The Word Of The Lord

After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.” Genesis 15:1

Your name and mine may not be Abram, but the Lord gives to you and me promises like unto this one in our verse for today. The Word of the Lord came to this man in a vision. No reason is given for why Abram was afraid, and yet the message begins with the same command as most meetings with the Word seem to start with: do not be afraid. Apparently it was the strangeness and awesomeness of this sudden meeting that beget the fear in Abram. And so, the first thing this Word must get past is the fear in Abram. We can relate to that, for like Abram we live in a time when fear comes easily to us. And then that promise, protection and reward. "I am," the Word states, "your shield , your exceedingly great reward." Not just any reward, but an exceedingly great reward!

One might wonder why I have capitalized what the Bible does not in this verse. The Word of the Lord gives to Abram a promise that begins with 'I am', telling me that this word was a person speaking to Abram in a vision, and since only One can make a promise such as this and keep it for all time, then this must be the Lord Himself. The same one John said in his gospel was the Word made flesh, Jesus.

You and I are under the protection of the Lord, He is our shield!

Bucky

Who Is God? #3

Then God said, “Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.”  Genesis 1:6

We have already noted that God is the Creator, but here we take just one example of God being the One whose word makes astounding things happen. How did God create the heavens and the earth? He said it. It sounds more musical to our ears when we say, God gave the word, but God's creating things into existence came by His word and He said it! The account of the Creation appears so simplified when we look around at what works together and study the intricate parts of what is. And yet there is the One who gives His word and causes mighty things to happen. It is a comfort to know that God, with His powerful word, loves us! 

Have a blessed day in Christ our Lord!

Bucky

The Earth To The Rescue

But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the flood which the dragon had spewed out of his mouth. Revelation 12:16

It's a water attack from the mouth of that old serpent, but it's the earth to the rescue in our passage for today. In the famous Left Behind series published a few years ago, the flood is an army and the earth opens up as we fear in nightmares to swallow the armored columns of the evil one. That would be a figurative interpretation. A more literal reading would say this is a flood of water that comes forth to drown this woman, who we believe represents Israel. Perhaps the serpent spews the water literally too, or maybe he blows up a dam upstream from the woman's refuge in the wilderness. In either case, the earth helps the woman and the flood does not hit the target. Does a literal giant crack open in the earth, or is it simply so dry that the flood is soaked up? It will be something to behold either way. 

The Lord's revelation brings a lot of questions with it. What a great opportunity to ask Him for understanding! 

Bucky

What Comes Out Of

And suddenly a great wind came from across the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell on the young people, and they are dead; and I alone have escaped to tell you! Job 1:19

After three days of triple digit temps, we have enjoyed the cool mornings of the last two days. Should we then thank God more for these two cooler days than the former? Did Job thank the Lord for the house blown down and the killing of his children? Probably not. Unless... maybe the man later thanked God for what lessons the Lord brought out of the tribulation he endured. While we may not yet be in a place to thank God for the tribulation itself, we do see a purpose in our tribulations by the example of what is called the great tribulation. In Revelation 7 we see John meeting the multitude which no one could number from all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues. The elder tells John that these are ones who came out of the great tribulation, meaning they had to endure it before coming to their time before God in Heaven and giving the Lord their gratitude.

Rejoicing with you in what comes out of our tribulations. Praise God our Father!

Bucky

God Had Made A Promise

And God heard the voice of the lad. Then the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said to her, “What ails you, Hagar? Fear not, for God has heard the voice of the lad where he is. Genesis 21:17

Fear not, the angel told Hagar as she lay despairing in the wilderness, far enough away to not hear the cries of her child. For her part, Hagar thought that the empty water skin was a sign of the end of her life. The despair was likely fed by the rejection of her former mistress, Sarah, and her loneliness, and as she thought, her imminent demise far from any help. It is a bit humorous to note the angel's first words, "What ails you, Hagar?" As in nothing but her perception of the circumstance was the woman's only ailment. We too often look at the circumstance, multiply it by an imaginary future anxiety, and come up with an answer of despair. In but a moment or two in the scriptures, God opened Hagar's eyes and she was laying quite close to a well. We too often despair when our salvation is but a moment or two away. And yes, our Lord Jesus has made a promise to come back and get us.

Trust in Him!

