during a time of persecution, an organization wanting to make Christians look bad could easily do that by depriving them of sleep. A court defense would be nearly impossible in a comfortable chair in a courtroom where, unlike television, drama is usually lacking. In that we must depend not on our own strength, but on the strength of Jesus to see us through. It is unlikely that Stephen rehearsed or even knew what to say when facing the court in Acts, but when he spoke in the Holy Spirit, whooee, what a speech he gave them! You can read it in Acts and marvel at the work of the Holy Spirit.

God is wonderful!

Bucky

July 4, 2007

Good morning, and a happy Independence Day! Today we celebrate the gaining of our independence as a nation. What have we done with that independence? Looking around we see much good and bad; our major media outlets do not always report the good and seem to delight in bringing us bad news. The Good News is our responsibility. Jesus told us to take that Good News to the farthest corners of the globe, and we are indeed doing just that. You may wonder how you are doing that working each day at the same place, seldom leaving your town, and going to the same church. While the opportunity to spread the Good News exists in every town and neighborhood, just supporting your church with tithes is a good way to help spread that Good News. Television and cable stations carry ministers and evangelists throughout the world every day. Letters come to them from such unlikely places as Saudi Arabia and the Sudan, speaking of how great it is to be able to receive the Word. Children can go to summer camps to listen to the Word through our financial support. Churches remain solvent through our giving. Yes, there is much that we can do by working at that job that we have; independence is in our hearts through Christ Jesus, our Lord. Teamwork in the family of Christ is our greatest asset in spreading the Good News; that is why Paul told us that everyone has their place in the body of Christ. Is it not great to belong to that family?

Let the glory of the Lord shine in our Christian family!

Bucky

July 3, 2007

Good morning! Bone head weather forecast for today: it will be hot. Yes, it's July and the night did not cool off very much, so my forecast is not any evidence for psychic or forecasting ability. Praise the Lord for the new day! Good news for those going to the lakes or oceans, the hot weather will make the water feel that much better, especially if the water is cool. I'm crying again this morning, must be something the cat got into or something outside when I was walking around the yard. Allergies, the new way to make a grown man cry.

How do we go about fulfilling our duty? What is there to help us to do that which is required and to obey the authorities put over us? Our rebellious sin nature will fight against it, the flesh will want to go its own way. Those rebellious thoughts will come, and certainly we should not submit to evil powers. The desire to follow the flesh is strong, but courage and strength are found in the Lord. Baby steps as we grow in our walk of faith lead us to start small. When a boss heaps yet another task on your plate, take a breath, work with your boss to prioritize tasks, and do what you can during your work time. Above all, pray and read the Word. Gather with the Lord often for prayer and reading. I think the best way to start learning how to obey is to simply pray, "Lord, help me to obey."

Let the wisdom of the Lord shine on us today.

Bucky

July 2, 2007

Good morning, almost good afternoon. I am on vacation today and as you will notice from the time this is sent, doing a bit of goofing off! I see a man working in the neighbor's backyard from my window. He is large in the trunk and arms, but smaller in the legs. From his sun-browned skin and muscular upper body, I am not going too far out on a limb by guessing that he does not sit at a desk for work during most days. Actually, I can see they are pouring a patio for the neighbor. Doing cement work on a daily basis will make a person muscular over time. Often we can tell something of what a person does for a living by their appearance, though perhaps not as much as in former days. When my parents and grandparents grew up, office workers dressed well, even in a suit and tie for men and dresses or skirts for women. These days an office worker may not look that much different from a dock worker, with the exception of some sweat and dirt. Many offices, including ours, do not expect and in fact discourage the employees from wearing suits or dresses to work in the office. It may no longer be obvious what a person does each day. Deduction and elimination may help. I don't think anyone would look at me and say, "aerobics instructor", at least not with a straight face. ;-) Does our relationship with Christ show?

Does a relationship with Jesus show on our faces, or in what we do and say? A lack of profane language is not in itself an indication. In spite of what we see in movies, most people do not habitually use foul language. Drinking alcoholic beverages? Again, some people drink too much, some do not, and there is no commandment that says you cannot have a beer. Does it show? I think that it does, but perhaps not to the world that is stuck in unbelief. There are people who show up for work with a bright and bubbly manner each day. They may go home and collapse on their couch in tears, but that part we do not see. It isn't an always cheerful demeanor that sets us apart; Christians are not always happy, we have sorrow in our lives. All of us, at one time or many, have felt the sting of sorrow and in Christ we do not leap for joy during those times; emotionally or physically, or perhaps both, those times hurt us very much.

One day all of our tears and sorrows will be washed away.

Bucky

P.S. I feel this kind of rambles today, not sure yet where it will end up. We'll see what tomorrow brings.

July 1, 2007

Good morning! Well, it is here, July 1st, and half the year is gone into the past. Summer has only just begun, but we will soon be talking about the new school year and how cold the winter will be. The seasons change and one of the best ways to enjoy the season is to talk about what is next. Eh? Can that be true? No, it is actually what happens so much in our lives; we look to the future hoping to drown out the misery of the present. However, Jesus said that he came to give us life and that we would have it more abundantly. Plans are good, and I need to do it more, but living with our head in the clouds is not the way to have life more abundantly. That is one of the more difficult tasks for us as Christians since we are looking forward in hope to the return of Jesus and his taking us home to be with him. How can you or I hope to compete with that vision of Christ's glory! We don't try to compete, but we live in his love and that love reaches out to those who do not yet share in our hope.

Speaking of the other side of the coin, hopeless tasks, I am reading a murder/mystery book that introduces a group devoted to fighting evil in the world. All well and good, but this group does it in their own intellect, strength, and wealth. That is a hopeless task if ever there was one. Satan has far more resources than any or all of us do in our own strength. I do not know how many angels fell with him, but 1/3 of the hosts of heaven must be an awesome number. I cannot think how anyone could possibly think that they could win such a fight without the power of Jesus Christ. Wait, I do know how, they do not believe in Jesus in the first place. Satan must laugh at the pride that would be required to make someone think that they can take on the power of the Prince of this world in their own strength.

For us, let us just run to our Abba when faced with powers beyond our scope in this world. As we grow in our Christian faith, we will have Kingdom authority over all things. However, the first thing is to run to our Father in heaven, our Abba. Children are not afraid to run to daddy when faced with a threat and neither should we try to take on powers that are beyond us in our own strength.

To the glory of God the Father!

Bucky

June 30, 2007

Good Saturday morning! Many will have begun the Independence Day holiday as of yesterday evening. Travel, fireworks, picnics, time off from work, and I would hope that we will all spend some quiet time with the Lord. In looking at (and working on) the pond today, it just might be possible that the first batch of cattails will emerge today. A few Wal-mart water plants were planted or tossed into the pond this spring, so far one lily has emerged and one is trying, but the others have not shown any signs of life yet. Planted too deep, not deep enough, too much sun, hungry fish, who knows? The plants will grow or not at God's will, not mine. Some things we cannot do anything about and we leave them in God's capable and powerful hands. In this sin stained world not all plants will grow, and not all of us will thrive and prosper as the world counts such things. However, in Christ we thrive and prosper regardless of the condition of our bank account or health. We may not see the results of this growth until we emerge in heaven. There what seemed barren in this life may prove to be the brightest and most beautiful flower in eternity.

To God be the glory!

Bucky

June 29, 2007

Good morning! The Good News of Jesus Christ shines through us today. In searching for what Newsweek would have us know about Jesus, it seems that we are to know the artist who painted the most famous of the images of Christ in 1940, but that is it. I don't think that will come as a surprise to anyone; that is about what we have come to expect from the secular news. The better news is that image has been reproduced a billion times. It seems that people, and that means us, want the image of Christ on their walls and I am glad to hear that! For your trivia collection, that image was made from an oil painting by Warner Sallman in 1940, right about then the world needed an image of Christ for its comfort I should think.

The secular world cannot hide the Good News, even when it doesn't realize it! Another fact dug up in the 180 things you need to know; Jesus has never been named in the title of a best seller. I don't think our Lord will lose any sleep over that, and we already know the secular world hates Christ. The Bible, the word of Jesus, still outsells everything else in literature. Let the glory of the Lord shine above this world!

