Terror Of The Lord

They shall go into the holes of the rocks,
And into the caves of the earth,
From the terror of the LORD
And the glory of His majesty,
When He arises to shake the earth mightily.
  --Isaiah 2:19

The fulfillment of this verse for today is found in the Revelation when the Sixth Seal is opened, or what we know as the Wrath of the Lamb. Anyone who has seen a lamb likely thinks this is some sort of opposite joke. For a lamb on its own, much like human babies, is not capable of terrorizing anything in its cute little wrath. (In a short span of time human babies will develop the terror of the cry, but that is a story for another writing.) The wrath of the Lamb might appear to be nothing to worry over except for the prophecies in Isaiah and the Revelation. It amazes us that so great is the terror of the Lord in this that people will seek the shelter of holes in the rock and the caves of the earth during a terrible earthquake.

Do not be afraid, there is no condemnation for those who believe in Jesus the Christ.

Bucky

We Need Our Redeemer

Where then is my hope?
As for my hope, who can see it?
Will they go down to the gates of Sheol?
Shall we have rest together in the dust?”
  -- Job 17:15-16

Job was in a bad way, having lost his children, many servants, all of his livestock, and his health. However, Job was not looking forward to some final party at the gates of Hell. In a few minutes of Job time, the man would find his hope when speaking of his living Redeemer. (Job 19:25) In the Psalms the people sang of their Redeemer:

Then they remembered that God was their rock,
And the Most High God their Redeemer.  (78:35)

Indeed when we feel down it is to the Lord our Redeemer we must turn our thoughts. We will of course need good help in this as a downward path tends to continue down without some of that assistance in turning around. A maelstrom of the mind does not reverse course except some mighty power work on it. Yes, we need our Redeemer, and as He Himself said, we can do nothing without Him. 

Praise the Lord God, the Almighty One for His Redeemer! 

Bucky

Our Guardian

Therefore, I will always be ready to remind you of these things, even though you already know them, and have been strengthened in the truth which is present with you.  2 Peter 1:12

It rumbles up from the depths of time, looking familiar, a repetition of something heard before. You could tell them the next part before they have finished the introduction. Is it the dreaded old man story? No, it is actually that lesson from the scriptures that you and I have heard many times. Peter addressed this in the beginning of his second letter in the verse we read for today. Always ready to remind us speaks to something repeated that, as Peter writes, we know already. So why do it? Of course it isn't for the moments of quiet Bible study or those times of meditation wherein it is easier to recall what we have learned already in the Word. It is for those moments when we need to be reminded most strongly that God is our guardian and watches over us constantly. 

Now, as you have a few moments to read this message, you already know that God watches over you. But then comes the time when the enemies surround you, the call to speak before the public has come, the unfamiliarity of court has you in its grasp, or maybe it is just that next doctor's appointment. Yes, it is that time of fear and trembling when all that you already know seems lost in the hairy, scary moment. That is when we need to be so familiar with that message of guardianship of our Lord God that it comes to us by the many repetitions as our faith falters before the fear. 

Did His Holy Spirit have to shout it to you that last time due to the great fear? All is well, that happens too; rejoice in His shouting ability to get that message of comfort through your fear. 

Bucky

Two For Love

And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?” Mark 12:28

Was this scribe a peacemaker, or did he want a summary of the law? A dispute can be a noisy thing, maybe this scribe knew the quickest way to quiet them all down was to ask the wisest one there a question that had bothered him for some time. The Law is large and disputes are many. That may be one reason why we are called brothers and sisters in Christ since disputes over scripture may resemble the casual squabbling of a family. Oh, look, now we're drawn into the dispute too! Jesus quickly cut through the dispute though with two answers for one most important commandment: love God and love your neighbor as yourself. It seems so oversimple at times that we are left quiet. 

Two commandments for love, please!

Bucky

It's All About Him

All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. John 1:3

So, it's Friday and that means another 'Who is God?' portion from the word? No worries, it's all about Him anyway, whether I title it that way or not. Many do not want to confess their sin, others do not want to admit there is a God to receive that confession. There exist even some who would admit to sin and believe there is God, but want to be judged on their works. The longer I walk this Earth, the less I want to be judged on my works. After all, how many good works does it take to make up for those briefest of lusting thoughts? Of course we believe in Jesus and it took only the one work. But it was His work, not any of mine. So once more it is all about Him... and you and me, and all of our brothers and sisters who believe in Him. Yes, the Good Shepherd will shepherd a mighty large flock one day and forevermore!

Praise the Lord for His atoning work, and His continuing work in you and me! 

Bucky

Asking God For Wisdom This Day

He who walks with wise men will be wise,
​​But the companion of fools will be destroyed.
  -- Proverbs 13:20

Troubleshooting the power grid in town on a rainy day at 5:30 in the morning must be difficult. I see three trucks meeting down the block, so I know they are having some of that difficulty. However, it would be far more difficult if the meeting took place between a half dozen people who knew nothing about power lines, transformers, utility columns, and other necessary equipment. In a similar vein, if one wants to be wise or increase in wisdom, we first ask of the Lord and then we walk with wise persons. While hanging out with fools might provide one with some examples of what not to do, it will in time make the one less wise and even indistinguishable from the fools.

You may have read the story of the two psychologists who experimented on their son by raising him with a chimp of about the same age. They expected the chimp to become more human-like, but terminated the experiment when instead their son became more like the chimp. It is of course always a risk to pass along a story such as this one since these can turn out to be urban legends. However, it does demonstrate well that knowledge is no barrier to foolishness.

Asking God for wisdom seems like a good first step for us today!

Bucky

We Are All Like

But we are all like an unclean thing,
And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags;
We all fade as a leaf,
And our iniquities, like the wind,
Have taken us away.
  -- Isaiah 64:6

An often used scripture, but dare we call it popular? The message of the Lord through Isaiah lays out the worst of us as a confession. And this sort of exposure of what rests like a filthy rag in all of us may not become the next popular hit song. Flattery would seem the quicker way to gain popularity. However, for all of the exposure of what we are, Isaiah also bears from the Lord great messages of hope and restoration. One might even gather from the book of Isaiah that we are the problem and the Lord has the answer for us. Wait, that could be said of the entire Bible. God has the answer, and God is the answer in Jesus the Christ.