Bucky

Who Is God? #2

Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day. Genesis 1:31

Friday has come once more, and the question remains before us. Who is God? His word being a great place to start and the beginning of His word appearing logical to one such as me, we continue in Genesis 1. Today, God has already seen that His work is good six times, now we come to the end of the one chapter of the Creation and God sees that His work is very good. What can we learn from this? Looking up the Hebrew word used as 'good' here shows a word used in several English translations. Good is by far the most, but goodly, goodness, fair, well, better, best, and even merry are all used at places in the word of God. We use the context to see a person we know as God being happy with His work by His evaluation of it along the way. We can see that God enjoyed the process of creating and that it was a merry time, six times better and at the end the best. When was it the best? Just after man was in this new creation and given dominion.

And a very good time was had by all!

Bucky

One Slap, One Answer

Jesus answered him, “If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil; but if well, why do you strike Me?” John 18:23

At some places during His trial, the Lord Jesus was silent before His accusers. John recalls some times that Jesus spoke though, and one such was in response to the officer of the Jews during the trial before Annas. After our Lord's response to a question, the officer struck Jesus with the palm of his hand. Much worse would be done to Jesus as we know from the gospels, but as a believer in the Son of God we might well gasp in surprise that anyone would do such a thing. Jesus, always ready to teach, took this moment to ask the officer our verse for today.

The first part of our Lord's response is a challenge to the officer. If I have spoken evil - tell the court, tell everyone - bear witness. Of course Jesus did not speak evil, and so the second part ended in the question, why did you do that? Though on trial for His life, Jesus took the time to instruct this man. It comes again in the life of the sinner even today. One of the more powerful incentives to repent is to be asked by the Lord's Spirit just after the committing of the sin, "Why did you do that?" Like the officer, we probably don't have a good answer, and then confession and repentance follow for those who will believe. I like to think the officer did that and came to follow Jesus, but scripture is silent on that.

Great is the teaching of our Lord Jesus!

Bucky

Today Is His Day, And That Is Good Enough For Me

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

Jesus said it, but do we do it? Obedience of our Lord's words is of paramount importance to us. The key in obedience here comes in worry; that simple word with the big feet stomping through the garden of our peace. Reminding oneself of an appointment tomorrow is not worrying, but imagining a dire conversation with an imaginary doctor...best to confess that to the Lord and rest in Him. Worry, anxiety, dread, and many other words come rooted in fear. All of them cause bad things to happen in the body and can be contagious to our neighbors. And as we are to love our neighbors as ourselves, we need to bring our worries (yes, often plural) to the Lord and receive His peace. A good confession to the Lord our Savior is, "Lord Jesus, I am scared of this thing." Bring that burden to Him!

Tomorrow is a frightening place. Today is His day, and that is good enough for me!

Bucky

Unloved

When the LORD saw that Leah was unloved, He opened her womb; but Rachel was barren. Genesis 29:31

Not unloved by God of course, but unloved by her husband, who as we know from the famous tale, wanted her sister for his wife. It is not uncommon to this day that a marriage might have some underlying stress involved. Jacob, we read in our verse for today, was doing his duty to Leah as husband, but his heart was still cold toward her. The Lord had a different plan though and for all Jacob's efforts with the sister, Rachel, nothing was going on after the fact if you will. Leah, with the Lord's favor going on in her inner parts, brought forth the first four of the twelve tribes of Israel, Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah.

For us today, our heart may be cold toward someone near us, and the Lord our God may have a marvelous plan at work in that very person. So, love your neighbor as yourself, as our Lord said.

Bucky

Who Is God?

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Genesis 1:1

Moses is thought to have written the Pentateuch, and obviously he was not around when that first verse happened. Moses came along well down the line after Adam and Abraham and Joseph. Reading down a little bit in that first chapter, the Bible itself shows that humans were not created until the sixth day. So from the very beginning, the Word of the Lord God requires faith. No ultimate ancestor was there to record that first day. God even asks Job, "Where were you when I laid the foundations of the Earth?" (Job 38:4). We know that Job has no answer, and neither do we. However, we by faith learn one important thing in this verse. God is the creator of the heavens and the earth.

Right at the first, the test of faith is upon us. Believe in Him!

Bucky

A Certain Wedding Garment

So those servants went out into the highways and gathered together all whom they found, both bad and good. And the wedding hall was filled with guests. Matthew 22:10

A king held a wedding and many were not willing to come. However, at the end there is this gathering of apparently homeless people, both bad and good, from the highways. The wedding hall is filled with guests and the king comes in, only to find one not in wedding clothes. Though the parable does not specifically say it, we understand that these vagrants must have been given a certain wedding garment. This other one, with no wedding garment must therefore have snuck in somehow; he crashed the party. However, without that certain garment, he stands out to the king in the worst way and is tossed out to a place none would want to go. It has this weeping and teeth gnashing thing going on, and it is dark. So, the moral of the story, other than not refusing the invitation of the king of course, is that at this wedding we must have the right clothing? Yes, it seems that in the story this garment is something special...and it is given, not earned.