Go forth in Jesus name today!

Bucky

June 28, 2007

Good morning! The fish are active this morning; it must be time to feed them. Newsweek features a list of things that they feel we should know. Jesus is pictured on the cover; I haven't yet found the part that tells what we should know about him, but I suspect it won't be quite right. The best source to learn about Jesus is certainly not a news magazine. We find the Truth in his own word, the Bible. Yes, Jesus was a man who lived about 2,000 years ago. The world knows of him and even the world acknowledges that he existed, but we want to know him, not just about him. There is the big difference. We know of George Washington, Adolph Hitler, Roy Rogers, Genghis Kahn, and many other historical or popular people, but we cannot know them for they are gone. Of all those who have passed before us in this world, Jesus stands alone as someone we can know well after his earthly life has ended. Alone of all historical figures that we can read about in dry historical texts, Jesus lives again.

To God be the Glory!

Bucky

June 27, 2007

Good morning! I enjoyed one of those occasional days of physical labor yesterday, now the time has arrived to make payment in the form of sore and stiff muscles. It will be good for me in the end. The son of one of our brothers in Christ had the interesting experience of going through a police investigation a couple of days ago. The police in their uniforms, the ride in the black and white car, and questioning by stern men. I didn't get much of that as a kid, but from that we might imagine the shock of Jonathan Edwards' first congregation to hear "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" He painted a grim picture and we should note well that the title refers to sinners. In Christ, we are no longer sinners, but set free by his blood on the Cross. Like the young son of our friend was found to be not at fault and was set free, we too are set free in Christ. We should feel that same sense of exhilaration, freedom, and responsibility that he probably felt upon his release from the police station.
The responsibility is in not doing what we were accused of before our redemption, and that is not easy. Each of us needs all of the strength of Jesus to avoid or to confront sin and have the victory. We are set free to live for Christ, and not to fall back into our old ways. Freedom is a heavy responsibility, but one that we would not trade for anything.

God grant us the victory in all of our trials!

Bucky

June 26, 2007

Good morning, and what a fine morning it is too! I like to sing a verse from a well-known hymn, although one that is from a fairly recent time, "Let the glory of the Lord rise above us." I also like to pray, "Let the glory of the Lord rise above ME!" So often we pray in our little world, we don't ask God for the big things. The glory of the Lord will rise above our petty concerns and small ideas. Yes, we have big problems that we bring to the Lord, but what about those big dreams and ideas? Let's bring our grandest schemes and desires before the Lord, we may find that those big plans are less than what the Lord has in store for us. Go with God, let his glory rise above our small-thinking minds and hearts. A beautiful sunrise awaits this morning, let it remind us of the glory of the Lord.

A joyous 'hallelujah" to start the new day!

Bucky

June 25, 2007

Learning, we all do it throughout our lifetimes whether we will admit to it or not. The very learned may be unteachable, but they still learn. In Christ we become learners once more, we are born again with eyes Christ-opened. This morning I finished the main text of the book Into Abba's Arms, by Dr. Sandra D. Wilson, that you know I have been reading for some time now. The appendices contain important information that I will get to soon, but the book was truly a revelation. Not the least of which is the fact that I am not alone in my struggles and neither are you. At times, we get into a self-pitying, arrogant state where we think that our problems are unique and by extension, unsolvable. We, you and I, are unique creations of God, but our problems are more common than we want to think. As I read through the book, it became slow going as I ran into parts that touched directly on my boo-boos as Dr. Wilson calls them in her book. It is difficult when the Bible or another book fingers your hurts directly; for one thing that means that your problem is not unique, else why would a book sold worldwide address it. Did you ever think that, in a Christ-wrought turnaround in your heart, the Bible does not address your problems, it addresses YOU! Praise the Lord for that! After all, why would the Lord want to talk to your problems anyway. He wants to have a relationship with me, and you, and our friends and neighbors. The Bible is addressed to each of us individually, and gains in power as we walk closer with the Lord Jesus Christ. The Way is open to come to the Father, our Abba, and to have a close, loving relationship with the almighty creator of Heaven and Earth.

Let the Son rise among us today!

Bucky

June 24, 2007

Good morning! Well it seems that I was wrong about the fireworks sales starting yesterday. I can live with that, it made for good sleeping last night. If anyone went running down to the fireworks stand to buy some noise, I do apologize for your inconvenience. If I don't sound very contrite, all I can say is that sometimes that happens too. :-)

Have you ever felt a sudden and unexpected need or desire to pray for someone about whom you had not even been thinking? I have come to see that in Christ this will happen. For some of us it may happen more often than with others, this is a gift of the Holy Spirit and like all such gifts, one to be treasured. The object of the prayer may not even know they needed your prayer, but somehow they will realize that they have been blessed or healed because of the intervention of the Holy Spirit. It is great to know that we are connected and protected in this way through Christ Jesus our Lord. If you feel a sudden need to pray for someone, don't hesitate! Pull over on the highway, stop what you are doing and bow your head in prayer for that person. Their need may not wait and God wants us to focus away from ourselves at that moment. Let the glory of the Lord work within us today.

God loves you so very much this day!

Bucky

June 23, 2007

Good morning! We get to enjoy a nice cool Saturday morning, though summer has begun both officially and temperature-wise. Today, if I am not mistaken, will quite likely kick off the fireworks season, not one of my favorite times of the year. Perhaps I will join them this year instead of complaining about them. What happened to my attitude between now and childhood? As a child I wanted nothing more than to spend as much money as I could get my hands on to blow up fireworks, the bigger the better. Now I view them as slightly worse than gambling, throwing money down with no possibility of return and perhaps a headache to go with it. Actually I think older folks tried to explain that to me even back in the day. Each year though I endure the annoying little fire crackers to get to the big show. Yeah, the one where the fire department sets off the big patriotic fireworks display on the 3rd or 4th of July. Now that I still enjoy and perhaps always will. The bursting star shapes remind me of one very startling cosmic display that happened about 2,000 years ago. How the simple-living shepherds and other folk must have stood in awe of the coming of the King.

God is love, love conquers all.

Bucky

June 22, 2007

Good morning! Nothing shines brighter this morning than the love of Jesus Christ. I met a rather high strung dog this morning when out walking. Of course, upon arriving home I was greeted with some suspicion by the resident feline, "I smell dog!" In the family of Christ, we will not be greeted with suspicion when we arrive in heaven. God doesn't need to inspect us there when he already knows us here. Every little thing that we might think is hidden, and it may be hidden from the world and even those who are close to us, but those things are known to God. The Good News is that he loves us, without reservation or condition. There is no "I love you, but..." Unconditional, undeserved love for all who will believe in the Son. Go forth in the light of Jesus today!

God bless you,

Bucky

June 21, 2007

Good morning! The love of the Lord leads us to gather this morning with our Bible, the Word of God. Suppose you wanted to adopt a child. The orphanage showed you all of the children at play from behind a mirrored surface. Over in a corner sits an eight-year old child. Now this child is obviously precocious as they say, but not in the way a doting parent might expect. He sits dealing cards, with the largest stack of chips on his side, smoking a cigarette, and holding a bottle of beer. Perhaps a bit of five o-clock shadow is beginning to show on his young face. As you watch, it is also obvious that he is the bully of the playground. Would this child be your first choice for adoption? Probably not.

Yet, all of us were, metaphorically speaking, just like that when Jesus found us. If some of you ladies did not have five o'clock shadows at the age of eight, don't worry, I'm sure a beard is not required of everyone. The wonderful thing is that Jesus not only adopted us in our worst and most sinful state, he also gave his life to pay the sin debt that we owed to the justice of God. Would you or I have given our lives for the little card playing bully mentioned above? We would have to think about that one for a while, simply sharing a home would be quite the burden to be sure. Jesus didn't think twice about giving his life for us, and then he told us that he was going to prepare a new home for us! Great is the love of Christ!

God's great love goes with you this day!

