John Buckner
Articles by John Buckner
Ebenezer
“And Samuel took a sucking lamb, and offered it for a burnt offering wholly unto the Lord: and Samuel cried unto the Lord for Israel; and the Lord heard him. And as Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to battle against Israel: but the Lord thundered with a great thunder on that day upon the Philistines, and discomfited them; and they were smitten before Israel. And the men of Israel went out of Mizpeh, and pursued the Philistines, and smote them, until…
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Flowers of the Field
Flowers of the Field “The voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field: The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the Lord bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass. The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.” Isaiah 40:6-8 In Isaiah 40, God speaks peace to His city, Jerusalem. He speaks of…
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The Massacre in Bethlehem
The Massacre in Bethlehem “Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men. Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying, In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and…
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Hope in Jericho
“And she said unto them, Get you to the mountain, lest the pursuers meet you; and hide yourselves there three days, until the pursuers be returned: and afterward may ye go your way. And the men said unto her, We will be blameless of this thine oath which thou hast made us swear. Behold, when we come into the land, thou shalt bind this line of scarlet thread in the window which thou didst let us down by: and thou…
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Pray for the Lands of the Bible
Pray for the Lands of the Bible “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth” (Acts 1:8). I love to travel to any place mentioned in the Bible, no matter how obscure. I have been blessed to visit famous Bible places, such as Athens and Jerusalem, and many lesser-known places like…
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Zedekiah’s Cave
“To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded. Unto you therefore which believe he is precious:…
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Mustard Seeds and Mulberries
Mustard Seeds and Mulberries “Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him.And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him. And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith. And the Lord said, If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree,…
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Mount Carmel
Mount Carmel in the Bible “Now therefore send, and gather to me all Israel unto mount Carmel, and the prophets of Baal four hundred and fifty, and the prophets of the groves four hundred, which eat at Jezebel’s table. So Ahab sent unto all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together unto mount Carmel. And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the Lord be God, follow him: but if Baal,…
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Abraham Lies in Gerar
“And Abraham journeyed from thence toward the south country, and dwelled between Kadesh and Shur, and sojourned in Gerar. And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, She is my sister: and Abimelech king of Gerar sent, and took Sarah. But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, Behold, thou art but a dead man, for the woman which thou hast taken; for she is a man’s wife.” (Genesis 20:1-3). Abraham Lies in Gerar If…
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Santorini and the Bible
Santorini and the Philistines “Because of the day that cometh to spoil all the Philistines, and to cut off from Tyrus and Zidon every helper that remaineth: for the Lord will spoil the Philistines, the remnant of the country of Caphtor.” Jeremiah 47:4 Most visitors to the idyllic island of Santorini in the Greek Cyclades come for the spectacular views, donkey rides up the mountain from the port, and romantic sunsets. Most do not know the island’s connection to the Bible’s…
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The King’s Game
The King’s Game “And the soldiers led him away into the hall, called Praetorium; and they call together the whole band. And they clothed him with purple, and platted a crown of thorns, and put it about his head, And began to salute him, Hail, King of the Jews! And they smote him on the head with a reed, and did spit upon him, and bowing their knees worshipped him. And when they had mocked him, they took off the…
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Jerusalem in Scripture
Jerusalem “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee. Peace be within thy walls, and prosperity within thy palaces. For my brethren and companions’ sakes, I will now say, Peace be within thee. Because of the house of the Lord our God I will seek thy good.” (Psalm 122:6-9) “I know exactly why you came to Jerusalem.” Visitors to Rabbi Gershon’s bookshop in the Jewish Quarter of the old city of Jerusalem are always taken aback by his eccentric…
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Samson and The Sorek Valley
Up and Down in the Sorek Valley “And it came to pass afterward, that he loved a woman in the valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah.” Judges 16:4 The two most well-known inhabitants of the Sorek Valley in the Bible were Samson and Delilah. Before he was born, an angel told Samson’s parents that he would deliver Israel from the hand of the Philistines. He was chosen by God to dwell in the hilly border area of the Sorek and…