It sounds like the sort of garment only our Lord can give. Be the guest, wear the garment, rejoice in Christ Jesus the bridegroom.

Bucky

The Sheer Impossibility Of It

Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”  John 3:3

Nicodemus, the Teacher of Israel, met with a question he could not answer. How can a man be born a second time? Imagine a little historical perspective to get where Nicodemus had to go. The Pilgrims arrive at Cape Cod in the New World and try to step ashore, only to be met a little early by Squanto who tells them,

"No, you cannot become Americans that way, you must be born again."

The Pilgrims would have known the reference, but they would have no more idea than you or I how to be physically reborn in this world.

"Surely the gentleman of the Americas doth not mean for us to becometh infants again, doth he, Mister Bradford?" 

The challenge of rebirth in order to see the kingdom of God hath, whoops, has not in about 2,000 years become possible for man alone to overcome. Jesus, thankfully, went on to comfort Nicodemus with His plan for salvation involving rebirth in the Spirit. And just as we were kind of along for the ride in the first birth, so we are also beneficiaries of the second birth by no effort of our own. 

Love again in Christ our Lord,

Bucky

The Way For Us

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

Many of you will have this verse for today memorized, and it is a good one to have ready to encourage each other at all times. 

On our final journey, we have a promise from the Lord and it does not involve a hole in the ground. How sad it would be to dig a hole in the earth of a certain depth and then stand by it and remark, "Well, there's my final destination." We count on the promises of Christ to be far better than that! While those left behind may store my remains in such a hole, I plan on being with my Lord Jesus in a far better place. And I'm sure that you do also. We are not looking for up or down, west or east, but for a way to come to the Father, our Father in Heaven. And a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief has presented Himself as the way to our Father. We go through Him!

It just seems too simple sometimes,

Bucky

Giving Way To Morning

Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart,
All you who hope in the LORD.
  -- Psalm 31:24

As the night gives way to morning, so our fears in the darkness melt away and give rise to a new hope. Many, perhaps all, of us have felt the discomfort of an anxious bed. Sleep seems overwhelmed by fears that threaten but never come to pass. If you recognize the voice of experience there, I'm with you, friend. Last night was a good night's sleep for me, but I have known the anxious bed too. At all times we need the courage brought to us by hope in the Lord. It is often thus that we must take that first step of faith; placing our hope in the Lord, and then the strengthening comes from Him. 

Be of good courage!

Bucky

The Rejoicing Encouragement Brings

When they had read it, they rejoiced over its encouragement. Acts 15:31

I know that it is tough for you in your suffering. Know that you are not alone in this and that the saints pray for you at all hours of the day.

Encouragement, such a difficult thing to quantify and yet we know when our courage tank is a bit low. Imagine awaiting a letter from the home church in Jerusalem and expecting a literary whipping, but, lo and behold, the letter comes with words that refresh your soul and ease the pain of your struggles. And so the people of the church in Antioch in Syria felt the encouragement from their fellow saints.

Encouragement is one of our most important jobs in the church as communicators. Minister from the pulpit, sing on the stage, or write in a less visible place, each of us who have taken up the mantle of communication in the church must send encouragement. You may have grown up in a church where there was no doubt that you were a sinner, but the saint part of salvation did not get quite the same airtime. I am glad to call you brother and sister in Christ! I have struggled with the same sense of guilt and shame from those days. Beware though! For on the other hand we have ministries today that call no one sinner. Better to understand that all of us are born sinners and all have the opportunity to become born-again saints. When repentance is made, and the salvation by faith in our Lord Jesus has come, for the love of our Lord, stop calling yourself sinner! Welcome to the kingdom, saint, be baptized in the Spirit of our Lord Jesus!

Love and grace to you in the Lord Jesus!