Bucky

June 20, 2007

Good morning and good day! Praise the Lord for the wonder of his grace and majesty! Why do we need to become as children to enter the Kingdom of God? There are several reasons, trust being one, but I like the way a child runs to the embrace of his or her father. That is what Jesus wants of us, to run into his embrace like a child. Enthusiasm, joy, love, and worship are all part of this running to the embrace of our Father, our Abba. Let the glory of the Lord shine on us today. You may feel set apart or set aside by the world. A tragedy in your life, a condition of your health, or emotional problems may lead to a feeling of loneliness or not belonging. Well praise God that we don't belong to the world, for it is headed for destruction. In time we will arrive at the point where we can thank and glorify God for our trials in this world. Some trials are quite intense; losing a spouse, friend, or particularly, a child, can be terrible experiences as we have seen from our friends in Christ. However, the Lord will bear us up and we will rejoice with him in heaven on that glorious day!
In those experiences of loss and pain, we also have the opportunity to experience the love of those Christ has given to us in this world. That is not to say that any of us should seek out pain or injury, only that in the times of deepest sorrow or pain our Lord truly shines brightly in our life and in those who love as Jesus did.

Let it rise...

Bucky

June 19, 2007

Good morning, it is the start of a new day in the Lord! The clouds are rolling in this morning, perhaps we will get some rain today. Praise the Lord for rain on Tuesday. Today also starts the final week of yet another class for me; time to put another one to bed and move on. That is not to say that the final week is easy, often it is quite difficult, but it is still the end. Sometimes we do that in our Christian life here on earth; we tend to look to heaven and perhaps forget just a tad too much about our duties and mission here on earth. I want to go there too! However, we need to grow in the love of Jesus and in love for our fellow humans so that we can spread the Good News to them before it is too late.

Love one another in Jesus name!

Bucky

June 18, 2007

Good morning! What a nice cool morning this is, and after a night of storms too! The outside cat, Samantha, had her lunch money taken last night, so to speak. She is a small cat and the larger cat from across the street was beating her soundly. She ran home, but the other cat followed closely and finally a neighbor lady called to let me know that my cat might not survive this one. It seems that she no longer has a place outside in the world. That sounds so familiar does it not?
At times it seems like the world chases us back home to lick our wounds and find comfort in the Master. The world is bigger than we are and sometimes we may be soundly beaten down, by overwork, cares, trials, and possibly even physical wounds or bruises. We can always find comfort and healing in Christ. One day all tears will be dried and we can go out into the new world without fear.
All of nature groans to be released from the burden of sin, and last night it was not only groaning, but yowling as well. The conflict in this life will give way to the peace of Christ Jesus when he returns. As for this life, I may need to keep the little yowler in at night, although the firecracker season should help with that this week.

God loves you and so do I!

Bucky

June 17, 2007

Good morning, and God's morning to you. It didn't cool off last night, that is usually the first sign of the summer season. Listen to me go on! In many areas it can be 95 in the daytime and 93 at night because of the humidity. Out here we have a very short humid season when if it is 95 in the day, it may only cool down to 70 at night. That is the extent of our suffering! I know many areas, Camp Lejeune was one, where if someone has an air conditioner it runs day and night. The mornings do not have the coolness that we experience out here and the dew point is almost always high. If there is one thing that I can take from my time at Camp Lejeune it is an appreciation of a cool morning during the hot time of the year... and not having sweat running down all over my body just from standing outside. The funny thing is that you might think that we would have said, "it doesn't get any worse than this" at that time, and we did. However, then we got to go to Grenada.

Some would think that Hell cannot be any worse than some of the things, suffering, or conditions, that they have seen on earth, but they simply are refusing to believe what God says in his word. Believing in Jesus means that you believe what it says in his word, and his word says that Hell does exist and that you do not want to go there! I think one of the greatest examples, and he is always the greatest example, is when Jesus cried out on the cross. I believe that the separation from our Father is what made our Lord cry out. He didn't cry out from the scourging, the torture on the cross, or any other human punishment, but he did cry out from the separation as he bore our sins upon himself. That is what Hell is, and why we should fear the one who can send us there. We do not want to experience that separation! The Good News is that the way to avoid that and gain eternal life is in Jesus. The one who can destroy both body and soul in Hell is the one who took it upon himself to redeem us from that end. What an amazing thing! All we need to do is believe and everything flows from there. When we come to Jesus to confess our sins and receive his forgiveness and love, we already believe that he can do it. Yes, some of the things in the Bible are incredible and difficult to believe, but when we believe, the truth is revealed to us at the pace we can understand.

Each day as I read a little more in the Bible, often covering passages that I have read several times before, new insights come and what a blessing they are. Now some days do pass where it seems that nothing new is coming and that I am simply re-reading old verses. To me that is like a review of basic lessons in school or work, sometimes the steps upward must come after a review of where I have been in the Word.

Some days the devotional just seems to come to me. It can seem that I am writing down a stream that bounces from rock to rock in a twisting, turning course. I know the stream leads to Jesus, and that is all that I need to know.

God bless you!

Bucky

June 15, 2007

Good morning and g'day! What was your stress buster yesterday? I followed the instructions from Pastor Rogers and asked for a stress buster. God threw me a life jacket yesterday and what a blessing it was! I am still laughing about it. Humor, what a great way to bust that stress. It went something like this: As I arrived at work, I was still in the funk so to speak, having a pity party with myself, probably suffering the pangs of depression. After taking care of the e-mails and the morning network checks, I wandered to the dock area of the basement and met the maintenance supervisor, Don. It turns out that someone upstairs had asked him to dispose of something, but there was something hazardous about this object and they had asked him to take care of it. This object had a pressurized gas cylinder on it that would explode if disposed of in a fire, such as the city landfill might do. Don did not feel comfortable and asked for my help. The object was one of those life jackets that you jerk the cord to inflate. I asked for a stress buster and God, quite literally, sent a life jacket! The problem that Don may have had is that too many people use the phrase "blow up" to describe the action of this life jacket, which is true, but has other connotations... like "explode". A life jacket would not be designed to cause harm, so I had no fear and jerked the cord. Those things do get quite cold when they first inflate!

That little incident gave me the relief I needed to take my problem to the big boss; as you might expect, he was not concerned and simply wanted to be kept informed. Sometimes, perhaps too often, we make problems bigger than they are with worry and dread. I thank you all for the verses and stories (and prayers!) to help me through a tough moment yesterday. I will certainly return the favor and pray for each of you. Let the glory of the Lord rise among us!

What a day of rejoicing is soon to come!

Bucky

June 14, 2007

Good morning! Do you ever wonder why you didn't get something done on time? In a discussion with a counselor yesterday, it was mentioned how children who do not receive enough attention from their parents or siblings will "act up" or do something wrong to get the attention they crave. I wondered this morning whether I have been overworked to the point where things are slipping so badly that I am made to feel like a constant "screw-up" or if I am seeking attention in the wrong way as a child might. Now this is very forthcoming and may make you feel uncomfortable; perhaps you didn't expect a personal confession in this morning's devotion! I do not know the answer to the question yet, but I do know that I feel almost constantly like a failure at work. You may feel the same way. What is the cure for it? As we take our problems to the Lord in prayer, we come to realize that He is the answer for us. As Paul told the Philippians, "Rejoice in the Lord always, again I will say rejoice!" That was not idle advice, I believe that Paul felt like we do at times, depressed, anxious, powerful, loved by God, abandoned by those close to him, and many other often conflicting feelings. Paul did not want to take John Mark with him after he had left them on a prior journey. I don't think that was due to not liking the young man, but due to Paul wanting to avoid that terrible hurt that he felt at the first abandonment.

The question remains and here is what I do know. The busy time that to me seems like forever actually began around the middle of last year. It is not just me, the entire department has been swamped, and if any of them are not then that person or group truly has something to feel guilty about! With all that going on and priorities placed on some areas at the expense of others, I am probably wrong in assuming guilt by thinking that I want attention in the wrong way. Maybe that is part of it, maybe not, but I do know that everyone in my group has been very busy for, well, almost a year now. The end does not really seem to be in sight and I also suspect that all of us are self-medicating in some way or another to cope. So while I am feeling sorry for myself at times, it is then that the Holy Spirit will turn my attention to others. Is anyone in danger of alcoholism, drugs, or mental health problems? If I feel this much stress at work, I am sure that others do also, and how are they coping? I need to get ready for work now, but stand by for Dr. Rogers' devotional today, and note once again how it relates very closely to what is bothering me today.

