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American
History
Throughout
February, we’ve been celebrating the
achievements of black people in American
history. Instead of writing a devotional, I
thought I would try something different this
month. Below are three Christian African
Americans who have had a profound influence on
our country. Enjoy!
George Washington Carver - An
agricultural chemist of international fame,
George Washington Carver developed hundreds of
uses for the peanut, soybean, pecan, and sweet
potato. He wanted to help the poor southern
farmer whose soil was depleted from years of
raising cotton. A Congressman once asked Carver
where he learned all these things. He said from
an old book, the Bible. The Senator was amazed
that the Bible told about peanuts. Carver
replied that it didn't, "But it tells about
the God who made the peanut. I asked Him to show
me what to do with the peanut, and He did."
Phillis Wheatley – Was a slave who
wrote Christian poems in her adopted language,
English. Phillis came to world attention when
she authored a tribute to George Whitefield. She
sent this to Whitefield's sponsor, Selina
Hastings, Countess of Huntington. Like most of
her poetry, it was deeply religious in tone:
Hail,
happy saint, on thine immortal throne,
Possessed of glory, life, and bliss unknown;
Charles
Albert Tindley - He is often credited as the
"Father of Gospel Music." Charles
Tindley wrote some of the most original and
beloved songs in our hymnbooks: songs such as
"Nothing Between My Soul and the
Savior," and "We'll Understand it By
and By." More than half of the songs which
appeared in the popular 1909 Soul Echoes: a
collection of songs for religious meetings
were by Charles Albert Tindley.
Billy
Buchanan
The
Fine Art Of Friendship
Last
summer four cute black kittens were born
underneath our porch. My daughter was ecstatic!
Every morning since they came into our world,
she’s fed them and made sure they’ve been
well taken care of. They’re the most spoiled
alley cats you’ve ever seen :) . My son, on
the other hand, saw the birth of these kittens
as an opportunity to torture his little sister.
Every time the cats come to the front door to
get their daily meal, he chases them all over
the yard. It’s actually pretty hilarious, but
it drives my daughter crazy. The two different
ways that my kids treat the cats are great
examples of how we sometimes treat our brothers
and sisters in the body of Christ. Sometimes
we’re there to meet all of their needs. Other
times, we have no time for them and do all that
we can to push them away. I took the title of
this devotional from the name of a King’s X
song. The chorus lyrics are “The fine art of
friendship; meaning of love; understanding
through it all.” Friends should not only be
there to share in each other’s
accomplishments, but should also be there to
carry each other’s burdens when hardships
come. Ecclesiastes
4:9-10 concurs, “Two
are better than one, because they have a good
reward for their labor. 10 For if they
fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to
him who is alone when he falls, for he has no
one to help him up." We should be
praying for one another, talking to one another,
sharing with one another, and hanging out with
one another. These are the things that friends
do.
I know that I’ve been guilty of being a
bad friend over the years. I get so busy
sometimes that I forget to nurture the
friendships in my life. I’ve made a commitment
this year to do much better. I’ve been blessed
to have so many great friends. Because of their
unconditional love toward me, it’s encouraged
me to be a much better friend. I hope this
encourages you to do the same.
Billy
Buchanan
The
Street Musician
A
few days ago my pastor told me a very
interesting story. In the early 90’s he used
to pastor a very large church in Hendersonville,
TN. After experiencing many years of growth at
the church, he felt the Lord asking him to step
down as pastor of this congregation. Although he
still felt a strong desire to preach, he knew at
this particular time God was trying to teach him
something. Unemployed and running low on money,
he started detailing cars for a living. He said
it was a real humbling experience for him. He
went on to tell me that some of his customers
were members of his former church. Picture that.
Your former pastor detailing your car. It must
have been very humbling for him indeed. I was so
impressed with this story that I went home and
told my wife about it. She said, “Wow! That
would be like you becoming a street musician.”
Well, that got me to thinking. What would it be
like to be a street musician? So with it being
Christmas time, I thought this would be the
perfect time to find out. Last week I decided to
take my acoustic guitar to downtown Nashville,
and sing Christmas carols on the street. No
lights. No big crowds. It was just me, my
guitar, and the pedestrians going by. I’ve
never felt anything quite like this. A lot of
people stopped and enjoyed the music. Most
people looked at me with pity…. like I was
homeless. A lot of them actually put change in
my guitar case. I just smiled and kept on
singing. I know this might sound crazy, but
after that first day I couldn’t wait to go
back out there again. I can’t explain it. It
was very liberating for me. I didn’t care
about what anybody thought about me. I knew God
was smiling. 1
Peter 5:6 reads, “Humble
yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty
hand, that He may lift you up in due time.”
Because my pastor was willing to humble himself
and detail cars for awhile, God eventually
blessed him with an awesome new church (my
church), and he’s been overseeing the flock
there for close to 15 years now. Because I was
willing to spread some Christmas cheer on the
street corners of downtown Nashville, God has
lifted my spirits tremendously this holiday
season. I hope this encourages you as you humble
yourself before Jesus this Christmas.