Bucky

A Time Of Suffering

But recall the former days in which, after you were illuminated, you endured a great struggle with sufferings.  Hebrews 10:32

Sufferings, a great struggle, I don't have to ask whether you want another with this one. We all want the rich times, the peaceful times, struggle even sounds bad when we say it. This past week or so, I am gaining some wisdom in a time of struggle. Yesterday I tried to force the time to end by going to work, and it was not long before I was sent back home again. It seems that this struggle may be more protracted than I would like.  What I like in this verse is of course the order of things. These people were illuminated, made free of their former darkness, a time to rejoice a bit, but not before a great struggle with sufferings. And the suffering is plural too! After all, whoever said that the enemy would assault us with just one thing? It wasn't so for Job, and we too may endure a multi-pronged assault. In Christ though we have this: we will come out the other side of this time. 

Comfort and joy to your heart from our Lord Jesus Christ,

Bucky

Do Not Turn Cold

But we don’t need to write to you about the importance of loving each other, for God himself has taught you to love one another. 1 Thessalonians 4:9 NLT

This is not the way I wanted to celebrate Memorial Day this year. Shingles, isn't that an old folks problem? Hmm, maybe that shoe fits me now.

Paul wrote what he didn't need to write, since God had taught the readers already. In our age though, I'm not sure that we should not be reminding one another frequently. There should be not much question in any mind in our nation now that we are being terrorized. Schools, grocery stores, movie theaters, and other public places, have been used too often since about April of 1999 as murder zones. You know the names of many of them. It seems that a time foretold by our Lord Jesus at Olivet has come. It is not to refute Paul that we remind one another of our love, but that lawlessness has been increased and the love of many turns cold. We do not want to be among those turning cold in our loving hearts.

Love to you from our Lord Jesus and me on this day,

Bucky

It's A Promise

Behold, I will bring it health and healing; I will heal them and reveal to them the abundance of peace and truth.  Jeremiah 33:6

The Lord's promise becomes so staggering within the story. God has just told of the death of those working to tear down houses to shore up the defenses of the city. And suddenly, there is this promise of health and healing. Something we can relate to this day may be the futility of those long ago people laboring to repair a wall that would fall anyway. God had already said so and now He notes that they will take their place among the dead bodies. Then, that promise! A return and with health and healing! It jars the mind to be reading of rebellion, war, and death; and then to see the promise of health and healing so suddenly. It is the desire of our Lord, it would seem, that even as we fall or falter in our steps, He is preparing the days of peace and truth for us with health and healing. 

So, as you stumble a bit this morning, reach out to the One who brings healing, our Lord Jesus,

Bucky

One Piece Of Junk

A little yeast makes the whole batch of dough rise! Galatians 5:9

Ruined! One lapse of judgment and all of the efforts at cleaning up the property were brought to ruin by the one piece of junk he allowed in. Yes, the phone call of grudging complaint confirmed it the other morning. So much for three months of effort and expense. This bit of judgment may not be correct, but it does make for a great example for those who would stand before God's judgment throne and depend upon their own goodness. Imagine the eternal horror of the books being opened and a lifetime of effort failing to compensate for that one bit of sin junk revealed therein. 

I picture my good deeds like a pile of dirty, yellow feathers. Dirty because there is a self-interest in doing good deeds to compensate for evil deeds. Yellow because they are done out of a sense of fear of punishment since I must or should do them as I have been taught. Feathers since when the dense, dark, weight of my sin is placed on the other side of the balance, they go flying, almost weightless, and do me no good by way of compensating. Praise God for providing a way, or maybe that should be a Way, since He is a person and He has a name. 

Praise God for Jesus!

Bucky

Does Eschatology Cause Life Burnout?

Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition.  2 Thessalonians 2:3

Adrian Rogers once mentioned that some of us were so heavenly minded that we were no earthly good. Paul told these same Thessalonians in his letter for today to get back to work and earn their bread. It is easy to see that spending too much time in thoughts of how things will be might well cause us to despair and burn out on what we see all around us. We walk a balance beam between working as if Jesus will return at any moment and working with the knowledge that many have passed from this life over almost 2,000 years without seeing that glorious return. We should study the wonderful promises and dire warnings of the end times. But, we also walk with our Lord today at work or school or wherever life has brought this day.  Yes, sometimes it feels like closing the book on the end times is almost like shutting the door on a good dream. Patience friends, what we suffer in this time will be made glorious in our Lord and Savior! 

Waiting for the Return!