Great is the saving grace of our Lord!

Bucky

What I Hate, That I Do

For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do.  Romans 7:15

Paul does not write his exact sin in this passage, nor do we need to enumerate the list when it comes around again in us. The sin was all of them in Paul, and he hated it. When I feel the need to review this passage of Paul's letter to the Romans, you can be sure that I too have gone and done what I hate. It is almost a dark comedy in which we are reborn in Christ, and then come over the years to realize more and more of the sin that lurks within us. Often that sin comes blurting out of the mouth and hurts others, and we hate that more. When will it stop? Let us ask the One in charge of our redemption! We are a work in progress, and there is no hope in us. Our great hope is in our Savior and Lord, Jesus the Christ. 

Dear Lord Jesus, please cleanse us from all unrighteousness!

Bucky

Who Is God? Part 15

And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more. Jeremiah 31:34

A two-fer this morning as we read this verse from the prophet, God wants to be known and will forgive them. This we read as not just forgiving some group of folks who lived long ago, but those of us who live right now believing in His Son. Notice how effective God's forgiveness is in that He remembers the sin no more. Have you ever forgiven and then tried to forget entirely the incident and memory of it? I have not been entirely successful in this. We do well to work on the seventy times seven times of forgiveness for this reason. Also we read today that the agnostic system which holds that God cannot be known will be abolished from the least of them to the greatest of them, by the Lord's command.

We love this day our Lord and rejoice that He wants to be known by us and forgives our every sin.

Bucky

A Private Moment of Disobedience

And they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.  Genesis 11:4

So, I lift my leg up onto a chair to remove my boot and... Aaugh! Great, horrible, giant bug, black lagoon-like, alien creature, God save the Queen, Help! As my older eyes do not focus closely very well anymore, I could not at first tell that it was two grasshoppers having a private moment on my pant leg. Why they should think that was the place for their little date night, I do not know. That was last night, on to more important matters.

We often read the Tower of Babel story and think that the Lord did not want tall towers popping up everywhere, but there is a measure of disobedience in the verse for today. God had twice by this time told His humans to be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth. This gang of builders built to avoid being scattered over the face of the earth, which was going against exactly what God wanted to happen. A few verses later, God scatters the reluctant ones over the face of the earth and gives them some language confusion to keep them apart. A tall tower wasn't the problem, it was the purpose of the tower and their desire to not do what God had told them to do. Many years later, an apostle of our Lord Jesus would say a similar thing in telling us that to know what to do but avoid doing it, to us it is a sin. A good effort in prayer and Bible study for us is to find out just what the Lord God would have us to do!

Have a great day in the love of the Lord!

Bucky

Sent Specifically

Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Loose them and bring them to Me.  Matthew 21:2

Did not the donkey and colt belong to someone? Will our Lord's disciples soon be arrested for theft? Apparently, the donkey and colt belonged to our Lord, and were tied there for the purpose of carrying the Lord Jesus into Jerusalem that day. The mystery of where this donkey and her colt came from will remain to us an unknown until we can ask the One who gave the orders that day. Transportation according to ancient prophecy was provided, and Jesus knew it as He made His way to Jerusalem. A couple of questions may come to mind from this. What mission will we be sent on with specific instructions that from our view may seem risky according to the Law? And what preparation for that mission was made long before we were born? 

As the disciples saw that day and we can read in our Bible, the way of the Lord Jesus has been prepared. Everything we need will be in place at just the right time. Has a mission come your way from the Lord? All that you need has been put in place for you. 

Great is the name of our Lord Jesus!

Bucky

A Constant As We Go

I make a decree that in every dominion of my kingdom men must tremble and fear before the God of Daniel.

For He is the living God,
And steadfast forever;
His kingdom is the one which shall not be destroyed,
And His dominion shall endure to the end.
   -- Daniel 6:26

Steadfast forever, the words about our God from a monarch of Medo-Persia, who had just observed the salvation of Daniel from a den of hungry lions. Darius was impressed, and we are as well. Comforted also are those who believe in Jesus and have the presence of our God a constant as we go in this world. Steadfast forever is the love of God our Father as we struggle against the challenges of this life. Steadfast forever is the promise of our Lord Jesus of His return and reign. Steadfast forever is God.

Love and hope to you in Christ on this Monday morning!

Bucky

Who Is God? Pt 14

Blessed be the name of God forever and ever,
​​For wisdom and might are His.
And He changes the times and the seasons;
He removes kings and raises up kings;
He gives wisdom to the wise
And knowledge to those who have understanding.
  -- Daniel 2:20-21

Daniel gives a wealth of characteristics of God for me to choose from today, but I think we must pay respect to God and one of the longest serving monarchs of His choosing, Queen Elizabeth II. Yesterday, one of the commentators on the news media called upon us to recall all the years of her reign. While this was likely meant to make us think of the events or the length, I found that I could not think of all the years as I had not been alive for several of those years. When I was born in what to me seems many years ago, the queen had already reigned for more than a decade. The length of her reign imparts a bit of stability to the world, I think, and we are grateful to God that it was so long. Yesterday, God gave the queen rest from her long labors. And on the same day God raised up a king.

September 8, 2022 was one of those days when history seems to pass by a bit more than usual. The ending of the reign of a queen who sat for seventy years on the throne gives one pause to consider what comes next. Of course the new king, important though he is, must come second to what God has coming for us.

Respect to our Lord God today, as He raises up kings and gives rest to Queen Elizabeth II,

Bucky

A Call For Repentance

And in that day the Lord GOD of hosts
Called for weeping and for mourning,
For baldness and for girding with sackcloth.
But instead, joy and gladness,
Slaying oxen and killing sheep,
Eating meat and drinking wine:
“Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!”
  -- Isaiah 22:12-13

Israel was called to repent before the Lord with weeping and mourning, but from Isaiah we see that they decided to have a final feast. Would a nation really decide one and all to go to their doom with one last party? It's a disingenuous question since we know that it has happened from God's word and that it will happen again. That great army gathered at Megiddo at the end will do it the day before their destruction. The kingdom of the Antichrist will do it as the people of God leave it at God's command. We don't have to be prophets like Isaiah to know how some people will act even to that last day before their doom comes upon them. 

