“Sing to the Lord a new song;
sing to the Lord, all the earth. Sing to the Lord, praise his name;
proclaim his salvation day after day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples. For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise;
he is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the nations are idols,
but the Lord made the heavens. Splendor and majesty are before him;
strength and glory are in his sanctuary. Ascribe to the Lord, all you families of nations,
ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
"Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;
bring an offering and come into his courts. Worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness;
tremble before him, all the earth. Say among the nations, ‘The Lord reigns.’
The world is firmly established, it cannot be moved;
he will judge the peoples with equity.” (Psalm 96:1-10 NIV)
There is a video being shared on Facebook of Victoria Osteen, wife of Joel Osteen, telling their congregation that we worship God for ourselves, to make us happy, because when we’re happy that makes God happy. (See the video here. I particularly like the Cliff Huxtable add-on.) Thankfully, many believers responded quickly to challenge this false teaching.
I am not surprised, however, to hear such things being proclaimed, for we live in a culture where the primary focus is on ourselves. Such a message tells many exactly what their “itching ears want to hear. ” that the sum of life is me and God’s greatest joy is for me to be happy. Thus, one then can easily conclude, the best way to worship God is to live for myself.
This is a message that rings of truth to the self-absorbed, but is in direct contradiction to the Scriptures which were written by the One who is Truth (John 14:6). This psalm of David says we worship God because He is Lord and worthy of our praise. This is a constant theme throughout the Scriptures: Life is not about us; it’s about Him, the Creator and Lord of the universe. We live to serve Him, not ourselves.
What is also true is that when we do make our lives about Him, we will find joy in the life we live. Do you see the difference? The temptations of Jesus in the desert were to put himself first. The enemy’s line is happiness comes when we put ourselves first. The Lord teaches us in word and deed that it is the opposite. We find true happiness (joy) when we put God first.
Today, recognize the world, (and some Christians as well) has bought into the lie that happiness is found through living for ourselves. The truth is God is the source of true happiness, and only when we are willing to worship and live for Him alone will we find it.
© Jim Musser 2014
“During the reign of King Josiah, the LORD said to me, ‘Have you seen what faithless Israel has done? She has gone up on every high hill and under every spreading tree and has committed adultery there. I thought that after she had done all this she would return to me but she did not, and her unfaithful sister Judah saw it. I gave faithless Israel her certificate of divorce and sent her away because of all her adulteries. Yet I saw that her unfaithful sister Judah had no fear; she also went out and committed adultery. Because Israel's immorality mattered so little to her, she defiled the land and committed adultery with stone and wood. In spite of all this, her unfaithful sister Judah did not return to me with all her heart, but only in pretense,’ declares the LORD.
“The LORD said to me, ‘Faithless Israel is more righteous than unfaithful Judah.’” (Jeremiah 3:6-11 NIV)
If you have ever been tempted to think that by going to church or being involved in a Bible study you can somehow impress God, think again. In this passage, you have the story of two nations—Israel and Judah. Israel has given up on God and chased after various idols for comfort and protection. Judah, on the other hand, continues seek the Lord through religious practice, or so it appears. The Lord describes Israel as faithless, but calls Judah unfaithful. And then the kicker: “Faithless Israel is more righteous than unfaithful Judah.”
One would think that religious activity would count for something. It’s hard to believe, putting it into a modern context, that someone who has turned his back on the Lord and parties a lot, that sleeps with his girlfriend is considered more righteous than the guy who is a faithful churchgoer. Yet, it appears that is what the Lord is saying. So what’s going on?
There is a theme throughout the Scriptures that God desires our hearts. He is more interested in what is behind our actions than the actions themselves. He loathes pretense. He is not impressed with religious activity that is not authentic and motivated by love for Him. He can’t stand it. That is why He says Israel is more righteous than Judah. He is speaking hyperbolically, of course. There is nothing righteous about Israel, but at least they are living their lives honestly. The Lord much prefers that to people pretending to be devoted when in fact their hearts are far from Him.
Consider today whether or not you are living honestly. Does your religious activity truly reflect a heart devoted to God or is it merely an attempt to cover over a heart that is going its own way? Know that the Lord is far more interested in what is going on inside of you than how you make things look on the outside. And far more impressed when He finds righteousness there.
© Jim Musser 2014
“For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” (Ephesians 3:14-19 NIV)
It really does start with us—you and me in an authentic, real relationship with Jesus, a relationship that flows from the heart, not from habit or moral standards or various religious activities and practices. Without that, we are like lamps that aren’t plugged in. We may look nice, but we are not going to bring any light into a dark place.
This may explain why there can be so many churches in a community and, yet, they have little impact outside of their four walls. And it gives us insight into how there can be so many ministries on a university campus and, yet, little noticeable influence on the student population as a whole. Too many of us who identify ourselves as Christians aren’t plugged in. We are lamps standing in the darkness unable to shine any light.
Paul knew from his own life the key to making a spiritual impact in this world is not through religious activity and moral standards. Jesus made that clear to him on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:1-31). It was when he surrendered his life to the Lord and began developing an intimate relationship with Him that he began to bring light into the darkness. So he prayed this prayer for his Ephesian brothers and sisters. And so, too, should it be our prayer today, for our fellow believers and ourselves.
If we can truly grasp the infinite measure of Jesus’ love for each of us, then that will draw us into a deeper relationship with Him. And when we go deeper with Jesus, then He will increasingly fill us with the power of His Spirit. We will be plugged-in lamps shining bright in the darkness.