God loves you, please don't forget that today.

Bucky

June 13, 2007

Good morning! Questions will arise in our walk with the Lord, and most often that question is "why me?" or "why is this happening?", or something of that sort. Recently, actually yesterday, that question occurred to me and the answer I received was a Bible verse. Now this answer is not a yes or a no, and as we often see in the Bible stories, gives an answer that only God would give. The verse is Psalms 29:2 and goes like this:

"Give honor to the Lord for the glory of his name. Worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness." (NLT)

In our trials we often forget who we should be looking to and who is larger than our problems. We may not receive a yes/no or "this is why" response from God, we may not be able to understand why from our limited point of view. If you or I are letting problems overwhelm us, making them first in our life when we know they should not be, the Lord may, in his mercy, remind us of who is to come first in all things.

Some might say that "hearing" a verse in your mind is strange or funny, I once thought just like that and looking back I would call the condition unbelief. Now, I don't think that to be strange at all, and in fact I expect it as an answer to voiced or unvoiced questions that I ask of our Lord. The Lord has already given us 66 volumes of answers; what we discover in life are the questions.

May God grant us wisdom in this,

Bucky

June 12, 2007

Good morning and welcome to another day in Christ! Do you know what proselytizing is? "You bet", one might say, "It's when you try to spread the word and someone is afraid to hear it." Yes, proselytizing is an ugly looking and sounding word that is applied to any group or sect trying to convert someone to their belief. The world levels it like a cannon at believers of any group, especially in the workplace. Although the meaning, the connotation, of this word can be good or bad depending upon the group trying to win converts, the look and sound of it would tend to repulse. That plays easily into the hands of those who would use ignorance as a weapon against us, or more properly, against Jesus.

We must be prepared in the world, Jesus warned us of the hatred that would come. The world will react when shown its guilt and sin, and like a wounded animal it may turn on you with fangs bared and claws out. Spread the Good News without shame or hesitation. Though in the case of the workplace, we must remember that in accepting a paycheck we are agreeing to submit during the work hours. Some employers may tell you not to mention Jesus in the course of your duties and you may have to keep quiet or move on to another employer. That can cause some controversy even among the family of God, and it can be one of those tough situational problems. Trust in the Lord and bring it to him in prayer. I don't have all the answers for every situation, but I do know that we are not to feel ashamed of Jesus.

Let the glory of the Lord shine out from us!

Bucky

June 11, 2007

Good morning! Do you ever feel apart or not close to God? I suspect we all do at some time in our lives, perhaps more often than we would wish. Every time I feel that way, I wish that I would never feel that way again! Prayer is the answer and not just any prayer, but a prayer for forgiveness and for searching out and doing away with any sin in my life. Yes, Jesus did pay once and for all the price for any sin of ours, but the act of asking for forgiveness serves to humble us, to help rid our minds of the pride that so easily comes upon us. We have a need to submit before the Lord, especially when we have sinned.

It's Monday again and time to go back to work, I cannot end this with our condemnation from sin. The Lord did pay for our sins and we do not need to dwell on them once forgiveness has been asked. God loves us with an everlasting love. He will be with us always, even if or when friends fall away or in the case of persecution, run away as fast as they can. In the darkest moments, God is there, and in the lightest moments God is there too. Some Christians would say that every time it seems that things are going so well, the rug gets pulled out from under their feet. That may seem to be the case in our lives, but God gives both the rest and the struggle against trials. Why not notice that every time it looks dark in our lives, a light shines through and we move on to a time of rest and glorifying God? Is it any wonder that David stated in that famous psalm "Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death." He was ready to traverse that dread valley as long as God was with him, and we should have that same comfort in the companionship of our Lord.

Praise God for his loving walk with us daily!

Bucky

June 8, 2007

Good morning to you! I sit here huddled in a hooded sweatshirt and trying to warm up. You see I left a few windows cracked last night to cool the house down, after all it is almost summer. Well, that did the trick, the house is quite cool this morning. My thermometer read a nice 35° this morning. This is along the lines of what you might expect somewhat farther north or higher in the mountains at this time of the year.

At times I feel compelled to read more of the Bible each morning and evening, and at other times to read less, but to study more in depth. Like many of you, I have a study Bible with commentary on many of the verses and references to other verses. Tonight I begin an in-depth study of Romans, which is a good book to study at some length. There is no set regimen of how much to read in the Bible each day. That is between you and God. However, I would like to share with you what I discover or more accurately, what is shown to me over the next several weeks. Some nights it may only be one verse, I will go at whatever pace the Holy Spirit would have me to go.

I notice in the cloud patterns that there is a strong northern flow up high today, I think that by now most of us have got up and shut some windows and realize the effects of that! It did bring a nice rain yesterday, praise God for that too!

Enjoy God's peace and joy this day!

Bucky

June 7, 2007

Good morning on this very windy morning. I do believe in Jesus! Is there a deeper meaning to gratitude? Can we feel it more each day as we grow closer to Jesus? I think so and I am not sure that it is something that we can work to achieve. It would seem to be different than something we strive for; it seems more like something we grow into as we realize more of the boundless love of Jesus. Like a child who tries on his father's shoes, we do not have the capacity at a young stage of our Christian growth to wear all of the gratitude that we will come to know later. It is the same in many aspects of Christian life; at first we do not love all Christians, or give thanks to God enough, or perform many other things that will come as we grow in the love of Jesus. This is not something to despair about, or to be impatient with, but something to fall into the loving arms of our Abba Father. He will bring us up in his love at just the right pace and only give us what we can handle at whatever stage we are now growing.

Thank you for the notes of support, I enjoy writing the daily devotional and appreciate the time you take to write to me. May God bless you as he raises you up in the Way.

Bucky

June 6, 2007

Good morning, and welcome to another fine day! Let the glory of the Lord shine among us. Have you ever wondered why it is that we work five days per week and not seven or three? The Bible gives us the answer to that, "six days shalt thou labor." That doesn't mean that we must work for our present employer for six days each week, nor does it stop us from taking the courageous step of working part time or half time to spend more time with children. Keeping house is a labor, especially for a large family. There are many forms of labor, but one thing is clear; we are not to spend the days goofing off. I wondered yesterday morning while coming in to work why did not work 3.5 days and have 3.5 days off. There is nothing wrong with working out a deal with your employer to do just that if God would have you to do so. However, that is not license to spend the extra days away from work of any kind. God may call some to volunteer more time at a charity, or more time spreading the Good News, or more time in prayer and fasting. Praying for four hours can certainly take some effort; note the effort Jesus put into prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane before his trial.

There are times when we would take a perpetual vacation, but we know from the Bible that God would have us to work six days. This doesn't prohibit vacations, which can require more patience and physical effort than our normal work! What I am trying to get across is that we should not equate work with work, that activity where we go to an employer and spend time laboring to earn money. Certainly we do not want to fall into working harder and longer because we covet too much. I have been there, and still fight it. This also does not mean that we forsake the Sabbath, that one day of rest commanded by God!

Find peace in Christ Jesus.

Bucky

June 5, 2007

Good morning! It was quiet last night; my new friend didn't make his usual racket. A bull toad has moved into my little pond and that little thing can make a noise! In this relationship, I am learning to take the bad with the good, probably a lesson for me on human relationships. The toad makes an ear-splitting racket some nights, but he also eats a lot of bugs; not unlike a human child. In our human relationships we don't seek a friend or spouse that eats a lot of bugs, but we often fall into seeking the "perfect" spouse: Princess Grace, Sleeping Beauty, Prince Charming, King Arthur; we are conditioned from childhood to seek perfection in a mate, while we grow to learn that such perfection does not exist. It is no wonder that relationships are so stressful!

Have you ever met someone and immediately started cataloging what is wrong with them? He is too this, she is not enough that, and the list goes on. One good change in us would be to start cataloging what is right with a person we meet and even those whom we already know. However, the way to right relationships may be the Way himself, Jesus. I am reading in a wonderful book about how to seek God in my heart, and not just know him from an intellectual standpoint in my head. It is going slowly, the book gives me much to think about and practice, but it is good to know that Christ still has many things to teach me in this life.

May we all be learners in Christ Jesus!