We thank God for one another that we have answered the call to repent from our Lord! And we pray all the more for those who have not yet let the Lord Jesus save them. 

Bucky

Wonders To Deceive

If there arises among you a prophet or a dreamer of dreams, and he gives you a sign or a wonder,  and the sign or the wonder comes to pass, of which he spoke to you, saying, ‘Let us go after other gods’—which you have not known—‘and let us serve them'.  Deuteronomy 13:1-2

It does happen and we are warned to watch for the signs and lying wonders of the enemy. Many predict the future in various ways. Those who observe weather patterns predict what it will be like in a few days. Those who write science fiction extrapolate into the future the trends they see around them, and some have remarkable accuracy. However, there comes a type we are warned of much like the Israelites were in our scripture for today, that type who would lure the believer away from the Christ. Jesus said, "For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect." The elect are not so discerning in their own strength of course but are saved from this deception by the Spirit of God in them. 

We are safe in the hands of the Almighty! 

Bucky

Who Is God? Part 13

"To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, though we have rebelled against Him."  Daniel 9:9

Daniel lived during the exile, that time of punishment forewarned many times by the prophets for Judah's sin against the Lord. And yet Daniel here emphasizes qualities of our Lord that do not always go with our view of God in the Old Testament. Daniel had every opportunity to complain of the Lord's heavy hand of justice, and yet he chose to confess the rebellion of his people. Daniel might have asked, "Why me? I've been a righteous boy." And yet he took this opportunity to proclaim that mercy and forgiveness belong to the Lord our God. Today we still get much finger shaking at us from the pulpit, but there is this good news that mercy and forgiveness belong to our Lord God! We deserve the finger shaking, but we live because of God's mercy and forgiveness that came by way of Jesus His Son. 

Thank You, Lord God, for your gift of mercy and forgiveness,

Bucky

Belief In Christ Jesus

But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth, to which He called you by our gospel, for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14

It seems too simple for us in this advanced age and we yearn in the flesh for solid evidence to touch and see. Believe in Jesus? Don't we need a large rule book with a planned journey up an increasingly difficult set of tasks? What about believing those stories from that one book? Shouldn't the science of digging in the dirt have found one or more articles showing that this thing actually happened? Of course, when it comes to faith and belief, it does not necessarily change unbelief when a science such as archeology does find the ruins of a city right where the Bible says it was when a story happened there. When Jesus returns in His glory at the end, it is likely that many will still be heard to say, "I don't believe it!" For those who believe in Jesus though, we say along with John as the Revelation comes to a close: Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

Great is His faithfulness! He comes soon!

Bucky

A Contest Already Won

He shall speak words against the Most High,
and shall wear out the saints of the Most High,
and shall think to change the times and the law;
and they shall be given into his hand
for a time, times, and half a time.  Daniel 7:25

Yes, the days of this life come when the saints are easily worn out, but we play a match that is already decided and we cannot lose in Christ our Lord. The powers of this present darkness may send one who will think to change the times, but this day and this hour, no matter how difficult, cannot return and each hour and day is one period of time closer to our meeting the Lord Jesus Christ. The laws may change until one cannot but fall afoul of them doing the necessary tasks of this life, and yet, the day the change is made does not return and the Lord's return is one day closer. And we have His assurance in John 16:33 that He has already overcome the world. We put on the armor and fight the battle in Christ, but the outcome is not in doubt. We do but wait for that blessed day and hour when our Lord shall snatch all of His own from the world.

Rejoice in Christ, His victory is certain!

Bucky

What About Those Deeds?

But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been done by God.  John 3:21 LSB

A new translation of the word of God changes a little word in this verse from in to by, and it makes for an interesting question. Surely the deeds we do that are righteous such as preaching a sermon, teaching a Bible class, and many others we want to be seen as having been done by God. We give Him the glory in all good works, but what about those deeds? Not sin of course, but those deeds where we from ignorance make a little mistake that has a huge consequence. By this new translation this verse seems like an opportunity to blame the mistake on God. What an easy out for us bumbling, fumbling, stumbling learners in life! As the life of each of us who believes in Jesus is a witness to all, is the change so great though? Then, for example, if I make the mistake while doing all things through Christ who strengthens me, or, I blow it while counting on no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, does that change my testimony from living in Christ to "The Lord done it!"?  Of course the debate would rage on over the question if practicing the truth includes making mistakes due to ignorance. 

Gettin' kinda heavy on a Monday morning over one little word change. Glad are we to know that we do deeds in Christ, by Christ and with Christ Jesus! No need for a big debate for us, we will rejoice in this day in, with, and by Christ our Lord!

Bucky

Who Is God? Part 12

The eternal God is your refuge,
And underneath are the everlasting arms;
He will thrust out the enemy from before you,
And will say, ‘Destroy!'   Deuteronomy 33:27

We might hold ourselves as having some small understanding in some aspects of our Lord God, but then come words such as, eternal, everlasting, and forever. How does one who might live a century understand one who has been from everlasting and lives to eternity? There are some illustrations using a bird and grains of sand, or an ocean of water molecules moved one at a time, but my mind runs quickly into a limitation when large numbers are involved running out to infinity. What we can gain from this is the assurance of stability. Rome wasn't built in a day, but its days were numbered, and it is no more. Not so with God, who will be forevermore and is with us now and loves us. The eternal God who loves you and me will never leave us nor forsake us.

Rejoicing in Christ for eternity, sounds like a long time!

Bucky

Clinging To The First Birth

My soul clings to the dust;
Revive me according to Your word. Psalm 119:25

The basis of revival is to revive and that is to cause to live again. We walk with our Lord Jesus here in the valley of death's shadow and we have this problem of clinging to the dust of our first birth. Some of it is necessity, eating and drinking and the other things of this life, while other things are a desire to break away from our Creator, in other words to sin. Is it any wonder that even those who believe in Jesus will need to be snatched away when the Lord returns? Against this carnal urge is the revival of our soul carried out constantly by the Spirit of God in us. How can we help with this? The psalmist asked for revival according to God's word. And there is the place we must go for the good news of Jesus and our revival. The word, the word! The word of God is to us a releasing of our clinging claws in the dust, a trusting in the Word Himself in place of what we think we know.