Billy
Buchanan
Seasons
Change
These
last couple of years have been very trying for
me. On a professional level, I’ve dealt with
band member changes, tour cancellations, vehicle
breakdowns, and music business madness. On a
personal level, I’ve lost some people that
were very close to me, including my grandmother
(my mom’s mom), my aunt (my dad’s sister),
and one of my best friend’s mom. All of this,
of course, has put a lot of strain on my home
life too. There have been moments over the last
couple of years that I completely wanted to give
up. All I knew to do was to hold on to
Jesus…and that’s what I’ve done. I’ve
heard it said many times, “There’s sunshine
after the rain.” Well I’m here to tell you
guys that this is so true. After going through
one of the toughest times in my life, I now find
myself in the one of the best seasons of my
life. God is so good! The Lord has surrounded me
with some great musicians. We’re writing for
this next album and I’m having more fun than
I’ve had in a long time. My family is doing
great! We’ve seen God really do some miracles
in our household over the last year. You know, I
have found that if we don’t go through our
share of trials and tribulations we can’t
really appreciate it when the good times come. I
hope that whatever season you’re in right now,
you’ll remember the words of Romans
8:28
which states “We
know that all things work together for good for
those who love God."...
Billy
Buchanan
Gifts
Over
the last few months, I’ve had the privilege of
being the host of Shoutfest, a traveling music
festival that features many of today’s most
popular Christian artists. Now to be honest with
you, at first, I wasn’t very excited about
being offered the job. I felt like, “Well if
they don’t want to hire me to perform, I
don’t want any part of it.” My manager had
to convince me that it was a good thing for me
to be out on the festival as the host.
He and the Shoutfest organizers obviously
saw gifts in me that I didn’t see in myself.
Ever since I was a teenager, I’ve seen myself
as “a musician.” …period. That’s been my
identity. The thought of being on stage without
singing and performing wasn’t something I was
looking forward to. My manager sat me down and
reminded me of something. God has given each of
us numerous gifts. Some are more obvious then
others, but all of them are just as important as
the other when it comes to furthering the
Kingdom of God. I
Corinthians 12:4-6 encourages us with these
words,
“Now
there are varieties of gifts, but the same
Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but
the same Lord; and there are varieties of
activities, but it is the same God who empowers
them all in everyone.”
Romans 12:6 concurs,
“Having
gifts that differ according to the grace given
to us, let us use them.” They
were right. God’s blessed me with quite a few
gifts. Besides being a musician, I’m a pretty
good speaker (that’s why Shoutfest wanted me
to host…and I’m having a great time hosting
by the way). I’m pretty funny (most of the
time ha! ha!). I love teaching and leading.
These are just some of the gifts that God has
blessed me with. What about you? What are your
gifts? If you’re not sure, ask God to show you
what special talents He’s created in you. He
will reveal to you the gifts that He has blessed
you with. It is then up to you to make you use
them all for His glory.
Billy
Buchanan
Sacrifice
As
we remember September 11th 2001, my mind turns
to those who willingly sacrificed their own
lives to save the lives of others on that
horrific day. I think about the policemen and
firefighters who volunteered to go into the
World Trade Center to rescue those who were
perishing. I recall the brave men and women on
Flight 93 whose heroic acts kept the plane from
reaching its destination, which was most likely
the US Capitol. Without their sacrifices, many
more lives would’ve been lost. The word
sacrifice is defined as “giving up of
something valued.” Sometimes in life we have
to give up something valuable for somebody or
something else we consider to be of greater
value or importance. God did this when he
sacrificed his son Jesus on the cross for us.
Because humanity was lost in its sin, a
sacrifice had to be made for our transgressions.
God’s perfect Son Jesus was the only one who
could do it. That’s how much He loves us. We
all know the verse. John 3:16 says it best,
“For God so loved the world that He gave His
one and only Son that whoever believes in Him
shall not perish but have eternal life.” Let
us never forget the heroes of September 11th.
Let us also remember our Heavenly Hero, Jesus,
for the sacrifice He made for us at Calvary.