Bucky

June 4, 2007

Good morning, the time has arrived to return to work once more. The temperature yesterday looked to be warmer, but the clouds came and shaded us. That just goes to show how much I know about the weather! I am glad that all of us are sharing the Good News about grace through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. The glory of the Lord shines on us this day!

The classwork that hangs over me on the weekends can at times seem to prevent me from enjoying the break from work. That is an attitude the Lord is working to change in my life. A productive weekend is a break too, and the fact I didn't spend the weekend watching TV doesn't mean that it was wasted, quite the opposite in fact. I heard from another student this weekend who has 6 classes to finish after this one that we are attending now (I have 7) and she said that she is looking forward to a long break after finishing, much as I have said before. Sometimes we like to think that our suffering or trial is unique, that we are put on harder than others. At times that may be true, but most of the time we only like to think so and it isn't true at all. God gives us the strength to complete the difficult tasks and to endure the trials that come our way. I often hear that we should stop whining about how big our problems are, and tell our problems how big our God is.

God bless you on this wonderful day!

Bucky

June 3, 2007

Good Sunday morning! It looks to be quite a bit warmer today than it has been of late. I must admit to some little work today; I was out trying to find a sprinkler zone that is not functioning. I failed to find a single sprinkler head, it's like they have vanished into the earth. The world would like to believe that Jesus vanished into the earth about 2,000 years ago. However, we believe differently. Do I know as the world defines knowing? No, I cannot prove that he is not buried, nor can the world prove that he is. The difference is that I believe that he is not, based on his own holy word, and the world chooses not to believe. The world would have us believe the Bible is metaphor, or worse outright fiction. We must remain strong in our faith that Jesus told us the truth and is the truth. The world is not going to help us in this. In this we must trust in the Holy Spirit; he will show us in God's word, in the words of our brothers and sisters in Christ, and even in the wisdom of children, that he is indeed active in our hearts and in spreading the Good News. Trust in Jesus, our hope and our salvation!

God bless you this fine day!

Bucky

June 2, 2007

Good morning! I greet the morning with exuberance, and so does the cat. His exuberance is simply much more obvious than mine. We grow older more slowly than cats and the excitement of a five year old cat is easier to see than mine. Now the other cat, her exuberance shows like mine does this morning, sort of a slow warming up. Ain't Saturday mornings great?

What do you say when someone says that they cannot be a Christian because they smoke (drink, overeat, lie, et al.)? As a Christ-one, we are followers of the Way. Which perhaps should be followers of the Way, the Truth, and the Life, if we are to reference the verse in the Bible. We are followers of Jesus, but while we strive to become more like him, and not in our own strength do we strive, we will leave behind the bad habits of sin. However, you cannot tell a Christ-one simply because they do not have a vice or vices. Many of us, perhaps all of us struggle with one vice or many. We cannot say that he or she is not a Christian because they are smoking a cigarette, or are drunk, or happen to be committing a sin at any particular time. We come to Christ to confess our sins and ask forgiveness often in this life. If we have been given victory over the physical sin, we probably still struggle with the thought life.

It is a testament to the power of the Holy Spirit that the world does perceive Christ-ones as they perceive Christ, without sin in every way. We know that we are not quite up to His holy standard in this life, but praise God that it does show as we move closer to Him.

Have a wonderful weekend in Christ!

Bucky

June 1, 2007

Good morning! The sky is very interesting today, with pink and deep blue clouds and the sun coming up well to the north of east. May the Lord and God of Heaven and Earth lay his peace on your heart today. Another month has past us as June 1 dawns today. We cannot grasp time or hold on to the days. Each new month is a reminder that we are that much closer to Jesus. Praise the name of Jesus! I pray that everyone has a wonderful weekend in Christ Jesus!

Bucky

May 31, 2007

Good morning! We are glad to see the rains come again out here on the dry plains of Nebraska, praise the Lord for his bounty. I am glad to read in an article this week that doctors and nurses are taking a new look at pain and how to treat it. So many suffer daily that it is strange this has not come up sooner. In James we read that those who suffer should pray about it. I urge all of us to not be afraid to bring our hurts to the Lord in prayer. Too often we "tough it out" or think that the Lord sends suffering so that he can watch us suffer. Certainly we can learn patient endurance, but that does not mean that we should be afraid or hesitant to ask for relief from our God. He loves us very much and just as you would not see your children suffer overlong, neither will the Lord allow us to suffer more than we can bear. This world is full of suffering, but the Savior is standing on the threshold, ready to come once more. Let us not give up hope and pray for each other daily in this.

May God grant you peace today!

Bucky

May 30, 2007

Good morning! We enjoyed a wonderful rain yesterday and cool temperatures as well. It looks like the sun will shine for a while this morning; that should do the plants a lot of good. To use a plant metaphor, we too need the rain and sun in our lives to grow. The rain includes those times when things do not go so well; financial difficulties, sickness, tough times at work, children misbehaving, and the many other problems in this life are the thunder and lightning of the storm which brings life giving rain. Like the thunderstorm, those times will pass. Though some will stay longer than others, we can rest in the assurance that God will bear us up and one day the storms will be over forever. The sun helps us to grow also, and like the sun on plants, we can have just the right amount to grow in faith or we can get too much. The good times that we experience in this world need to have some moderation. Most of us have probably overindulged in something that in the right amounts is good for us, but when too much is taken we pay the price. A little ice cream is good, a lot makes us fat or ill. Eating an apple or two a day is good and salubrious; eating a bushel would tend to make one sick, at least of apples if nothing else.

The nutrients we need to grow are the Word of God, found in our Bibles, love of one another and the Father in Heaven, and faith in Jesus. Like different plants some of us need more time in the Bible than others, so don't judge your time spent by what another person does each day. Ask God how much time you should spend in the Word each day. You could spend all day reading and pondering the Word and continue to gain new insights throughout your life, but what good does that do anyone else if those insights are not shared? Let the glory of the Lord rise among us! Share and don't be afraid.

God bless you this day!

Bucky

May 29, 2007

Good morning! It would seem that we are back to the cool weather after this fine weekend. Yesterday I read in an article where no evidence of Jesus walking from the tomb has been discovered. Okay, I can concede that the Gospels do not specifically say that anyone saw Jesus walking out of the tomb door. However, I think the accounts of many eyewitnesses should have some bearing on the matter. What is humorous to me is for someone to search for evidence of Jesus being raised to life after death. What exactly would you look for in that empty tomb? Scorch marks on the ceiling? If evidence is what you need to believe, then I think you are doomed. We aren't going to find any because we simply do not know what to look for, if there is even any to find. Evidence of an event is something we as humans leave behind. We are inherently messy in our activities. Some of it, such as DNA from skin cells and sweat is not our fault, that stuff falls from us all of the time. The mistake is in thinking that God in his ways leaves behind something for us to find. If our God chose to leave no evidence of the resurrection, then there is none to find. What is there and is here, is that choice that all must make - believe in Jesus or don't. If you believe in Jesus, then you believe the eyewitness accounts in the Gospels, in Revelation, and in Acts - and in the prophecies throughout the Old Testament. Yes, when we believe, we believe it all and praise God for the privilege of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ!

Go with God!

Bucky

May 28, 2007

Good morning and Memorial Day to you! Today we observe a day of remembrance for those who have given their lives to maintain our freedom. This day is not as much for the living veterans as for those who have passed before us. Many of us will know of a family who has lost a son or daughter in a war. This day is for them also; we can pray for them. Today should not be about a political "side"; whether one supports or opposed the war on terrorism, or likes or dislikes President Bush, all of that should be set aside today. This is about those who have given their lives.

Jesus gave his life in a war that has not ended as of this time. The war between God and evil will be over when our Lord returns, but he has already given up his life to win this war. In a combat zone here on earth this would be a bizarre state of affairs! What do you mean, "we've won and I'll let you know when to stop fighting"? That is the way of things in Christ. He has won the war, and he alone will give the word to finish. Until that time we must continue the fight, working to spread the Good News, and praying for all of the world. It's a big job, but we have a big God. I pray for all of us today; we do need each other's prayers and support at all times.

God be with you on this Memorial Day!