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God’s Work Is Worldwide
God’s Work Is Worldwide “After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;” Revelation 7:9 It is good to be reminded sometimes that Bible believers who came before us have followed Christ’s commission to take the Gospel into all the world. I have been blessed to travel to many…
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Illyricum
“Through mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God; so that from Jerusalem, and round about unto Illyricum, I have fully preached the gospel of Christ. Yea, so have I strived to preach the gospel, not where Christ was named, lest I should build upon another man’s foundation: But as it is written, To whom he was not spoken of, they shall see: and they that have not heard shall understand” (Romans 15:19-21). Illyricum in Bible…
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The Stoning of Stephen
The Stoning of Stephen “And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man’s feet, whose name was Saul. And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.” – Acts 7:58-60 The book of Acts tells us,…
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Salamis
Salamis “So they, being sent forth by the Holy Ghost, departed unto Seleucia; and from thence they sailed to Cyprus. And when they were at Salamis, they preached the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews: and they had also John to their minister” (Acts 13:4-5). The Biblical Significance of Salamis Salamis was the first stop for the evangelists Barnabas and Saul on their first missionary journey. This was a journey that would take them across modern Cyprus…
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Jezreel in the Bible
Jezreel in the Bible “And it came to pass after these things, that Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard, which was in Jezreel, hard by the palace of Ahab king of Samaria. And Ahab spake unto Naboth, saying, Give me thy vineyard, that I may have it for a garden of herbs, because it is near unto my house: and I will give thee for it a better vineyard than it; or, if it seem good to thee, I will…
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Bethel
Bethel “And God said unto Jacob, Arise, go up to Bethel, and dwell there: and make there an altar unto God, that appeared unto thee when thou fleddest from the face of Esau thy brother” (Genesis 35:1). “Don’t go to Bethel!” That was the advice that I received when I brought up the subject. Most modern travelers go to the Israeli settlement named Bethel, which is located near the biblical site. From the observation tower, you can see biblical Bethel…
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Whose Image?
Whose Image? “And they send unto him certain of the Pharisees and of the Herodians, to catch him in his words. And when they were come, they say unto him, Master, we know that thou art true, and carest for no man: for thou regardest not the person of men, but teachest the way of God in truth: Is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar, or not? Shall we give, or shall we not give? But he, knowing their…
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Friends From Gath
Friends From Gath “And David arose, and he passed over with the six hundred men that were with him unto Achish, the son of Maoch, king of Gath. And David dwelt with Achish at Gath, he and his men, every man with his household, even David with his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the Carmelitess, Nabal’s wife. And it was told Saul that David was fled to Gath: and he sought no more again for him” (2 Samuel…
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Tents in the Holy Land
“And the Lord appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day; And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground” (Genesis 18:1-2). The stories of the patriarchs of the Bible are intertwined with their tents. We read of them moving to various places…
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The Temple Mount
The Temple Mount “And David spake unto the Lord when he saw the angel that smote the people, and said, Lo, I have sinned, and I have done wickedly: but these sheep, what have they done? let thine hand, I pray thee, be against me, and against my father’s house. And Gad came that day to David, and said unto him, Go up, rear an altar unto the Lord in the threshingfloor of Araunah the Jebusite. And David, according to the saying of Gad,…
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The Hope of Israel
The Hope of Israel | Mikveh in Scripture “O Lord, the hope (mikveh) of Israel, all that forsake thee shall be ashamed, and they that depart from me shall be written in the earth, because they have forsaken the Lord, the fountain of living waters” (Jeremiah 17:13). The desert prophet Jeremiah used some evocative language in his poetry. One of the words he used, mikveh, comes loaded with additional meaning if you delve into the culture of the ancient people of the…
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Pillars at Gezer
Pillars at Gezer “Ye shall utterly destroy all the places, wherein the nations which ye shall possess served their gods, upon the high mountains, and upon the hills, and under every green tree: And ye shall overthrow their altars, and break their pillars, and burn their groves with fire; and ye shall hew down the graven images of their gods, and destroy the names of them out of that place” (Deuteronomy 12:2-3). When Joshua divided the land, he assigned Gezer…
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