Bucky

The King Said Believe

And he said, “Listen, all you of Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you, King Jehoshaphat! Thus says the LORD to you: ‘Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s. 2 Chronicles 20:15

They had marched for some time from their homes throughout Judah, gathering men from villages along the way until the army came to the marshalling area somewhere around Tekoa. The men were plainly terrified and hungry, having faithfully fasted as the king had commanded since news of the invasion had come. But now the day of battle was upon them. Perhaps it was the royal command for all of Judah to fast that had brought down upon their heads the seriousness of the battle to come. Maybe it was the reputation of the invaders waxing great as the stories were retold day after day. When suddenly, the voice of a prophet few seemed to know rose up in their midst and spoke a strange promise. Victory for the Lord, but no battle for the men of Judah, said Jahaziel, a Levite. Was it the Lord speaking, or another of those false prophets, the men wondered. And then the King said, "Believe..." and bowed down to the Lord. The men bowed too, they were safe in the Lord their God.

The world comes to a tough place, but we only have to believe in the King of kings!

Bucky

Worldly Advice

You can’t become famous if you hide like this! If you can do such wonderful things, show yourself to the world! John 7:4 NLT

If you can? The brothers had not read the four gospel accounts at this time it would appear. We know this because we have read those accounts and the brothers are present near the start of our Lord's ministry. However, some indication must have been present in their minds to even ask this question. Jesus said something, Mary told stories of Bethlehem, or tales of the miraculous had already gathered around Jesus to show that He was someone special. So, the brothers of our Lord gave Him the usual worldly advice: go up to Jerusalem and become famous. You know, like He was another traveling show just waiting for His big break into fame. We know that fame did come to Jesus, but not because He set that as His goal. Our Lord's goal was nothing less than our eternal salvation.

Rejoice in the Lord Jesus today,

Bucky

Closer Than

Now it is true that I am a close relative; however, there is a relative closer than I. Ruth 3:12

Which relative is closer? We can never be closer to one another than the one who comes to dwell within us. Family was important in Ruth's day, but Jesus gave to us His Spirit. A natural question from the unbelieving world may well be, "So, what does that feel like?" Tough question! What does my soul feel like to begin with? If I knew that, then I might be able to describe whether God's Spirit in me adds, um, spiritual weight? I don't even know the terms that might define such an indwelling. Is it a scalar quantity such as speed? Did the Spirit slow me down spiritually? Or did the addition go the other way? I can tell you that I sense, yes spiritually, a certain amusement as I fumble about with questions such as these. Praise God for His gift of the Spirit!

Love and gratitude to God and to you!

Bucky

Famine In The Land

And there was a great famine in Samaria; and indeed they besieged it until a donkey's head was sold for eighty shekels of silver, and one-fourth of a kab of dove droppings for five shekels of silver. 2 Kings 6:25

Famine is a common subject in the Bible occurring in 90 verses in the NKJV from Genesis 12 to Revelation 18. Famine has been on our minds from time to time in the past couple of years as product shortages and inflation have made things difficult to obtain or high in cost. The cost of fuel right now may even remind us of these poor folks buying what is about 3/8 of a litre of dove droppings to heat up their food. No, it doesn't sound like an amount that would burn for very long, and five pieces of silver does seem rather expensive. The point today is that famines have been with us for a very long time. What we see today may be the opening of the first four seals, or it might be just another of the waves in the economy that come and go through the years. What we need to remember is that Jesus told us not to worry over what we will eat tomorrow. And no, there was no exception listed by our Lord about the time some state dictator got up in a poopy mood and started a destructive war that brought inflation and shortages after a pandemic that did the shortage thing too.

There, how many writings today will give you a massive oversimplification of the past couple of years like I just did?

No worries in Christ our Lord!

Bucky

Is A Law Necessary?

You shall not curse the deaf, nor put a stumbling block before the blind, but shall fear your God: I am the LORD. Leviticus 19:14

Reading our verse for today, one might wonder if such a law was necessary. And then with a bit of reflection on our past behavior or that which we see around us...yes, such a law and many more are needed. The Lord hoped, I believe, that Israel would not need this law because of their love for their neighbors. Alas, due to that nature of sin each was born with, the law of fear was needed. When we read the law, it is easy to think of a nation of cruel children. Do this and you will prosper; don't do that lest thee be punished. And as most of us have grown up from the childish stage of life, we recognize the need for moral teaching with a promise of punishment for trespassers. However, as those who believe in the forgiveness of Christ our Lord, we also look ahead with eager anticipation to that day when loving our God and every neighbor will be written on our hearts. And then, those laws of fear and punishment will no longer be necessary.