Bucky

May 27, 2007

Good morning! I am glad to be here this morning with you. Yes, the activity of yesterday left me a bit sore; I am not a teenager anymore. :-) I enjoy the writings comparing Christ to other religions; our savior is not the same as other religions for he did not come to start a religion. In a short ministry, he changed everything for those who will believe. He also changed everything for the world of unbelief; love him or hate him, most of the world knows the name of Jesus. It is for those last few, the ones who have not yet heard, that we are still here on this planet. Use the talents that God has given you to spread the Word and share the Good News. The sooner we get the Word to every corner of the world, the sooner Jesus can call us home! Praise God for this opportunity.

God is with you this day!

Bucky

May 26, 2007

Good afternoon! Yes, I am writing somewhat late today. No, it is not from sleeping in, quite the opposite actually. I have been up at 'em today having bought groceries, a lawnmower, and a tree; and then mowing the lawn and moving the tree near the hole in the yard with a friend's help. Now I will need to get the tree out of the pot and into the hole. It already does something for the yard; I may have to get another of those tree things. :-) It's too bad that I smell like cut grass and gasoline instead of the tree! Oh well, life goes on.
Loving the Lord Jesus is the subject of Dr. Kennedy's devotional today, and it is a good one. If I took the title and name away at the end, you might think this one came from Pastor Rogers. Do they copy each other? No, to me this is proof that God is the one behind every true devotional going out to you and me. If I sound the same as one of them, or if they sound much like each other in their writing about Jesus, it is because the Holy Spirit has a message for us. We all love the Lord Jesus and when writing, speaking, or sharing that love, every member of Christ's family will sound very much the same. One Christ, one love, and one body of Christ. We are the believers and praise God we do sound like our Lord Jesus!

God bless you!

Bucky

May 25, 2007

Good and great morning to you. The Memorial Day weekend has begun for me as I enjoy a vacation day today. I hope that your holiday weekend goes well for you and your family. The class work still awaits me however, so this will not be a weekend of goofing off. The morning is kind of sleepy, with clouds obscuring the sun and cool temperatures, or perhaps it's just me that's sleepy.

When I have trouble writing, I like to go to the Word to find inspiriation and it never disappoints. Today, reading in James, I am struck by the change wrought in people by the Holy Spirit of our Lord. The change to Saul is one of the most famous, but equally great is the change in Jesus' earthly brothers and in ourselves. James, just a few years earlier, was one of the brothers scoffing at Jesus and not believing. One of the great books on faith and Christian character comes to us from this former "scoffer". The change in our own self may not be as apparent to each of us as it is to God. To us we still see the stain of sin seemingly every direction we turn, both inside our heart and outside in the world. We can find no satisfaction in the world because of that stain. Let the glory of the Lord rise among us! We are changed and God will have his way with us, despite our stubborness and rebellion. Like the slow process of losing weight or curing a bad habit, the change is difficult to see during the process, but let not our faith in God waver as we move toward the Light.

A "Hallelujah" from all of us this day!

Bucky

May 24, 2007

Good morning and welcome to another day in Christ Jesus! The cat has exploded or she is reproducing by division, I'm not sure which. It is time for her to shed her winter coat and brother there is a lot of cat hair around here. I suppose vacuuming will be high on my list of tasks for this long weekend. A bit of light reading on my school assignments also, since I am getting started just a bit slowly after taking six weeks off. It was nice to have some time off, but since I began this school thing, I want to finish it this time and the end is not that far off.

It is interesting that today I read the final chapter of Hebrews and it speaks of contentment, and then Pastor Rogers' devotional speaks of the same thing. Do you suppose there is a message for us there? The pursuit of money or the money to buy things will never bring any lasting satisfaction. We all know by now that purchasing one thing does not satisfy for very long and if you set out to form a collection another will come along after you complete the first. Acquiring does not bring contentment, but contentment does put a stop to harmful or uncontrolled buying of stuff.

Which brings me to the time for me to shed some "stuff". Yes, this long weekend will be a good time to organize another garage sale!

God bless you as you travel and/or enjoy this Memorial Day weekend!

Bucky

May 23, 2007

Good morning, and a cool morning it is too! I read a sad story this morning about a classical pianist who died of cancer. Now that wouldn't be too unusual these days, so many die of diseases that one more person we don't know may cause us only to ask, "did she believe in Jesus?" However, it is the behavior of her widower husband that makes this such a sad tale. In releasing some 119 albums under her name, the recordings are apparently all frauds. In this world we may do much to tarnish or destroy the reputation or honor of a loved one, whether we mean well or not. However, when we come before Jesus on that last day, it will not matter how the world remembers us, only whether our names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life. We may wonder about those who go too far in memorializing a departed spouse, but perhaps without Jesus in their life that blind love of their spouse is all they have. Over time their constant placing of the image of their loved one on an undeserved pedestal may come to dominate their thinking as truth or what should have been true, at least to their point of view. We can theorize and hypothesize all day on things like this. What is really important is coming to know the love of Christ. He knows the truth about us, all of the secret thoughts, the hidden lust, or the deep buried hatred, and yet he accepts us as his own. Glory unto God for the grace that grants us life when we deserve death.

In Jesus name!

Bucky

May 22, 2007

Good morning to you! My cat and I came nose to nose again this morning; I often suspect that he is wondering what we do with our great, huge noses, since we don't seem, at least from his point of view, to use them for smelling. Of course, we use them to stick into other people's business is what I would tell him. Have you ever stopped to notice how easy it is to fix someone else's life? We can stand, passionately or dispassionately, and point out flaws and methods to correct them with seeming accuracy. The "seeming" of course is on our part, and not theirs. We have a natural inclination to fix everyone else. Jesus spoke of this when he told the people about the mote and the beam. You will recall that the mote was in the other person's eye and the beam in our own.

Now the other side of that is when someone "fixes" your life, and does that ever happen at work! Have you noticed that companies, often like the people that form them, are much like lemmings in some ways? The latest thing is "free" health screening, required if you want to be on the so called "premium" plan. One of the first things you will hear is that many companies are doing this now. So who started that? Who got to decide that companies should have one more area in which to pry into an employee's private life? I sometimes think that slavery is making a comeback in this world; it is just more subtle than in the past.

One who calls us to salvation through faith in Jesus Christ is not out to enslave anyone. God doesn't force us to do anything against our will, and what a privelege it is to have a choice! Many will not make the most of that choice; they will instead choose the brief, fleeting pleasures of this world. Let us choose life and the abundance that Jesus gives!

I wonder what the next "thing" is among companies? Perhaps a house or apartment at little or no cost as long as you pass the weekly safety and cleanliness inspections. Why does that sound familiar somehow?

God bless you this day!

Bucky

May 21, 2007

Good morning! The glory of the Lord shines upon us! Ah, the first day of the summer biking season... and I think I need to recuperate. It shouldn't be too bad, I kept the first session short, but it was fun to get outside and riding again.
I read what is known as the faith "hall of fame" in Hebrews this morning. It is good to have a reminder of how people much like you and I are noted for their faith in God. Their talents and weaknesses are not as important as their faith. We know from the Bible that Noah got drunk after landing in the ark, we know that Abraham didn't always tell the truth, and that David committed adultery. What is important about those things is how similar these people are to each of us. Who among us has not told the occassional fib, or committed adultery in our hearts, or have sampled alchoholic beverages just a bit too much in our past? Some of you may have done none of these, but your faith may not be what it should be. None of us are innocent of sin and only by grace through faith are we saved in Christ Jesus.

God bless you!

Bucky

May 20, 2007

Good morning! "Then Sings My Soul" is the title of a book of hymns on my desk. The book isn't only a hymnal; it also has short stories about the composer or the song. Have you ever felt a song of praise in your soul, but felt a bit down physically? I feel that way this morning, still sleepy and not physically up, but singing praises to God in my heart and soul. It is wonderful that our salvation and joy do not depend on our physical state. Having joy and praising God does not mean that as Christians we smile and laugh through a broken leg. We will hurt like anyone else, and our bodies will break down as we get older just like the rest of the fallen world. Having joy doesn't mean that we will not grieve over our losses and those of our friends and loved ones. We are to grieve and to feel sad with others during their grief.
Physical downs like mine can be easily fixed; a little breakfast, some moving around and I will be much better. The joy given to us by Christ smooths over the rough spots of life, whether it is grief, or injury, or an illness, the joy of Christ will shine through the darkness. Friends can help too, but not the wrong ones as Dr. Kennedy points out today.