Come today to the Word and live again in Him!

Bucky

Why An Alarm?

Blow the trumpet in Zion,
And sound an alarm in My holy mountain!
Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble;
For the day of the LORD is coming,
For it is at hand.   Joel 2:1

If we think of the Lord's holy mountain as it is in Isaiah 11, the one with the wolf and the lamb and no hurting or destroying, then sounding an alarm would seem pointless, a crass interruption of the peace even. Here the alarm is sounded because the Lord is not there yet. The day of our Lord approaches because of the promise of His return to His holy mountain. Obviously placing the wolf with the lamb today will result in one less lamb in the world. That day has not yet come for the wolf and lamb to lie down together. So, yes, sound the alarm as the day of the Lord comes upon the land. Who would sound such an alarm? The Lord's enemies are the most likely candidates, and they have good reason to tremble as His day comes upon them! 

No conflict here in the word, it is the same mountain at different times in the Lord's story. 

Love and joy to you in Christ our Lord!

Bucky

To Die Is Gain?

For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. Philippians 1:21

The pastor mentioned this verse yesterday, and so I thought what a great idea for a devotional on a Monday morning! This must be one of the strangest statements in the Bible to those who do not believe in Jesus, Heaven, or an afterlife. Understanding this statement from Paul takes faith as we learn to not cling to this life and yet to rejoice in it at the same time. At this point, I confess to not being entirely successful on either count. There is much pain in this life and rejoicing always, as Paul says in another verse from the same letter, is not always easy or even possible in my strength. With hope in Christ though, the latter part seems much the easier...er, until it comes to the actual dying part at least. I am, as are most of us, somewhat concerned over what form that transition to the gain will take. It would be an unusual person who wants to suffer long in making that final journey to be with our Lord Jesus. Like you, I hope for a quick, peaceful, and above all, painless transition that causes the least sorrow for those left behind. And then there is that Rapture hope of ours that means none who believe would leave each other behind!

To die is to gain Christ the Lord in His presence forever, Immanuel!

Bucky

Who Is God? Pt 11

Now see that I, even I, am He,
And there is no God besides Me;
I kill and I make alive;
I wound and I heal;
Nor is there any who can deliver from My hand.
   -- Deuteronomy 32:39

In the Oxford dictionary the first definition for nice is: pleasant, agreeable, or satisfactory. And this is often what many expect of God and they may become angry at Him when their expectation is not met, such as with the death of a loved one. In the song of Moses, we read about God in a way that I have not addressed just yet in this little series: the God who kills. The first thing we note in our verse for today about the killing is that in the same line there is a conjunction whose function is to combine - "...and I make alive." Which reminds us of what Jesus said to us in John 10:17-18, where He told us of His laying down of His life and taking it up again. The first application of the line seems to be upon Himself. The next is in His killing of someone else - enemies of Israel, flagrant lawbreakers, or even a person we may know personally. That is where the cries of unfairness, injustice and "how could a loving God do this?" come into play. I guess that God is just not nice according to our standards. However, one suggestion for us is to avoid the claims of unfairness or injustices against our Lord and ask something like, "I know You have taken my loved one from beside me, dear Lord, but what have You done with your beloved?" You see, we also believe that killing is the Lord opening a door for us to be with Him, and eternity is the biggest part of being made alive in Christ!

Yes, God kills... and we are eagerly awaiting our turn to be with Him!

Bucky

A Donkey And An Angel

And Balaam said to the donkey, “Because you have abused me. I wish there were a sword in my hand, for now I would kill you!”  Numbers 22:29

Balaam apparently left on the anger train, because if a donkey you or I were riding suddenly turned and spoke to us, we likely would fall off the hind end in shock. Yet, the donkey speaks and Balaam responds in his anger as if donkey conversation was common in his day. This is one of my favorite Bible stories way back in the Book of Numbers, and likely at least part of the basis for the great Narnia books written by C.S. Lewis. Stepping into the story at the uh-oh point, as we are in this verse for today, we know that the donkey sees someone that Balaam cannot see. Take a moment to read the paragraph of the story just before the conversation begins, and one can see that the donkey is being entirely reasonable and faithful in the face of great danger. Many a donkey would likely have fled in terror! One can only imagine the look on Balaam's face when the angel of the Lord is revealed at last. 

Someone you know and depend on may appear to do you wrong. Perhaps he or she sees something, or even an angel of the Lord, that you cannot see right now. Give them the benefit of your love and faithfulness, as they have done for you these many years. 

May the love and lovingkindness of Jesus go with you today,

Bucky

The Disaster Of The Wall

But the rest fled to Aphek, into the city; then a wall fell on twenty-seven thousand of the men who were left. 1 Kings 20:30

These were the survivors of a losing battle with Israel. The city and its massive wall afforded protection from the enemy, or so they thought. That number of troops inside a fortification large enough to fall on them would provide a significant challenge to whatever Israelite commander had to fight them. But the story does not go that direction, instead the wall fell on those 27,000 soldiers of Syria. Had the nation not lost almost four times that number already in the battle, then there might be the story of the disaster of the wall told by itself and not as a following note. The larger number of dead in the battle overshadows what would be more than 20 times the population of our little town. And of course with those numbers of the dead, we might forget that the larger story is one of unbelief and disobedience to God our Father. Consequences of sin brought a large death bill to Israel and Syria in this story.

Okay, now I'm supposed to sign off with some bit about joy and peace? Yeah, well sin does not bring about those things, and sometimes we need to be reminded of that.

Remember the Christ who paid the price for our sin,

Bucky

By The Dark Of Night

This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.”  John 3:2

Within our verse for today we can pretend that we do not know this man's name. A not uncommon occurrence in the Bible, people often come and go in the stories without leaving their name. The signs of this rabbi had caught the man's attention though, and in his opinion no one could do them without having God along. However, this man must have been busy or did not want to be seen as he came to meet Jesus undercover of darkness. Of course this verse brings out the questions as we want to know who the man was, what was his occupation, why the sneaky visit, and if there is belief in his heart or just a flattering way of opening the meeting. Then, we want to know what Jesus will say to the man! 