Billy
Buchanan
B-E-L-E-A-V-E
Today,
my family and I went to go see the movie
“Akeela and the Bee.” It was great! It’s
about a really smart girl from the inner city
who ends up representing California in the
National Spelling Bee Competition. The movie is
filled with drama, uncertainty, suspense,
opposition, and really big words. As I watched
this brilliant motion picture, I was reminded of
my school days. I know some of you might find
this hard to believe, but I was a pretty smart
kid back in the day (I don’t know what’s
happened since then :P ). I was an honor roll student, and I actually
participated in a spelling bee…once. I was in
elementary school. I think I was in 4th or 5th
grade. My teacher convinced me to try out for
the school spelling bee. To my surprise, I made
it. Preparing for the competition was the most
nerve-racking thing I’ve ever done. They gave
us this huge list of words we had to memorize. I
spent hours upon hours remembering some of
biggest words I’d ever seen. I didn’t even
know what most of them meant. By the time the
spelling bee rolled around, I felt more than
prepared. I don’t know if any of you have ever
seen a spelling bee before, but basically a
group of kids are sitting on a stage. One at a
time, the students are asked to walk up to a
microphone and spell the word that they are
given. As I sat waiting for my turn, I watched
some of my friends rise to the challenge and I
saw some of them crash and burn. I became very
nervous. How would I do? If I mess up, will
everyone laugh at me? Will everybody think that
I’m dumb? Well, before I could sneak out the
backdoor, they called my name. It was my turn. I
slowly walked up to the mic. I just knew that
they were going to give me the hardest word on
the list. Then the announcer said, “Your word
is BELIEVE.” Believe?!! They have to be
kidding. What an easy word. I got this! Without
much thought, I said
“believe…B-E-L-E-A-V-E…believe. Then I
heard the sound of the bell. That wasn’t a
good thing. I was out in the first round. It was
over that fast. Fighting tears, I walked off the
stage. I was devastated. I felt like a total
loser. After that, I never tried out for another
spelling bee again. Even though, most of my
teachers felt like I had a really good change of
placing high in future competitions. I wasn’t
going to put myself through that again. In the
movie, when Akeela told her mom she wanted to
quit, her mom told her that when she graduated
high school she had received a scholarship to a
big Ivy League college. She went for a short
while but decided to quit because she felt out
of place among all the rich kids. As an adult,
she really regretted that decision. In the
Bible, Peter denied knowing Jesus three times
(Luke 22:54-62). After it was all said and done,
Jesus still encouraged Peter to “Feed His
sheep.” Peter is now revered as one of the
greatest followers of Christ to ever live. See,
God knew what Peter was capable of if he just
didn’t give up. He feels the same way about
us. Failure is inevitable. But that gives us no
excuse to tuck our tails and run. We have to
keep on trying. If you believe in God,
B-E-L-E-A-V-E (:P
) in what he can do in and through you.
Billy
Buchanan
The
Singing Boy
There
once was a boy who loved to sing.
He loved it more than anything.
Enamored by the songs he heard,
He would hang on to every word.
His sixth grade teacher, named Ms. Barch
Saw his passion from the start.
So on occasion she would ask
If he would entertain the class.
“Celebration,” by Kool and the Gang
Was a song he often sang.
Up and down the schoolhouse halls
You could hear the class applaud.
Confirmation to the lad
That he probably didn’t sound too bad.
So as the boy grew to a man
He had a very simple plan.
To sing his songs for all to hear
And fill their hearts with joy and cheer.
Now how do I know this cute story?
Well, that singing boy just happened to be me.
So the moral of the story is
“Encourage all the little kids.”
A
poem by Billy
Buchanan
The
Island
When
I first made the decision to follow Christ, I
was so anxious to find a home church and get to
know other fellow believers. I quickly joined a
local fellowship, got involved on the worship
team, and made some really good friends. For the
first year or so, things could not have been
better. I had finally found that family that I
had always been looking for. But then the most
unexpected thing happened. I had a big
disagreement with one of the guys in our
congregation. Honestly, I can’t even remember
what the falling out was about, but I became so
distraught by the whole thing that I just
stopped going to church. I decided that I
didn’t need church. It was just going to be me
and God. For a while, everything was great. I
would read my Bible and spent time with the
Lord. After a while though, I started drifting
back into my old ways. Before I knew it, I was
off on my own little island, further from the
Lord then I had been in a long time. What had
happened? When I withdrew myself from the body
of Christ, my whole world fell apart. Proverbs
27:17 reads, “As iron sharpens iron, so one
man sharpens another.” We need each other!
With all of our quirks and imperfections, God
still expects us to stay accountable to one
another and to continue to gather together. When
we do this, something amazing happens. All the
members of Christ’s body start working
together to fulfill His purposes. There are
always going to be those in the church that we
don’t get along with. That’s a fact of life.
We still must learn to love one another as the
Lord has instructed us.
Billy
Buchanan
Our
Troops
I
don’t know about you guys, but if I’m not
watching the news, I sometimes forget that
we’re actually at war right now. That’s just
being honest. I get so consumed with my own life
that I fail to remember those who are serving
our country over in the Middle East. Shame on
me! It’s probably pretty accurate to say that
the people who are most concerned with the war
are the ones who have family or friends in Iraq.
I can totally relate. My older brother, Daryl,
was in the first Gulf War in the early 90’s. I
remember how he would call me scared to death.
He would say things like, “I don’t know if
I’m going to make it home alive.” I’m sure
many of the troops over there feel that way.
They come face to face with their mortality
everyday. Yet, all of them would willingly give
their lives so that we can continue to enjoy the
freedoms that we have in this country. Many have
already given there lives. Recently, I was at
the airport about to board a flight. Before we
could board, the arriving passengers had to
deplane. About twenty military personal, coming
back from the Middle East, got off the plane.
Everyone waiting at the gate clapped their hands
and applauded the troops. I had never seen
anything like it. They deserved every bit of it.
James 5:16 says that “The effective, fervent
prayer of a righteous man avails much.” Please
continue to pray for our troops. It makes a
difference. Pray for their salvation, their
safety, their families, and their quick return
home. No matter how you may feel about our
involvement in this war, I’m sure we can all
agree that our troops deserve our complete
support. Join me in thanking the men and woman
in the armed forces for all that they do.