Your friend in Christ,

Bucky

May 19, 2007

Good morning! It's the weekend and that means all work and no play for me! Just kidding! Actually, I have already cleaned the pond and got the waterfall flowing again, planted 3 flowers (that's a big accomplishment for me), and cleaned the garage a bit. It is now 0735 and I feel like one of those Army commercials. Except that I am a Marine, so that doesn't feel quite right either. :-) Some days just start out well, as opposed to yesterday when I couldn't pass a blood test. It seems that I would be a complete failure as an intravenous drug abuser. I think I can live with that! To God be the glory.
Jesus seemed to have a lot to do with weddings, both in parable and in miracle. He also used weddings as illustrations. Call me a bit slow in some areas, but maybe he wants us to come together as man and woman in marriage in this life, and then to join him at the wedding feast of the Lamb in the next. Yesterday, a friend told me a story about a trip to New Orleans with his girlfriend. After wandering some of the small, dingy looking streets of the older section of town, they found a tavern hoping to have something to drink and a sandwich. Upon entering, they were greeted with a large sign explaining the sexual orientation of the bar in not so subtle terms. I would have enjoyed seeing the expression on his face, but might have missed it for the shock on my own had I been there. It is a fallen world and that is why we look ahead so earnestly to the wedding feast of Jesus and the Church.

I pray that we all meet on that beautiful shore one day,

Bucky

May 18, 2007

Good morning, and I must strain a bit to say that. My health screening was held this morning and the blood test, and this has happened before, did not go well. Something like this always reminds me to pray that no on else encounters a problem like that. Not that I want to be unique in that regard, just that I do not wish such things on anyone else. The wonderful news is that no matter what human medicine reads as your health indicators, God loves you and me with an unfailing and perfect love. I can list a bunch of overs and unders that medicine as it stands today would call bad or good for your life, but what is most important is the salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, and I can feel myself relaxing even as I write that! Praise the Lord! Perhaps next time I go for a screening I should read the daily devotional to the nurse or technician administering the test. Amen! I could try to bring a notebook computer and type at the same time, but they like to hold one arm or the other while poking around with the needle. Well, enough about my problem this morning, I pray that all of us have a wonderful day in Christ! Enjoy the devotional from Pastor Rogers.

Yours in Christ Jesus,

Bucky

May 17, 2007

Good morning. We awaken to a cloudy day out here this morning. Perhaps the clouds are the messengers of some good rain for the plants. If you ask a worldly person if he or she has attained perfection yet, you will probably get some of them to respond with something like, "No, but I will keep trying and someday I'll get there." Some might even say "Yes!". Perfection is a goal that we are often taught to strive for in business seminars and motivational talks. As we see in Pastor Rogers' devotional today, that isn't going to happen no matter how hard we try to perfect ourselves. I know that you have heard this message before, and I certainly need to hear or read it again. Interestingly enough, if I were perfect then I would only need to hear a message once! Over the course of a lifetime most people will come to realize that perfection is beyond their grasp. Those who do not are truly caught up in pride. However, after realizing that we cannot be perfect in our own efforts, do we still expect perfection of others or of some machine? Others need the grace of Jesus, just as we ourselves do.

May the grace of our Lord Jesus hold you close this day,

Bucky

May 15, 2007

Good morning! We enjoyed a time of quiet last night while the electrical service took a short break. At least it would have been quiet had not both UPS units and the security alarm system informed me with their little beepers that the power was off. What a racket! Okay, after that it was quiet until the power was restored.
This morning I read in Hebrews about the annual ritual of atonement the high priest conducted to ask forgiveness of sins in the Old Testament. I couldn't help but think how the man with that position did literally fear for his life. The other priests at that time would tie a rope to the ankle of the high priest when he went in the holiest place in case he was struck dead for some sin in his heart. The first time a new high priest had to perform the ceremony might have been a cause for trembling. First he was promoted to the high priesthood, a position of great responsibility and therefore one in which we would tend to become proud. The first time a person thought "I am high priest, look at me now." or some thing like that might also be the last.
Now contrast that with the sacrifice of Jesus. We can now come to the Father in complete confidence and honesty. We can admit our lust, pride, greed, sloth, envy, and all of the other sin without a rope tied to our ankle. The veil was rent at the death of Christ, and then he came back from the grave to let us know that the way was clear for us to come to the Father. No one must face the terrible responsibility of atoning for all sin once per year; Jesus has taken that upon himself for all time.

Yours in Christ,

Bucky

May 16, 2007

Good morning. Jesus is Lord and the world will be better through him! I read a depressing story this morning. How bad is it? On first glance it shouldn't be bad at all. The story is about a very financially successful couple at the top in their respective careers. They are respected by the world, donate large amounts of money to worthy causes, and dine with the wealthy, famous, and powerful people in the world. They are both physically attractive by the world's standards, perhaps among the top 1% of the world's people in that regard. So why the depression? Throughout the interview, there is not one word about faith in Jesus. Nope, faith in each other and faith in an international group to solve all our problems, but nothing about Jesus or God. Did I mention that they are not married? Yes, living together with 3 adopted kids and one of their own, but no marriage. I suspect by now you know whom I speak of, but their names are not important, only their misplaced faith in mankind and the secularism shown in the interview.
Faith in each other? Don't go there! The human race has enjoyed thousands of years of time in which to "get it right" and that has not happened.If you are an evolutionist, billions of years, but that is another story. There are still, as Jesus warned us; wars and rumours of wars, suffering, starvation, disease, and all manner of rampant sin in the world. No, I think that faith in humans is misplaced. We need Jesus in our hearts and in our lives. There is no life without the author and creator of life. ... and for a few more words on where to put our faith, see Pastor Rogers' devotional below!

God bless and keep you!

Bucky

May 14, 2007

Good morning! The cat flopped down on the article I was reading, so it must be time to get on with writing this morning. Sometimes the Lord sends little, four-footed messengers. What I have in this world will not go with me when I go home to Jesus. I have accumulated a lot of "stuff" in my 44 years and none of it will be going with me. How easy it is to cling to it here on the earth though! Sometimes I tend to think that "I" have this problem, like it is unique to me, or that my family passes down the tendency to accumulate. However, this is a natural inclination. A child without money might collect interesting rocks that he or she finds; a rich person might collect expensive works of art. Covetousness is passed down in the family certainly, but it is the family of man. Ever since sin was loosed on the world, we have coveted, lied, cheated, stolen, murdered, hated, and lusted after all manner of things and people. No, the problem is not unique to me. The solution is Christ Jesus and he is indeed singular and unique!

God bless you all!

Bucky

May 13, 2007 - Mother's Day

Good morning and Happy Mother's Day! Welcome to the first g-mail devotional too. The cat wants to look out the window, but the warm time of the year is upon us and I like to keep the sunshine muted on these days; it saves on the air-conditioning bill later in the day. I haven't needed to run the AC yet, but that time is fast approaching.
It is good to be back writing the devotional this morning; it reminds me of the last time that e-mail addresses had to be changed, but without the involvement of my workplace. Dr. Kennedy speaks of fear today and the command in the Bible to not be afraid. That is so hard in this life, but I hear that there are 365 instances in the Bible where we are told to not be afraid. Now I haven't looked all of the up, but that would be a fun project. Finding a different one each day for a year would help to cement that in my head. Fear not, don't be afraid, the Lord is with you, and the many others where someone directly, such as the disciples, and all of us in general are told to trust in the Lord and to set aside that paralyzing fear.
Today we celebrate one kind of hero, Mom, and at the end of this month we will celebrate another kind, those who gave their lives in service to the country. Every day is a celebration of Jesus and his making us heroes in the fight to save everyone. We know from the Bible that not everyone will be saved, as many will choose to reject Jesus forever, but that does not mean that we should give up and wait for Jesus to come. One group of folks in the Bible did that, after all they were told the good news that Jesus was coming soon, but Paul told them to quit looking to the sky and get back to work. We are not to stare vacantly at the sky in anticipation of Jesus' return, but to keep our hands to the plow, to use a Biblical metaphor, until his return.