We know the name from the famous story, but more famous still among those who believe is the response our Lord Jesus gave to Nicodemus including the eternal beauty of John 3:16. 

Thank you, dear Lord, for bringing this man to ask of you in the dark of night!

Bucky

Who Is God? Pt10

​In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread
​​Till you return to the ground,
​​For out of it you were taken;
​​For dust you are,
​​And to dust you shall return.”
  -- Genesis 3:19

A couple of weeks ago the focus was on God as lawgiver. When that law was broken God became the dispenser of justice to the lawbreakers. Dispenser of justice being a cumbersome way to write, 'judge'. We recall the chain of blame that came when God walked in the garden one evening and found, or rather didn't find, Adam at their usual meeting place. Adam blamed Eve, not his most heroic moment to be sure, and then Eve blamed the Serpent. God then judged them going back up that blame chain until He came to Adam, part of whose sentence we read in our verse for today. Death was promised in the law God gave for taking from that forbidden tree, and death was granted in the sentence.

Do you feel that urge to question God's right to judge? That rebellion is the inheritance we have from Adam and Eve, our ancient ancestors. That is the human nature our Lord Jesus works out of us by His dear Holy Spirit.

Love and joy to you this day,

Bucky

Where Are We Going?

They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain,
For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD
As the waters cover the sea.  Isaiah 11:9

As we follow our Lord Jesus, it may occur to us to ask about our destination. It should interest us, since the Bible indicates that the eternity to come will be somewhat longer than the time we will spend here. Throughout the word of the Lord there are prophecies and clues about this eternal home our Lord has gone to prepare for us. One such foretelling is our verse for today. If we read the news this morning, each of us will see the hurting and destroying throughout the headlines. It is not hard to spot that for us! The first line of God's promise today states that it will be no more. This speaks to a rather large change in us and all those who will be there on the Lord's holy mountain. How will this happen? The next lines tell us how, and what a promise it is! Full of the knowledge of the Lord, maybe there won't be quite so many questions to ask in eternity as we had thought? 

Great are the Lord's promises of Heaven!

Bucky

Plundered Palaces

Therefore thus says the Lord GOD:
​
​​“An adversary shall be all around the land;
​​He shall sap your strength from you,
​​And your palaces shall be plundered.”
  -- Amos 3:11

No one likes to hear that their nation is going down, and indeed will soon suffer a plundering of the palaces. A prophet might use different terms for us in this age because palace is not how most of us would describe our homes. However, the children of Israel living in Samaria received the word of the Lord through Amos the prophet, and it was not a warm fuzzy. If this were a weak nation, the Lord likely would not have needed to send His prophet. This then speaks to a nation confident in its military strength to defend those precious palaces. Sounds to us like many nations of some wealth and stability, including this nation in which we live. Anytime a nation gives glory to God for its raising up, then becomes secure in its own strength and turns its back to the Lord God, there will come a reckoning. Not everyone here in this land has turned though, so pray for the neighbors and praise our Lord God. The prayers of Christ's faithful ones may be all that stand between our nation and the plundering suffered by Israel, Samaria, and Judea in times past.

It is a privilege to pray to the Lord our God!

Bucky

Did David Know?

As for God, His way is perfect;
The word of the LORD is proven;
He is a shield to all who trust in Him.
   -- 2 Samuel 22:31

David reigned in Israel a thousand years before a descendant of his would let us know that He was the way, the truth and the life. So, did David know he was singing prophetic words in his song? Sure, we can see the connection now, but could David have known in his songwriting that John would write of the Word as a person in his gospel, or that Paul would issue every believer the shield of faith? One thing David could and did know was that trust and faith went hand in hand. To those who believe in Jesus, of course the words of so long ago connect quite well to the words of Jesus, John, and Paul. For those of us who now hang on every word of Jesus, we learn daily that His way is perfect. David had seen the word of the Lord fulfilled in many things, and so the proof was before him. The real question is not how much David knew, but do we believe his testimony? We believe David's witness in the same way we do John's and Paul's, by faith.

The Word of the Lord is proven in you and me by faith!

Bucky

Who Is God? Part 9

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. John 1:1

As I have been using the scriptures to discover who God is these past weeks, it will come as no surprise to you that God is intimately tied to His word. In our verse for today, John even states that the Word was God. Though we do not claim to be God, we have experienced a similar connection to our word in this life. If you don't think so, then simply say the wrong words at the wrong time, and watch the consequences. You may be connected firmly to those words for years to come! Not only does God not face that problem, but so perfect is His word that the challenge is to get us to believe His word. When in verse 14 the scripture reads that the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, we and others might find that just a little unbelievable, incredible even. John bears witness and we have to decide to believe it or to reject it. And from this and other passages in the word of God, we who choose to believe find the point of separation from the world. You and I cannot prove that God spoke His Word and it became flesh, but we were invited and enabled to believe it.

Grateful are we that Jesus is the embodiment of the Word of God!

Bucky

Making My Best, Better

Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.  John 14:12

In everything, my best could be better. But how can I do better than my best? It sounds a lot like that senseless giving 110% thing, as if the coach got a C- in his math class back in the day. Jesus is of course the answer to a lot of things in life, and this is no exception. My best in many things is pretty darn weak, either by a lack of knowledge or experience in the thing or both. My best in the things that I do have skills in is also weak from my Father's perfect perspective looking down from Heaven. However, He gave me (and you!) His Son...and some things to do in the way of missions and good works. 

It is from our Lord Jesus that I can do better than my best by way of His grace and strength. The missions may look utterly impossible for my means. That's a good thing, since if I could already accomplish the mission, then where would the glory be for God? The good works may seem a great burden at times. That too is a good thing as the strengthening of my Lord Jesus shines through in such moments. That is the work of my Lord Jesus in me, making my best, better!

It isn't a math conundrum, it's a good help solution! 