Have a loving day in Christ our Lord,

Bucky

Conviction Before Convincing

And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment. John 16:8

The Helper, what an interesting job description! What a difficult job when we look at that first one. Convicting the world of sin would seem quite easy, but without that conviction does anyone call themselves sinner? However, we often get hung up on the first and forget that second one: righteousness. Wait, given our belief in Jesus and convinced of our sin, we surely realize that the second one does not belong to us without Christ our Savior. Uh, oh! Judgment is coming too. In faith though, we see the relationship of our sin, through the righteousness of Christ, and the judgment given to Him. Indeed, in the next verses our Lord Jesus explains how that relationship works. Please take a moment to study it when you have the time. 

Christ our righteousness! We are convinced. 

Bucky

The Protest

​In that day he will protest, saying,
​​“I cannot cure your ills,
​​For in my house is neither food nor clothing;
​​Do not make me a ruler of the people.”
  -- Isaiah 3:7

As protesting and the right to do so are much in the news lately, again, I ran a word search on the NKJV and did not find the word 'protest' used much in the Word. There is this one from Isaiah for our verse today, and it has an interesting story behind it. This is not a prophecy of Jesus and those times when the Judeans would try to force Him to be king. It is rather a foretelling of difficult times ahead for God's nation and a people reaching out to each other instead of lifting their hands in prayer to the Lord. We may be guilty of that in this age as we go to the polls every fourth year to elect a ruler over us. The world may be part of this movement as we look around at how many billionaires are taking power, getting elected to office, or are given a crown in this time. Can't recall that last one happening? The opening of the first seal in the Revelation may be close, and that one seems unlikely to protest his/her rulership, though it may appear that way in a show of false humility.

Remember the Lord, and look to Him for salvation,

Bucky

Thank God For Jesus

Now therefore, our God,
We thank You
And praise Your glorious name.
  -- 1 Chronicles 29:13

The verse from David's song seems so simple and obvious, and yet we may well wonder at times if we do it enough. Thanking God and praising Him might be most easily forgotten when we feel good, or at least relatively pain-free, and when we are well occupied with tasks. And yet, we might forget also when we are bound up with pain and are doing nothing because of it. So, if thanksgiving and praise of our Lord is limited to a time of feeling good and having nothing to do, then yes, we probably aren't doing it enough. Easy enough it seems to implement some praise by taking a moment out of our busy good day, but it seems rather odd to us to give praise and thanks to God when we just feel terrible. Much easier on those rough days to gripe, moan, complain, and petition our Lord for relief, and most immediate relief at that we beg! I believe that God likes all of our contact with Him, and whatever your need today, just pray.

...and thank God for Jesus, who opened the way for our prayers!

Bucky

With Speed

He will lift up a banner to the nations from afar,
And will whistle to them from the end of the earth;
Surely they shall come with speed, swiftly. Isaiah 5:26

Sometimes we find a verse that supports our point of view. And at other times, such as this day for me, we find a verse that just ain't happening in the moment. If the Lord whistles this morning, He will need to provide the locomotion because my speed is slow even by my standards. And if I don't seem to fit this verse, the next one is even further afield from my tent of slowness. It is on these slow and stumbling days that I am glad the Lord did not seek out a team of athletic all-stars to populate His kingdom! But wait, is not that one over there who believes the state record holder in several sports? Of course! The athlete is not excluded and neither is the award-winning actor. However, when I look at the Lord's church all around the world, it does not seem to be that strength, wealth, fame, or for my sake this day, speed, are the determining factors in the Lord's sheep selection, just faith. And we can have slow faith or fast faith today. 

Slow today, but when the Lord whistles - moving with sure speed!

Love to you, 

 Bucky

Today, This Day

And Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever. Exodus 14:13

This week appears to have several 'days' in it, which would seem an obvious and unnecessary statement until one sees all of them on the calendar. Today alone is Cinco de Mayo, Children's Day (in Japan), Thursday, and the National Day of Prayer. A few of us also had a special day earlier in the week where we turned a bit older. This is why I must include Thursday in the list as a reminder to myself of which day it is. This day could be something special in a similar way to what the Israelites and Moses saw back in the day. Today, this day, could be that day of salvation for many who do not yet believe. And we may enjoy the privilege of starting that with prayer to God our Father. Today might also see another defeat of a group not unlike the Egyptians for someone who believes in God and has not the power to defeat the enemy in their own strength. God, I believe, very much likes to be our salvation in every way.

Rejoice in the day and pray!