Billy
Buchanan
This
Christmas
Last
year, right before Christmas, my Grandmother
passed away unexpectedly. She meant so much to
me and my family. Needless to say, Christmas
2004 is a blur. We were too busy getting the
funeral arrangements together and mourning.
During the holidays, we would all get together
at her and my Grandpa’s house. When we would
show up there, she’d meet us at the door with
hugs and kisses. That was Grandma….Love, love,
love!! And man, could she cook :). For our
family, Grandma was the glue that kept us all
together. This Christmas, we’re having to move
forward without her. It’s so hard. We’re
still grieving her loss, but we know that she
would want us to continue the traditions she
started so many years ago. She’s the one who
taught us what the real meaning of Christmas is.
She’s the one who taught us how important it
is for families to get together during the
holidays. Every Christmas, somebody somewhere is
experiencing the holiday for the first time
without a deceased loved one. Maybe that person
is you this Christmas. I hope this encourages
you. Romans
8:37-39 reads,
“Yet in all these things we are more than
conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am
persuaded that neither death nor life, nor
angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things
present nor things to come, nor height nor
depth, nor any other created thing, shall be
able to separate us from the love of God which
is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” This verse
has really encouraged me this past year. If
you’re mourning the passing of someone close
to you this Christmas, let the birth of our Lord
Jesus remind you of His ever-present love for
us.
Merry
Christmas, Billy
Buchanan
Marie
A
few weeks ago, I received a very sobering email.
A youth pastor from Mauldin, SC emailed me to
tell me that one of the girls in her youth group
had been killed in a car accident. The young
lady who was killed was named Marie Tarrant. I
remember Marie. I met her at a couple of shows,
and she’s emailed the band before. The youth
pastor went on to tell me that Marie loved
Fusebox and had become a Christian at one of our
concerts a couple years ago. Jesus had really
helped Marie turn her life around. When I read
this email, I was filled with all kinds of
emotions. On one hand, I was very sad. Here was
a girl who had her whole life ahead of her and
now she was gone. Then on the other hand, I was
so happy for her. Two years ago, Marie made the
decision to follow Jesus. Now she’s standing
before her Savior face to face, worshiping Him
forever. How could I not be ecstatic for her?
In John 3:36, Jesus declares, “Whoever
believes in the Son has eternal life, but
whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for
God's wrath remains on him." See, death
is certain for all of us. None of us knows the
day or the hour. That’s why we need to make
the decisions we need to make today. Marie knew
this! She chose Jesus. If you’re reading this,
and you don’t know Jesus as your Lord and
Savior, admit your need for Him, and ask Him
into your heart today. It will be the best
decision you’ll ever make. He will give you
joy and purpose in this life, and Heaven will be
waiting for you when your work on earth is done.
Billy
Buchanan
Know Your Enemy
The
ancient Chinese warrior Sun Tzu taught his men
to "know your enemy" before going into
battle. For if "you know your enemy and
know yourself," he wrote, "you need
not fear the result of a hundred battles."
But, Sun Tzu warned, "If you know yourself
but not the enemy, for every victory gained you
will also suffer a defeat." In the church,
we spend a lot of time getting to know
ourselves. Which is not bad in its self, but we
don’t spent enough time learning about our
enemy, the devil. Everyday, we are bombarded
with enemy attacks in our churches, at our jobs,
in our homes, and at our schools. Most of the
time, we sum it up to just a bad day. Christian,
we are at war! Not with men and things of this
world, but with the evil one and his demons. Ephesians
6:12 states, “For we do not wrestle
against flesh and blood, but against
principalities, against powers, against the
rulers of the darkness of this age, against
spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly
places.” As believers, we have the victory
in Christ. The devil knows this. All he can do
is try to render us useless for God’s
purposes. By distracting us, discouraging us,
tempting us, and lying to us, he takes our focus
away from Jesus. Don’t let that be you today.
Know your enemy.
Billy
Buchanan
Peru
This past month, I had the amazing opportunity
to travel to Lima, Peru with the organization,
Food For The Hungry (FH). When I left on this
trip, I knew that it would be a great
experience. I had no idea that it would change
my life. This visit challenged me in ways that I
never thought possible. I’ve been a spokesperson
for FH for almost a year now. I’m a real
believer in what they do for the poor and
underprivileged. I really wanted to see, first
hand, the work that they do in other parts of
the world. I couldn’t believe my eyes. FH took
me to communities on the outskirts of Lima where
families were living in conditions that no
family should have to live in. I saw hundreds of
people living in shacks without food, water,
furniture, or electricity. I witnessed kids
playing in trash heaps as big as any garbage
dump you’d see here in the states. Many of the
kids weren’t able to go to school, because they
had to help to meet the needs of their families.