Bucky

Confusion's Day

Some therefore cried one thing and some another, for the assembly was confused, and most of them did not know why they had come together. Acts 19:32

For a brief moment in Ephesus, confusion reigned over the assembly. It is interesting to read that many in that crowd had no idea why this happened. In our day one could see the news helicopters moving over the crowd, estimating the size, and perhaps guessing at the purpose. However, for a couple of Paul's traveling companions, the mob danger was upon them and they were seized. This could have ended with martyrdom for those two had not a city official stood forth with reasoned authority and encouraged lawfulness. Confusion can be halted in its tracks by authority, and lawfulness restored to its proper place. A concept it seems we have lost in this nation for the past several years. Were those with authority afraid to stand forth? Were they corrupt or weak? We may never know, but lawlessness could be waiting in the wings for its day.

No confusion for us though, for our lawful authority is Jesus the Christ!

Bucky

More Than Usual

And David said to Gad, “I am in great distress. Please let us fall into the hand of the LORD, for His mercies are great; but do not let me fall into the hand of man.” 2 Samuel 24:14

It is not a misprint from the Word, Gad was the prophet of God at that time in Israel. David the king was in great distress due to a sin on his conscience and the choice he had to make as a consequence. The story in 2 Samuel 24 is a marvel and something to study for us. That infamous census had numbered the Israelites against God's will, and as David asked forgiveness the prophet Gad came to him with a horrible choice. Now none of the choices say specifically that anyone will die, but a sentence in numbers was given and David had to choose. Hence the great distress until David tells Gad that he will take the three days of plague on the land. Three days may not seem like much. David may have thought that too. 70,000 men of Israel died in those three days until the Lord relented from His punishment. 

Was David's distress more than usual in making this choice? If so it certainly was ratcheted up a bit after the choice was made! After those three days of plague, David repented of his choice and asked that the penalty fall on himself and his father's house. And that, dear friends, is the choice of the man after God's own heart. You will see the similarity in what Jesus chose in giving Himself instead of letting the penalty fall upon all of us for our sin. 

Thank You, dear Lord God, for your mercy on us by the grace of Jesus Your Son. 

Bucky

Who Is God? Part 8

And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” Genesis 2:16-17

Lawgiver answers our title question this week. The first law or commandment with a penalty came in the Garden of Eden with the verses we read this morning. So, as lawgiver answers one question, we in our culture today might ask one question in return: What gives God the right to make that first law? While any of us might simply accept God's right as being God, that is circular and unlikely to sway an unbeliever to read any more of the word of God. As we have read only a short but important part of the Bible at this point in Genesis 2, we already have one big reason God gets to give the laws: Creator. From the first verse of the Word of God we have God creating all things. We do a similar thing in life today. If you own a house then you have house rules. The first law was a test of Adam's obedience and trust in his Creator, and the first warning that things would not go his way if he decided to test this one house rule. And since we read through chapter 1 that when God speaks, things come into being. It would seem to follow that to disobey and do what God had said not to do then the penalty part would indeed follow. And that will be a story for another day!

Rejoice in our Creator and Lawgiver, and of course obey Him!

Bucky

Questions Shutdown

And no one was able to answer Him a word, nor from that day on did anyone dare question Him anymore. Matthew 22:46

Chapter 22 of Matthew has a series of questions posed to our Lord Jesus, until this verse at the end where the questioners were shut down. Do you mean they had Jesus right there and sought no more answers? Was there to be no more asking, seeking, and knocking? Of course from the Word we know that by Pharisee, Sadducee, scribe, and Herodian, they came to test our Lord and were sent away answered. These were not seeking but thought they knew the answer already and wanted to disprove the Lord's ministry and His claim. Instead one and all received such astonishing answers that they were shut down for good. The invitation for those who are seeking the Lord remains open. Ask Him what you do not understand, seek Him for what you do not know, kn0ck on the door of His tomb...and see that no one is there! 

We have a living Savior, and He is the answer to our questions! 

Bucky

A Message To Us!

For His merciful kindness is great toward us,
And the truth of the LORD endures forever.
Praise the LORD!   Psalm 117:2

Looking for some mercy in the Old Testament, I searched this morning for 'merciful'. Now there are many verses for Israel, as might be expected, but this one I saw from its rather brief context in the shortest of psalms is a message to you and me. Yes, the psalm begins, Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles! That's us! Could this diminutive song be perhaps written by one of us too? It may be, but the important point for us is who this merciful One is, and that is the Lord. We need His mercy as much as His people in Israel. We also praise God to note that His truth endures forever. And His truth we know from John 14 is none but Jesus Himself! It may be the shortest of psalms, but we derive great hope from our Lord and Savior.

And now, let us do as the psalm sings, Praise the Lord!

Bucky

Fear and Great Joy

So they went out quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to bring His disciples word. Matthew 28:8

We have read and heard this verse many times, especially at Easter. How often do we consider the conflict between those two emotions - fear and great joy? Those who had met the angel in the tomb might be able to better explain to us how both of these large feelings could exist in them at the same time. However, we might know ourselves from the thoughts of death we experience at funerals or during illness. For that pairing of emotions does explain how the believer in Christ approaches the tomb as well. We fear death in the flesh and yet at the same time feel the stirring of that great joy we have in Christ Jesus. Conflicting and complementary at once, by such feelings we see our state as both born fallen and born again redeemed.

Praise God that one will fall behind us soon!

Bucky

Who Is God? Pt. 7

The LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there He put the man whom He had formed. And out of the ground the LORD God made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Genesis 2:8-9

The Lord God is a farmer, or you might say, a gardener. We see in this passage that the Lord plants and places, grows and provides. The Lord will place the man and then in verse 15, we see the man following in the Lord's footsteps by tending the garden. The Lord, Him we call Father, first taught the man to farm or garden. We can see here that the Lord loves beauty with His provision also, for the trees that provided food were also pleasant to the sight. We understand from what came later that this was not a place for weeds and thorns, but of produce and pleasant viewing. The Lord's garden was a delight!

Rejoice! The Lord will make all things new once again and soon.