Bucky

One Having Authority

Then they were all amazed and spoke among themselves, saying, “What a word this is! For with authority and power He commands the unclean spirits, and they come out.” Luke 4:36

From the beginning of His ministry, Jesus spoke differently than other traveling rabbis and preachers. The people were amazed as they saw unclean spirits depart at His command. The people talked among themselves, as people will do, and they had something new to discuss. This man from Nazareth by the name of Jesus spoke in a way these people had not seen before. However, it would be easy to get caught up in our Lord's effective power and desire it. Or to recognize His authority over the unclean spirits but refuse it for yourself, as a great many have done. Far better for us to get caught up in Jesus! And I do mean that literally in these end times.

Have a rejoicing day in Christ the Lord!

Bucky

Hope In The Love Of God

Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. Romans 5:5

That question about whether the Holy Spirit was limited to those immediately there at Pentecost is answered once more by Paul in his letter to the Roman church. We also have an answer to what may be a faltering hope in you or me this morning: no disappointment is in store for us on that matter. Our hope in Christ may seem a bit weak in the knees on a day when the world appears to be winning. For the past couple of years this seems to be every day. Paul reminds us that our hope is not based on the state of the world, but in the love of God. In John 3:16 we read that God sealed His love for everlasting with His only begotten Son.

Yes, that hope satisfies!

Bucky

Prayer And Powerful Faith

Therefore we also pray always for you that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness and the work of faith with power, that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12

A frustration we feel in this current age comes from the reports of injustices that are shown to us that we can do nothing about, or so the world would have us think. Paul wrote letters to churches because he could not be there all the time. In these letters are the actions the apostle took when he was not writing. Paul and his companions prayed. Prayer, a work of faith with power. Let us join with our brothers and sisters in Christ and do it.

We could spend many hours unpacking the wonders of these two verses, as you can well read above. Thank You, dear God, for the writing of our brother Paul.

Bucky

Praise To God

Trust in the LORD, and do good;
Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. Psalm 37:3

David's verse speaks of a peaceful land, we tend to think, but his land was far from peace for much of his life. Which makes that first step, trust in the Lord, a big one. This land we are to dwell in and do good may not be so peaceful at the first. Perhaps the fields, roads, ditches, and other things needed to raise crops are not established yet in this land. Now we must dwell there and feed on the faithfulness of our Lord. With anyone else such as governments, corporations, or even religions, this might indeed be alarming. However, we are called to trust in God, the Almighty One. Dwelling, trusting, feeding, and doing good all have their root in God our Father.

Praise to the Holy One of Israel, our God and Redeemer!

Bucky

Fulfill My Joy, He Says

Fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Philippians 2:2

We see the church group gathered during a time of plenty in a town of people of similar backgrounds with similar jobs. Not an unusual circumstance in the world in times past. The minister is happy and his messages cause no heartburn with the elders and congregation. Even the song leader chooses hymns of cheerful music each week. Ah, such harmony in the service, such good times in the church, God is good for sure! 

Then, place a stress on the group. And you know one will come if we wait long enough. The company of similar jobs is sold and the new owners bring in new employees or transfer jobs to a distant place. Gas prices double in a few months due to world politics. These examples might sound familiar. The church cash flow slows to a cash drip, with a few prayer requests in the offering plate where only checks were before. Church groups have faced this many times in history, not all have survived. The real test of being like-minded, having the same love, and being of one accord, one mind comes when the stress on the church group is great. Money is an easy example in our time, but the stress may come in other ways and by other means. Does the group still worship with one accord or does it fall apart in bitter tongue lashings? 

Fulfill my joy, he says. It seems easy in the easy times. We need Jesus to be the center of worship all the time, or the first test will sweep the sand out from under the base of the house. 

In Christ our Lord,

Bucky

Searching The Anxious Warrior

Search me, O God, and know my heart;
Try me, and know my anxieties.  Psalm 139:23

David was a man after God's own heart. How do we know this? Well, God said so for one thing through Samuel His prophet. We also know through verses such as this one from David's psalm. David invites God in to search him and know his heart and his anxieties. Does it get more personal and intimate than that? 

There are times when, like David, each of us tries to take stock of the forces we bring to the Lord's cause. We turn to review the troops, and there they are... battalions of fears, dreads, doubts, and worries all led by their commanding anxieties. Like David, invite God in to review the troops, have Him banish all those not needed for His cause. What? Nothing will be left to offer up to His cause? No problem, it is you and me He wants in any case. The anxious companies we keep, the worries dragging us down, and the fears preventing the march, are all dismissed by our Lord. Let us not keep them behind His back! 