Praise God for the opportunity to work in building his kingdom!

Bucky

May 11, 2007

Good morning! Welcome to another Friday. I once had a moment of selfishness. Only one? Well, okay, I had one of my many moments of selfishness. This is a natural occurrence, one that is perfectly in tune with the world. As with all such moments, it is kind of silly in the light of Jesus. We look back upon our old life, even those moments and thoughts that will come now, and laugh at how silly it is to cling to something here on this earth. Will that object you or I feel that "mine" thought about be with us before the judgment seat of God? Will it give testimony to how "good" we are really? Clinging to this life and this world will only anchor us to the coming destruction. This world will be thrown out to make way for the new heaven and new earth to come. From the point of view of this world, that sounds completely fantastic and unlikely. However, we depend upon God's wisdom and not the intellectual capabilities of this world.
God bless you all!

Bucky

May 10, 2007

Good morning. Let the glory of the Lord shine down upon us this day! I recall that it took me some days to get switched over about a year ago when changing e-mail addresses, and that has not changed yet. I am still slow about some things. It is interesting how out of touch a person can feel without an e-mail address.

As the day begins, I like to think about how much Jesus loves me. How can I know this? Easy, he died on the cross to save me. On the third day he rose from the grave to let me know that even death cannot keep him from loving me. I notice the flowers on the bush outside have bloomed today, just a little reminder of God's love for us. Saturday, the dead one beside it will need to go. I'll leave alone the analogy of those in the world for today.

God loves you and so do I!

Bucky

May 9, 2007

Good morning! My apologies to those of you expecting to receive this via e-mail the past couple of days; my hamilton account is no more and I need to get signed up for another account. How the time does pass by so quickly these days. Jesus is Lord! Changing e-mail accounts is such a pain, but it does need to be done and so I will make that my goal for this evening. I may get my own e-mail server going soon, but I don't want everyone to wait while I fumble around with that!
There are many things in this life in which we must trust in the Lord. Sometimes a person doesn't want to hear the Good News, other times a group of really nice people are stuck in the secular world and do not want to hear about Jesus. We cannot make people listen and believe in the Son of God, but prayer is powerful. Always remember to whom you are praying. God is the Creator, sovereign and ever present, we need not fear that our prayers go unheard. Praying for someone else is an act of love, and God likes for us to pray for others in love. May the name of our Lord Jesus be forever glorified!
Bucky

May 7, 2007

Good morning. That is a good statement to start the week on, “The grace of God exalts a man without inflating and it humbles a man without debasing him.” How often have we heard that we need to be humble and started saying things like: I am nothing, I am worse than nothing, I am the sludge at the bottom of the ocean… Jesus didn’t come to sacrifice himself for nothing or less than nothing. At the other end of the scale, we might start believing that our efforts or results have everything to do with our self and not give thanks and credit to God. A person is saved and we might have that thought, “I saved him or her.” Don’t let such thoughts dwell in your mind as only God can save someone. It is wonderful that grace can exalt without inflating. In this world it is too easy to take all the credit for our self, or to debase our self with hateful words. The key may be in allowing the grace of God to exalt and humble you as necessary, and not to try doing it to your self. We do need to remind our inner self that we are beloved of God as we are, not for some false perfect or debased image we might have in our minds of what we think we should become. The world says to believe in your self, we say to believe in Jesus. Let the Glory of the Lord rise above you today!

Bucky

May 6, 2007

Good morning, and a morning that is rapidly passing at that! I got caught up in my pond cleanup and relaxing yesterday, taking the day off from writing anything. It is cool and the clouds are flowing by this morning, but praise God for the wonderful rains of yesterday and Friday. How do we have a beautiful spring with plants blooming and green everywhere? Rainy days are the cause and though it may ruin plans for weekend outings, the rain days are necessary to have the new growth. Life is much like that, in order to enjoy the beautiful summer of heaven; we must endure the rain of this life. I notice that in the miraculous tales of healing, the healer does not, at least that I can recall, heal themselves of ailments. I am sure that the apostles suffered problems much like we do as we grow older. The reason that we may not be able to heal ourselves is that God wants us to turn to him for these things. Would anyone turn to God if the power were available to heal ourselves of every illness, disease, condition or sin? Since we cannot heal ourselves in body and soul, we turn to God and believe in His son, Jesus Christ. Does that mean that Jesus is the one stop shop for cleaning up every problem in this life? No, it is not that he can’t, but that he gives us those same problems in this life to make us into his own image. The healing he promises will arrive at the same time that we see him in his heavenly glory. Please don’t give up; our suffering will end in God’s perfect time!

God bless you and give you strength in this life,

Bucky

May 4, 2007

Good morning and welcome to another day of spreading the Good News of salvation in Christ Jesus! Spring has arrived and one bush outside my window is bursting forth in new leaves and the other appears to be dead. They are not the same species, but being planted beside each other, what would make one die and the other so full of life? When Jesus comes to take us home, the same will be said of people everywhere. One will be taken up to be with Jesus forever, and another who grew up right beside the first will be thrown into the outer darkness. One alive in glory and one dead in darkness, we cannot see the dividing line, but it is there and there is no straddling that fence. There is no such thing as a “good” person without the blood of Jesus Christ. His saving grace is the way to a relationship which never ends. Praise the Lord God, our Abba, for the savior who walked the earth and died in our place so that we might live in his.

God bless you,

Bucky

May 3, 2007

Good morning and welcome to a fine Thursday! May the Lord of lords and King of kings be your guiding light on this day. It was a fun birthday yesterday, lots of good wishes of “Happy Birthday!” and a lot of donuts. Now that I am older and enjoying the increased wisdom that comes with age, I still wonder why I feel as though I don’t know much more than I did at age 12 and less than what I knew at 17. Perhaps that is a question that has bothered you also. Actually, I think that as we grow older we realize more and more just how little we know about everything!

Enjoy the saving grace of Jesus!

Bucky

May 2, 2007

Good morning and happy birthday to me! At 44 I can only say, “Praise God that I made it this far!” Each birthday is a step closer to Jesus, whether he comes to rapture all Christians or I go to him upon my earthly demise, he will welcome me into heaven through his own sacrifice on the cross.
Have you ever seen someone without Jesus in their life searching for support from other people? I am sure that you have and it can be a difficult thing to both watch and to remember from our time in the world. If we are dependent upon another person or group, what happens when they are busy? Doctors and therapists have other patients, pastors and deacons have other duties and people to help, even friends have spouses and other friends, in our deepest need any human agent can fail to be there for you or me. Jesus is the support network that never shuts down, he is the rock we can cling to and the lifeline that never breaks. The love of the Lord is everlasting and stronger than any force in the world.
Hmmm, it seems that I share my birthday with Catherine the Great, empress of Russia. I always wonder who gets the title “the Great”, do they claim it for themselves or does some historian apply it? Anyway, ol’ Catherine engineered the abdication of her husband, Peter III, and took the job of ruler for herself. She may have been a wonderful empress, I don’t know, but I am fairly certain the Bible does not tell us to convince our spouse to quit their job so that we can take it.

May God bless you this day,

Bucky

May 1, 2007

Good morning! Well, here it is; May has begun and 1/3 of the year has passed behind us.
In Matthew 22:37, Jesus said, “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.” However, what is the first command to obey? Believe. You must first believe in the source of a command before you will obey. Think of it this way; if a person at your workplace tells you that a new law requires that you tap twice on the passenger side door of your car before driving it, you probably will not obey that “law” until you at least check with an authority on the law. Now should a police officer come to you and say that a new law requires that you do the double tapping before you drive, you would try to obey the law because you believe the source. I say try in this case because some folks don’t even obey the speed laws while driving, and we all know already that those signs say “speed limit” and not “speed advice”. J Jesus told us that the most important commandment is to love God, and God says the first commandment is to believe in Jesus. One witnesses for the other, and we are assured by Christ himself that He and the Father are one. Therefore, when we believe, the greatest commandment becomes to love God with all of our heart, soul, and mind. We also love our neighbors as ourselves, but first we believe.

Praise God for his mercy!

Bucky