Bucky

Turning The Mind To The Word

Beat your breasts for the pleasant fields,
for the fruitful vine,
for the soil of my people
growing up in thorns and briers,
yes, for all the joyous houses
in the exultant city.
--Isaiah 32:12-13

The drought in the west of the nation comes to mind easily from my location, but thorns and briers in the word of God often speak to the cares of the world. One of those cares may be the cost of a little exultation. With inflation taking off like the best top fuel dragster these last few months, we certainly have plenty to worry about when it comes to costs. During those times of increased care and worry, it may not be easy to turn the mind to the word of God. The times of celebration and exultation are of course no easier. We are faced with thorns and briers right in among the pleasant fields and fruitful vines. All of it seems to conspire to remove our thoughts from the One who saved us by His Word. Jesus reminded us in John 16:33 that He has overcome the world, and He told us of tribulation in the world at the same time. Turn the mind to the Word, for that is right where we are this day.

Peace, joy and love to you in Christ the Lord!

Bucky

Attractive Loyalty

Loyalty makes a person attractive.
It is better to be poor than dishonest.
--Proverbs 19:22

It seems so obvious to us when we read the proverb, but when we go to work on our attractiveness this morning it probably will be with the aid of a mirror, brush, razor, makeup and other tools of the trade. Loyalty likely will not enter into the picture until we read our verse for today. Oh, loyalty makes a person attractive, that must be how those stars in Hollywood got their fame and fortune. Yeah, that's it, sure it is. The world may consider loyalty as weak, stupid, or even a failure to capitalize on advancement opportunity. Unless of course a person becomes a corporate officer and gets caught in dishonesty. Then suddenly loyalty and honesty are sterling qualities that should be found in all those in authority. Yes, those old proverbs collected by Solomon have a message for us in this age.

Have a loyal and honest day in our Lord Jesus; it makes you attractive!

Bucky

A Little Cheer

But Jesus turned around, and when He saw her He said, “Be of good cheer, daughter; your faith has made you well.” And the woman was made well from that hour. Matthew 9:22

Cheer may be one of those words where we know what it is or is not, but have never tried to form a definition. "Be of good cheer," our Lord said to the woman. She had suffered long with her illness and it likely showed in her countenance. Jesus informed her that a change had come by first commanding a show of happiness, gratitude, relief, and peace - any of these can go into a feeling of cheer. She may even feel like shouting out her cheer to the glory of God. Cheer goes into Christmas so well that even those who refuse to celebrate it notice the effect it has on you and me. And in the face of tribulation that we will have in this world, Jesus reminds us to be of good cheer. (John 16:33) Cheer just seems to make us happy, and happiness makes us want to cheer. 

Sin may darken the world, but be of good cheer. Jesus returns soon!

Bucky

Who Is God? Pt. 6

And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being. Genesis 2:7

Dr. Frankenstein had a fantasy in which he could give the breath of life to his creature. It is a work of fiction, but give it a try. Gather some dust from the ground, form it into a human shape however you can, and make a couple of nostrils on it. Now, breathe into those nostrils and make it live. We don't even try, because we know that something God has is not ours to give in that way. He made a pile of dust into a living being. By this Adam's children became both earthly, from the dust, and godly, from the Lord's breath of life. Not only can we not breathe life into a pile of dirt, we do not even know how to go about making an eye from this dust. Too big and complex for us? How about one cell? Can we make a cell from dust? Yes, it is still far too much for me too. All the more do we wonder, how did God do it?

Who is God? God is the One who gave us life!

Bucky

Take Ownership

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David when Nathan the prophet went to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.

Have mercy upon me, O God,
According to Your lovingkindness;
According to the multitude of Your tender mercies,
Blot out my transgressions.
Psalm 51:1

This lesson from David's life has been taught many times, but that doesn't mean I won't bring it up again! Yes, the story has all the lurid sins that make up many a movie script in our time: temptation, lust, wickedness, adultery, attempted coverup, betrayal, and murder. Then the sinner goes about making plans for his new bride and son. Ah, but God watches always and sees His anointed king going about business as usual without the least sign of remorse. With God's word in hand, Nathan the prophet finally tells a story that outrages the king so much that death is decreed for the sinner. It is that classic story where everyone seems to be in the know but the protagonist. Finally, Nathan has to point out plainly and bluntly that it is David who is the miscreant in the story. Then, like that proverbial ton of bricks, the king sees his sin for what it is - transgression against God the Father. And our lesson begins with this model of confessional prayer. 

Your or my latest sin likely did not involve betraying a loyal soldier to his death after sinning against the man's marriage. At least we hope it wasn't that heinous. And thus do we declare our will that this sin against God or that other one is not as bad as those in the Bible stories. Hmm, yes, probably should ask the Judge and not the accused which crime is the worst of the worst. And so, whatever sin we have committed, we look to David's prayer to the Lord. Mercy, he asks, but not based on any thing the sinner may have but to those qualities the Lord presents to us in His goodness: lovingkindness and the multitude of His tender mercies. And finally the taking of ownership, David asks for a blotting out of his transgression, in other words, forgiveness of sin. 

May our confession be deep and heartfelt, and may we in Christ sin no more. 

Bucky

Heat of Summer

For day and night your hand was heavy upon me;
my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. Selah
Psalm 32:4

The heat of summer dries up our strength these many years later, and we have something in common with David. We don't like our strength to falter by way of heat or sickness, or even old age. However, the laying down of our strength often brings to us the realization of God's strength. Would God's strength then go to work for us sooner if we could back out of the way? Just lay down all our tools and let God do the building?  It sounds tempting, which is of course something to be wary of in this life. There are lessons learned by the expending of our strength and lessons that come when God steps in with His strength. It is also then that we remember that all strength is given by God and even in our work it is the Lord who has enabled us. So, thanks be to God for His strength and ours! 

Have a blessed and  hot day! Sorry about the heat of July, but the seasons will come until He does!

Bucky

A Time Is Coming

Look, a time is coming - and has come - when you will be scattered, each one to his own home, and I will be left alone. Yet I am not alone, because my Father is with me. John 16:32 NET

For much of the time recorded in the gospels, Jesus had this group of people following Him around. Our Lord often went alone to pray some distance from the group, but they were there nearby. Then, Jesus made this extraordinary prophecy that went against the sworn word of His followers. They were shocked, scandalized, with a 'we would never' ready to speak against this serious charge. All the protests would come to nothing though, as we know who would be proven right in the end. Peter even threw the rest of the gang under a bus and said his protest with an "even if all the others..." None of the others went where Peter did with his three denials in one night. And all of us others must learn the lesson they did back in the day. Protesting the Lord's prophecy, though it may speak of a terrible betrayal, changes nothing. Better to spend the time preparing a repentance and apology!