So, why are the fears, worries, dreads, and doubts still around? Like their father the Devil, they are disobedient. In our Lord Jesus, we no longer have to listen to them. Let us turn our eyes and ears to the Risen Savior!

Bucky

The Tears of a Treacherous Heart

And this is the second thing you do:
You cover the altar of the LORD with tears,
With weeping and crying;
So He does not regard the offering anymore,
Nor receive it with goodwill from your hands.  Malachi 2:13

It seems there's this man going about my house singing nonsense verses like, "Colds are the epitome of miserability." I think he is losing his mind, but someone is also emptying the Kleenex boxes at a prodigious rate. Yes, there are signs that a virus has invaded the home. 

Today's verse is one of those backward starts wherein we read something in the Bible that appears to be exactly what the Lord desires of us, but yet He is upset over it. The Lord does not leave us or those long ago Israelites wondering, as the next verse explains that He cannot regard the tears of a treacherous heart. Jesus also told of the equal importance of that second greatest of commandments, love your neighbor as yourself. No tearful sacrifice is great enough to overcome a treacherous heart, especially if the neighbor in question is your spouse! 

Deal honestly with all of your neighbors, then the Lord can regard any sacrifice you make.

Bucky

Pay Taxes, Worm!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Bucky

Seeking Me?

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

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

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

Bucky

New Life In Christ

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

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

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

Rejoice in the Resurrection!

Bucky

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

Easter, and What We Think We Know

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

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

Rejoice in the risen Lord Jesus this Easter weekend!

Bucky

Springtime Depression Fix?

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

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

Have a joyous day with Jesus! 

Bucky

Grandma's Influence

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

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

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

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

Bucky

The Return

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

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

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

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

Love to you this Easter week!

Bucky

The Good Times Never Last?

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

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

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

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

Bucky

Baffling John, The Revelator

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

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

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

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

Have a glorious day in Jesus!

Bucky

Who Are You, Kid?

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

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

Have a happy day in Christ our Lord!

Bucky

Snow Day 2022

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

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

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

Bucky

The Working Together Wagon

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

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

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

Bucky

More Than Enough

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

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

 

Rejoice with our sister in Christ!

Bucky

No Force Required!

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

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

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

Have a joyous day this lovely Monday in Christ!

Bucky

Freedom To Not Speak

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

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

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

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

Bucky

A Decision To Know Him

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

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

Have a wonderful day in Him who is called Wonderful!

Bucky

Not For Dishonor

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

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

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

Bucky

I Am That Man

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

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

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

Bucky

​Simple Dreams​

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

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

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

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

Bucky​

What Happened Then Cannot Happen Now

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

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

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

Bucky

Jesus In The Center

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

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

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

Bucky

Faith on a Sleepy Day

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

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

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

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

Bucky

A Friday of Perseverance

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

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

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

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

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

Bucky

God Done It?

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

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

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

Bucky

Where The Grass Grows

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

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

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

Have a great snowy day in Christ the Lord!

Bucky

You're Going To Hear

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

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

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

Bucky

The Man Covets

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

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

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

Bucky

A Well-Trodden Pathway

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

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

Love to you in Christ our Lord,

Bucky

He Came Home To Rejoice

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

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

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

Rejoice today in Christ the Lord!

Bucky

Mercy on Jacob

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

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

Rejoice in the mercy of our Lord God!

Bucky

Time Of Love

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

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

Pray for the strength to endure!

Bucky

Well, Then There's That

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

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

Have a prayerful day in the Lord Jesus!

Bucky

Not Even The Next Hours

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

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

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

Bucky

Cold, Death, And Others

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

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

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

Bucky

Seeking Their Way, Not The Truth

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

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

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

Bucky

She Was Shown To Us

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

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

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

Let us go up to Jesus and His bride,

Bucky

Family Travels

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

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

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

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

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

Bucky

The Testimony Of Love

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

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

Have a loving day in Christ!

Bucky

Struggles With The Word

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

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

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

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

Bucky

Put On The New

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

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

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

Rejoice, His freedom is near!

Bucky

Something Was Changing

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

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

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

Love to you in Christ,

Bucky

He Manages The Crossing Over

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

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

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

Bucky

Let Us Write Of The Lord

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

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

Have a beautiful Friday in Christ the Lord!

Bucky

The Solo Ascent

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

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

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

Bucky

A Container For The Testimony

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

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

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

Bucky