Many of them would beg for money or steal. I
actually met one man who collected “recyclables”
for a living. He made $1.50 a week. Here in the
states, we would call this man homeless. He’s
considered a leader in his community. Man, my
perspective was changed. As I walked through
these inhumane neighborhoods and met the
families, I had this overwhelming feeling. “What
can I do?” I’m just one man. I was overcome with
a feeling of guilt (because of the way that we
live here at home compared to the way these
people are living), and shame (because I find
myself complaining so much, when I have nothing
to complain about). Despite all of this, God’s
word tells me that I can make a difference. In
Matthew 25:31-40, Jesus said, "When the Son of
Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with
him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly
glory. All the nations will be gathered before
him, and he will separate the people one from
another as a shepherd separates the sheep from
the goats. He will put the sheep on his right
and the goats on his left. Then the King will
say to those on his right, Come, you who are
blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the
kingdom prepared for you since the creation of
the world. For I was hungry and you gave me
something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me
something to drink, I was a stranger and you
invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed
me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in
prison and you came to visit me. Then the
righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we
see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give
you something to drink? When did we see you a
stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes
and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in
prison and go to visit you? The King will reply,
'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one
of the least of these brothers of mine, you did
for me.” Watching what FH does in these
families’ lives was so inspiring. I met kids who
were sponsored through FH that at one point were
on the brink of death, but now are eating
regularly and getting an education. I had the
opportunity to go to schools that FH helped set
up and see children learning. I had the
opportunity to go to a health care center that
FH partners with and see sick babies getting the
attention that they need. In the midst of all
the poverty that I saw, I also saw hope. I saw
people trying to better themselves, and I saw
people who have given their lives to help those
who are in need. Thank the Lord for Food For The
Hungry and organizations like them.
Billy Buchanan
Manna From
Heaven
We live in a “Gotta have it now” society. In a
world of high speed internet, 30 second fast
food drive-thru guarantees, microwaves, and cell
phone services that can call across the planet
in seconds, we’ve gotten used to getting what we
want when we want it. Because we’re accustomed
to this way of living, we sometimes put these
demands on God. We take our needs to the Lord
(which we should do), but then we tell Him how
and when He should fill these needs. We then
become disappointed and discouraged when things
don’t happen when we want them to. What I have
found over the years is that God gives us what
we need for the day. Exodus 16:4 reads, Then the
LORD said to Moses, "I will rain down bread from
heaven for you. The people are to go out each
day and gather enough for that day. In this way
I will test them and see whether they will
follow my instructions.” When the Israelites
were wandering in the desert for 40 years, God
was faithful to feed them manna from heaven
everyday. Just like we do, they eventually
started to complain about what God was providing
for them. In Numbers 11:4-6 the Israelites
groaned, "If only we had meat to eat! We
remember the fish we ate in Egypt at no
cost—also the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions
and garlic. But now we have lost our appetite;
we never see anything but this manna!" Isn’t
that amazing?!! God was graciously feeding them
everyday, but they whined about what He was
feeding them (even though it was probably filled
with all the nutrients that they needed). You
know, I prayed for years that God would allow me
to use my musical gifts on a professional level.
Because I had been praying so consistently about
it, I thought I was going to be an overnight
success. Not!! Day by day God would provide what
I needed, but it took years before I reached the
goal that I was praying for. While we’re
interested in getting stuff, God is interested
in our spiritual growth. Are we learning
patience? Are we learning to persevere? These
are the things that we learn from eating our
manna from heaven.
Billy Buchanan
The Divine
Appointment
Recently, we lead worship at a conference in
Minneapolis, Minnesota. It was an amazing
experience not only for the students who
attended, but for us as well. We had a great
weekend singing songs to the Lord. After the
conference was over, we loaded out our gear,
packed the trailer, and attempted to start our
bus. The bus wouldn’t start. It has a diesel
engine that needs to be plugged in over night to
stay warm. Because of hotel restrictions, we
were unable to plug it in for three straight
nights. After numerous failed attempts at
cranking the bus, we eventually ended up running
the battery down. We had a few friends of ours
try to jump start it. That didn’t work. We tried
to call AAA. They couldn’t help us. Boy, we were
in a fix. It was a late Sunday afternoon and all
the auto repair shops were either closed or
about to close. Now, I don’t know about you
guys, but when stuff like this happens I
immediately go “Ok Lord, what are You up to?”
I’ve learned over the years that God allows
everything to happen for a reason. I knew that
even in the middle of this “bad situation” God
had a plan and a purpose. We eventually decided
to get the bus towed to a garage that could work
on it the following morning. We made the call to
the repair shop and they assured us that they
could work on our diesel engine, but couldn’t
get to it till the next day. We reluctantly
agreed. When the tow truck showed up, the driver
looked over our bus, made a call back to his
shop, and then told us that they didn’t work on
diesel engines. Come to find out, the dispatcher
we talked to over the phone had told us the
wrong information. This particular garage didn’t
work on our kind of vehicles. Man, we were back
at square one…… Or were we? I started noticing
that the driver, whose name was Steve, was
asking a lot of questions about what we did. Now
Steve was a little rough around the edges. It
seemed like everything that came of his mouth
was a four letter word. After seeing the bus and
trailer, he put two and two together and figured
we were a rock band. That’s when it hit me. God
had us stranded in Minneapolis for this one guy.
Steve suggested that we try to jump start the
bus with his big ole tow truck. Because it
hadn’t worked earlier with our friend’s car, I
thought it was pointless. But I said why not.