Glory to God! That Jesus our Lord prepared the way for us to return to the Father.

Bucky

Who Is God? Pt 5

And God said, “See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for food. Genesis 1:29

A few miles down the road from the Garden of Eden, Abraham will name a place Jehovah Jireh, which means to us, The Lord Will Provide. The provision of the Lord is seen by us several times each day in what we eat. To this day we enjoy the first provision which was fruits, nuts and herbs. Later changes in what we or Israel may eat come when Noah lands after the flood, in the Law given to Moses, and in a dream given to Peter. You can easily think of many other ways in which the Lord provides for us. So, for the fifth part of our Friday series, we have: provider, as in the Lord is our heavenly Provider, or as George Washington liked to name Him, Providence.

Thank You, dear Lord God, for providing for us this day!

Bucky

This Is Stupid

And when Pharaoh saw that the rain, the hail, and the thunder had ceased, he sinned yet more; and he hardened his heart, he and his servants. Exodus 9:34

Last night I thought of my friend Kevin from quite a few years back in the day. Kevin and I served in the Marines and until he went and got married, we watched many movies to pass the time. There was a point in the movie last night where I just knew that Kevin would have muttered, "This is stupid." Most of the time I agreed with him as not all the movies we saw back in those days were well-written and edifying in their performance. The same line might be used for those who endure some tribulation in this life, and then fail to repent of sin, ask forgiveness of God, and rejoice in the salvation of Jesus Christ.

In our verse for today, we see the result of a hardened heart, not only in Pharaoh but in his servants as well. We wonder at it, and then go ask God for some sign to show the unbelievers what our God can do. We may want to review the plagues God brought upon Egypt for Moses, and the response of Pharaoh. We may look at old Pharaoh and say the line, but a hardened heart is far worse than a stupid one.

Have you met a hardened heart? Pray for your neighbor until God softens that heart.

Bucky

Message of Hope

​​Say to those who are fearful-hearted,
​​“Be strong, do not fear!
​​Behold, your God will come with vengeance,
​​With the recompense of God;
​​He will come and save you.”
   Isaiah 35:4

We have a host of reasons to be fearful in our hearts these days, and so did the people in Isaiah's time and many others. Isaiah urged us to encourage one another with words of good hope. Be strong and do not fear! The words of faith spoken by God's people have a powerful effect on others, and so many need the words of encouragement in these dark days.

With words such as these in the scriptures, it is easy to see how the Judeans might wonder why Jesus did not get busy with that revenging thing. However, our Lord was about the last bit first, He came to save them and us from our sin. The vengeance part is shown in the Revelation, and His time for that is coming too. Until that time, we have the honor of passing along a message of good hope with the salvation of our Lord Jesus. Therefore:

Be strong, do not fear! And rejoice in the salvation of Jesus the Christ!

Bucky

Who Is God? Pt. 4

Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” Genesis 1:26

In today's study on God, we must address this one verse in the first chapter of the Bible where we come to the statement that God is an 'Us'. As in plural, more than one? Yes, that is what the scripture says when it reaches the sixth day of creation and humans, man and woman, were up for our beginnings. The best explanation for this does not come for more than a couple thousands of years. John wrote his gospel account and the story of the Revelation he witnessed as what may well be the final two books of the Bible to be written and disseminated. Both books reveal the Word, and God, and the Spirit, as being aspects of God. Of course, once we see this, then we see the Father, the Son, and the Spirit throughout the pages of the Bible. Aha, we say, even in the first verse of Genesis we see the Spirit of God hovering over the face of the waters. Yes, once the key unlocks the lock, we are able to see. It is left to John those many years down the road to explain where the Son, the Word of God, was in the Creation, but He is certainly there for us.

May the Lord Jesus watch over you as we begin the holiday weekend this evening!

Bucky

Unsearchable

Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out! Romans 11:33

We hardly understand the term unsearchable in our time with so much knowledge available to us via the search engines of the Internet. Yet the depths Paul writes of here to the Romans remain quite unsearchable to us. A few clicks can bring to us sermons upon sermons and books almost beyond counting, but those depths are beyond our reach still. Then, each of us naturally wants to compare such infinite wisdom or knowledge with our own. It will not take long to come up against the limits of these things we possess! We have a wonderful capability to learn, and have also come to those times when we did not learn a lesson the first time and stumbled into the same failure. However, this Being of such a wealth of wisdom and knowledge, loves you and me so much that He died to save us from our sin.

His ways are a mystery to me and you, but we love Him too!

Bucky

My Opinion Won't Save Me?

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.  Romans 6:23

God had told Adam that in the day that he eats of one special tree, he would certainly die. Later Adam and Eve would say, "Other than that, what's wrong with it?" And then a serpent would give a contrary opinion. It is ironic that since the fall in the garden, we tend to fall for the first thing we hear about something and give less weight to the second. Adam and Eve went more for the second one because in their opinion what God had said of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil just didn't seem like such a big thing. Their opinion did quite the opposite of saving them. 

My opinion of a sin will not save me either. If I look at one particular form of sin and give the excuse that it doesn't hurt anyone and therefore it should not be a condemning sort of thing, that does not make it so. When I stand before the Judge at the end with my little sin in hand, the angels will likely not send a representative to speak in my defense. "He didn't think that one was so bad, your Honor, it should be okay, right?" Nope, not gonna happen. Salvation it seems is not dependent upon my opinion of a sin. However, the Lord gave to us a strange sort of gift: Salvation comes by way of Jesus the Christ, who paid for all those sins we may take rather lightly. 

Therefore, in place of holding up a chart of the Law and offering our opinions on each one, we simply come to the Savior, say that we are sorry for our sin, and ask to be saved by Him! 

Love to you in Christ our Lord,

Bucky

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