While we were waiting for the battery to charge,
we hung out with Steve and told him about our
band. We showed him around the inside of the bus
and befriended him. We made it a point to give
him a copy of our newest album, Once Again. He
was so excited!! About fifteen minutes had
passed, we decided to try and start the bus
again. Well guess what? It cranked right up.
Hallelujah!!!! We were ecstatic. We were going
to be able to get home. In Luke 15:4-7, Jesus
says, “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep
and loses one of them. Does he not leave the
ninety nine in the open country and go after the
lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds
it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and
goes home. Then he calls his friends and
neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I
have found my lost sheep.’ I tell you that in
the same way there will be more rejoicing in
heaven over one sinner who repents than over
ninety nine righteous persons who do not need to
repent.” Although being stranded was a bit
inconvenient for us, it wasn’t for God. That’s
how much he loves each and everyone one of us.
He chases after the lost. As Christians, we need
to learn to recognize opportunities to share
Christ with those who don’t know Him. I truly
believe that it was a divine appointment for us
to meet Steve that day. Who knows? God might
have used four stranded rockers to lead a tow
trucker driver to his Savior.
Billy Buchanan
That’s What Friends Are For
My two best friends are named Reggie and
Waddell. We met in our freshman year of high
school and have been life long buds ever since.
Lately, I’ve been thinking about our friendships
and why we became friends in the first place.
Initially, it was our love of music. They’re
both musicians too. We learned how to play our
instruments together in my basement and in
Reggie’s living room. We drove our families
crazy. :-) Secondly, I believe we gravitated
towards each other because our family situations
were so similar. All of us were from broken
homes and it was comforting to hang around
others who could relate to what you were going
through. Thirdly, and the most obvious, we all
lived on the same street. Looking back, it may
have been our love for music and our similar
home conditions that brought us together, but
it’s been our love for Christ that has kept us
together. When we met, Reggie was a Christian.
Not only did he go to church on Sunday, but he
lived the life. I mean, I went to church, but I
was by no means a Christian. I would go to God’s
house on Sunday, and then be cursing like a
sailor on Monday. Waddell wasn’t raised in the
church at all. Reggie didn’t preach at us. He
just loved us, and lived by example. Though
Waddell and I didn’t become Christians till many
years later, Reggie is the one who planted the
seeds in our hearts when we were teenagers. He
had no idea how much we were paying attention to
some of the things he would say and do. What we
had so many years ago on Free Ave (the street we
lived on), a lot of you have right now in your
youth groups. It’s the place where you go to
hang out with your friends and the people you
feel like you have the most in common with.
Honestly, some of you aren’t even Christians.
You haven’t accepted Jesus as your personal
Savior yet. Lord willing, in time, you will.
Right now, it’s just good to know you love being
at youth group. Some of you are strong believers
in the Lord, and see your youth group as the
place where you can serve your peers. That’s
awesome!! In John 15:12, Jesus
instructs us to “….love one another as I
have loved you.” Lean on each other.
Depend on each other. Take care of each other.
That’s what friends are for. Some of you are
going to remain friends for a long time. I hope,
like me, you can look back over these formative
years and see how God used your friends to draw
you closer to Him.
Billy Buchanan
Heroes
We love our heroes, don’t we? We love to look up
to people who, in our eyes, can do extraordinary
things. We give them all sorts of awards and
accolades and let them know how special they
are. Our heroes come in all shapes and sizes.
For some, it’s a famous athlete. For others,
it’s a parent or grandparent. For others, it’s
the older kid down the street who can do no
wrong. Whoever it is for you, we all have them.
As a kid, I was into superheroes. I use to love
to read comic books or watch cartoons about
Batman, Spiderman, Captain America, and The
Flash, to name a few. But my all time favorite
has to be Superman. He was the man!! He could do
anything. He had super strength, super speed,
heat vision, x-ray eyes, enhanced hearing, and
ice cold breath. I wanted to be just like him. I
used to run around my house in my underroos (and
a cape my mom made me) pretending I was the Man
of Steel. Those were the days. Now, it’s always
a huge let down when our heroes fall short of
our expectations. I’ll never forget watching the
movie, Superman II, when this happened to me.
Superman fell in love with Lois Lane. Now, if he
wanted to be with her, he had to give up his
powers and become a regular dude. Well, he did
it. I’ll never forget the scene when Clark Kent
(Superman’s alias), and Lois are at this diner.
This guy starts flirting with Lois. Clark, in
all his chivalry, attempts to protect his woman.
Well, he ends up getting his behind kicked. He
even bled. Needless to say, I was devastated.
This was the Mighty Kryptonian getting thrown
across a counter by a mere mortal. I’m still not
over it. :-) As Christians, we have spiritual
heroes too. Those who have helped us along the
way in our walk with the Lord. It’s always a
heart break when these people stray from the
straight and narrow. I’ve seen this happen many
times, not only in my life, but in the lives of
those whom I admire. I’ll never forget, as a
young believer, getting to hang out with a
Christian band that I was really into. I was so
excited about finally getting to meet this band
that had helped me come to know Jesus. It didn’t
take long to see that these guys had many
struggles, and were just as human as I was. It
was a real eye opener for me. In John 15:4-5
Jesus makes it clear when He says, “Abide in
Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear
fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine,
neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am
the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in
Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without
Me you can do nothing.” Anything good
that we may see in our spiritual heroes comes
from Jesus. Just like you and I, when they take
they’re eyes off of the Lord, they will fall.
That’s why I always tell people if they hang
around me long enough they’ll see how imperfect
and human I am. We need our Christian heroes. We
need people whose examples we can follow. But
ultimately, it’s Jesus who’s our real Hero.
Billy Buchanan
Southern
Asia
On December 26th of this past year,
one of the worst natural disasters in human
history took place. By this point, we all know
what happened. An earthquake and massive tsunami
devastated Southern Asia, and took the lives of
more than
225,000
people. When I first saw it
on the news, I couldn’t believe what I was
seeing. With so much death, loss, and
devastation, it was hard to stomach. Why did
this happen? What did these people do to deserve
this? How, as Christians, are we supposed to
respond to this? These are all the questions
that have popped in my head over the last month.
Now I’ll be honest with you, my first reaction,
regrettably, was not the best one. Knowing that
most of the people in this part of the world are
Hindu’s and Muslims, I said to myself, “God is
judging these people.”…..What a fool I am. Who
am I to make that kind of assessment? I had to
ask the Lord’s forgiveness. John 9:1-3
reads, “And as Jesus passed by, He saw a man
which was blind from his birth. And His
disciples asked him, saying, Master, and who did
sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born
blind? Jesus answered, neither hath this man
sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of
God should be made manifest in him.” Why
did this disaster in Southern Asia happen? I
don’t know, but God does, and He has His
purposes. What did these people do to deserve
this? Absolutely nothing. They aren’t anymore
sinful than you or I, and God loves them just
the same. How, as Christians, are we supposed to
respond to this? We are called to heal the
brokenhearted. We are called to love all of
humankind. We need to do whatever we can to help
these people in their time of need. I don’t
know if I’ve ever seen a more opportune time for
us to show the love of Christ then now.
Billy Buchanan
The
Little Things
Last night when I was driving home, I actually
took the time to look at the beautiful scenery
in my neighborhood. I hardly ever do that.
Usually, I’m moving so fast I just “don’t have
time.” As I stood in awe of my neighbor’s yards,
the mountains in the distance, and the numerous
trees all around, I couldn’t help but say “Thank
You Lord.” Of course, once I started thinking
about all that God had given us through
creation, I started thinking about all the other
blessings in my life. I pulled into the driveway
of my gorgeous new home. Thank You Lord. I
walked through my front door, into the kitchen,
and there was my wife cooking. Thank You Lord. I
continued into the living room, and there were
my son and daughter playing on the living room
floor. Thank You Lord. I continued into my
office and there was my assistant working hard
to keep my businesses in order. Thank You Lord.
What have I done to deserve so much? I didn’t
grow up with a lot of material possessions. My
dad was never around, and my mom had to work two
jobs just to pay the bills. There were many
nights when the lights were turned off, the heat
was off, and there was no food in the
refrigerator. It’s funny. When you don’t know
any better, you think this is just the way it’s
supposed to be. My mom taught my brothers and
me, at a very early age, to be thankful for “The
little things.” I think when she said little
things she was talking about food, a roof over
our heads, clothing, family, and friends. Well
those things aren’t little at all. They’re
huge!! In Matthew 6:31-33 Jesus said,
“Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we
eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall
we wear?’ For after all these things the
Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows
that you need all these things. But seek first
the
kingdom of God
and His righteousness, and all these things
shall be added to you.
Before I was a believer, I spent so many years
trying to gain worldly success and possessions.
It wasn’t until I took these verses to heart
that I truly understood God’s way. When we chase
after God and His righteousness, He’ll take care
of the rest. That doesn’t mean that we won’t
have to work hard to get the things we need. But
it does mean that God will open the doors, and
bring the opportunities our way. God has blessed
me enormously. I have an amazing family, a
really nice home, a great career, and a
basketball goal in my backyardJ. I am so
thankful for all these things. But more
importantly, I’m thankful for the One who gave
it all to me. I will continue to seek first the
kingdom of God and His righteousness.
-Billy Buchanan
What I’m Thankful For
A few months ago I sat on the front porch of my
new house and had a long meaningful conversation
with my grandfather. My grandpa is seventy-seven
years old and the most laid back guy in the
world. At this point in his life, he’s in no
hurry to do anything. Man, does he have stories
to tell. He was in World War II. He lived
through The Depression. Before retiring, he
worked at the same automobile plant for over 30
years. He endured the Civil Rights Movement. He
and my grandmother have been married for
fifty-five years. He is a wellspring of
knowledge. We sat there for hours and talked
about marriage, and raising kids. We laughed
about how he and my grandma met. He even told me
how he became a Christian. I had no idea that my
grandfather was such a partier in his youth. We
don’t usually think of our grandparents that
way, but they were young once too. Proverbs
16:31 says, “Gray hair is a crown of splendor;
it is attained by a righteous life.” Proverbs
17:6 proclaims, “Children’s children are a crown
to the aged..” Thanksgiving is a time when
we get together with our families. This
Thanksgiving spent some quality time with your
grandparents. Ask them all the questions you’ll
always wanted to ask them. They love to tell us
about their lives. We can learn so much from
their life experiences. This Thanksgiving I’m
thankful for the godliest man I know, my
grandpa.
-Billy Buchanan
Back To The
Future
Anyone who knows me well knows that
I’m an 80’s music junky. They say that the music
of your youth will always be your favorite
music. Well in my case, that’s the truth. I
can’t help it. Whenever I’m flipping the radio
stations and I hear some old 80’s song, I
instinctively start singing along. That’s why
these last few months have been so exciting to
me. All of my favorite 80’s groups have put out
new albums recently. Tears For Fears, Duran
Duran, Anita Baker, and Prince, have all
released new material. Not to mention albums by
U2, Hall and Oates, and New Edition (yea, that’s
right, New Edition) that are about to hit the
shelves in the next month or so. The 80’s are
back baby!! I’ve been like a kid in a candy
store. Every few weeks it seems like I’m buying
a new album from one of my childhood favorites.
Now, this is usually my routine. I go to the
store (Wal-Mart of course). I buy the CD. I make
a mad dash to my car. I rip open the wrapping on
the CD. I throw it in the CD player, turn it up,
and just sit there in the parking lot and listen
(usually with my eyes closed, and my head tilted
back). It never fails. For the first 5 or 6
songs, I’m ecstatic to hear those familiar
voices that I grew up admiring. But then I start
to realize that it’s just not the same. I’m not
a teenager anymore. It’s impossible to go back
there. No matter how hard I try to recapture the
past, I can’t. It’s gone. Music is a great way
to bring the memories back, but eventually you
have to come back to reality. Why is it that
most of us who are in our mid 20’s, or older,
think our best days are behind us? Most of us
believe that high school was the peak, and it’s
all down hill from there. It’s just not true.
Especially, if we are believers in Christ. In
God’s word Jeremiah 29:11 proclaims, “For I
know the plans I have for you,” declares the
Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you,
plans to give you hope and a future.” I
don’t know about you guys, but that fires me up.
He wants to prosper us. He wants to give us
hope. And here’s my favorite. He wants to give
us a future. God has an awesome future planned
for those who love Him. Not only in the life to
come, but also in this life. Eternal life began
the day you accepted Jesus as your Lord and
Savior. It’s all UP HILL from here!! So if
you’re like me, and you get stuck in a time warp
from time to time, come Back To The Future. To
the place where God has amazing plans for your
future with Him.
-Billy
Buchanan
15 Or
15,000
Recently, we played a show in front of
about 15 people (that's including the band). It
was humbling, to say the least. At this point in
our careers, we're used to playing in front of
pretty big crowds. For some reason, the show
wasn't promoted. So the only people that showed up
were family members and a few friends. I hadn't
played in front of an audience this small since
high school. As I walked into the empty venue
before we played, I said to myself "What's the
point?" I just felt like packing up our stuff and
moving on to the next town. As I continued to
complain and pout about the situation, the Lord
starting working on my heart. I started looking at
the people who came. They were genuinely excited
about us being there. Even the employees behind
the snack bar were grinning from ear to ear. Those
few people that were there were looking forward to
an awesome night of worship with Fusebox. A few of
the family members had never seen us live before.
They could care less that there wasn't a ton of
people there. So why did I care so much? Pride..
Luke 16:10 reads, "He that is faithful in that
which is least is faithful also in much: and he
that is unjust in the least is unjust also in
much." Sometimes in our Christian life, we
forget whom it is we're living for. That in every
situation, big or small, we need to give God our
all. I got so caught up in the crowd attendance, I
forgot that someone there might need to be
encouraged. I forgot that someone in that tiny
crowd might not even know Jesus. I just hung my
head and asked for forgiveness. We ended up
playing that show with all that was in us.
It was a beautiful night. The way those folks were
singing, you would have thought the seats were
full. I learned that night that whether we're in
front of 15 or 15, 000, we need to be faithful to
what the Lord has called us to do.
-Billy Buchanan
Back to Life , Back to
Reality
Well, summer's almost over guys.
Can you believe it? It went by so fast. For most
of you, it's time to start thinking about going
back to school. Oh I remember it well. New
clothes, new schoolbooks, new classes, and the
list goes on. During the summer months, Fusebox
leads worship at a ton of youth camps and
conferences. It's always neat to spend a few days
with the students and see God do amazing things in
their lives. A lot of you have been involved in
some sort of youth retreat, camp, or conference
this summer. You spent a week or so there, and it
was the most amazing experience you've ever had.
You feel like you're on top of the world, right?
You were surrounded by all your Christian friends,
and you spent each day and night listening to
great speakers and great music. It seemed like
nothing could bring you down from this
"Mountaintop Experience". Well, guess what guys?
Just like Moses did, you have to eventually come
down the mountain. Back to life, back to reality!!
Many of you are new believers who have to go to
your old friends and explain to them about your
newfou
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