Today, know the way you will spiritually impact others is by drawing near to Jesus. Only through Him will you have the power to shine any light.
© Jim Musser 2014
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30 NIV)
This past summer my sister-in-law and her two daughters came to visit us from South Africa. While they had a great visit, their experience with a certain American airline was anything but. On their return home, a trip that was to take two days took five due to the airline’s incompetency. If that weren’t bad enough, five of their eight bags were damaged beyond repair. And to add insult to injury, the airline has yet even to acknowledge their claim for compensation.
If you have flown much, you know airline personnel can often be gruff and less than helpful, and the baggage handlers far from gentle in handling passengers’ bags. The whole commercial flying experience can leave folks feeling worn out, depressed, and resentful at how roughly they and their bags were treated. Many fly only out of necessity and with feelings of dread each time they do it.
I was reminded of this the other day while reading this passage. In so many areas of our lives, we are often treated roughly—perhaps by parents, teachers, government workers, bosses, etc. We are not treated with care and neither is the baggage that we are often carrying. Could it be that this common type of treatment we experience in our lives prevents us from seeing God as He really is—merciful and gentle?
Most people I meet have a concept of God that more closely resembles an airline baggage handler than the One described in the Scriptures. They don’t see Him as gentle and caring, but rather as one who callously makes demands and metes out rough treatment on those who fall short. They might say they believe He is a God of love, but in reality they will not trust Him with their baggage. Like the guy who takes the luggage off the plane, they believe God will handle their baggage in a rough and uncaring manner. So they hold onto it.
So many are burdened by the baggage they carry. If only they could hand it over to the One who will truly treat it with gentleness and care. Unlike His earthly counterparts, the Divine Baggage Handler cares about the owners of the baggage. And because He cares about the owners, He will handle their baggage carefully.
Today, know that whatever baggage you are carrying, you can hand it over to the Lord and He will be gentle with it because He deeply cares for its owner. Unlike the typical experience with an airline, you can hand over your baggage and then find rest and peace.
© Jim Musser 2014
“Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom. One generation will commend your works to another; they will tell of your mighty acts. They will speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty, and I will meditate on your wonderful works.” (Psalm 145:3-6 NIV)
Our church had a time of prayer for those involved in ministry to youth and younger adults. It was quite an amazing sight as dozens came forward who work with high school students, college students, professional singles, and young families, not only in this country but in many parts of the world. Their mission, my mission, is to tell the next generation how great our God is, the wonderful things He has done in our lives and throughout history, in order that a new generation may carry on the Kingdom work of the previous one. And among that group were members of the next generation who are busy at work among their peers.
When I was a college student, the people that influenced me most to become a follower of Jesus were of my own generation. Scott invited me to a campus ministry worship service where I met some really cool people who did not fit my stereotype of Christians. Don, my RA, spent time talking with me about spiritual things and encouraging me to think about who Jesus is. Nan invited me to be a part of a dorm Bible study where I saw an example of what it meant to love and be loved. In just three months after arriving on campus, I made the decision to follow Jesus.
As a campus minister for most of my post-college life, I know there were campus ministers, pastors, parents, and other adults motivating my peers to reach out to people like me. For years, the older generation had been commending the great works of God to people of my generation and they responded. Because they did, I came to know Jesus.
The Kingdom of God is expanding as history moves along because generation after generation proclaims the greatness of our God. The prayer of our church focused on a continuation of that proclamation. It is the prayer of all who are working with the next generation.
Today, consider your role in commending the works of God to the next generation. Are you a college student? Then whom among your peers can you share with? Are you an adult? Then who are some young people in your sphere of influence with whom you can pour into with the love of the Lord? For this new generation to know of the great works of our God, it will take all of us, young, old, and older, doing our part to make His works known.
© Jim Musser 2014
“Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.
Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. And if the ear should say, ‘Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,’ it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body.
The eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I don’t need you!’ And the head cannot say to the feet, ‘I don’t need you!’ On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.” (I Corinthians 12:12-27 NIV)
Every night, my knee and the muscles surrounding it remind me of their presence. Until my knee replacement surgery last spring, I slept peacefully, never giving my knee a thought. Not anymore. A similar thing occurred many years ago when I fractured my femur. I never gave a thought to my quadriceps when I turned over in the middle of the night until then. With every move, those muscles screamed with pain.
We tend to take the parts of our bodies for granted, until they cease to function the way they are supposed to or are injured. No one notices how their legs perform until they break one. The hamstring doesn’t garner much attention until it is pulled. Fingers are functioning appendages toward which we give little thought until we jam one or a joint is afflicted with arthritis. The smooth functioning of our body parts leads us often to have a lack of appreciation for their importance to our daily lives.
The same is true for the Church. Paul tells us it is made up of many parts that are all necessary for the healthy functioning of the Body of Christ. Yet, as the Corinthian Christians proved, how easy it is for us to lack appreciation for many of the parts. In today’s church, there is an overemphasis on the pastor or pastoral staff, and on the worship leaders. They are the most visible and, thus, get most of the attention. But just like the human body, the Church is made up of many parts and all of them are important to the healthy function of the Body.
While the pastoral staff or worship leaders might get much of the attention, crucial roles are being fulfilled by those serving the children and the handicapped, by those visiting the elderly and the sick, by those making sure the meeting place of the church is functioning and looks presentable, and by those providing a listening ear to ones suffering under the burdens of life.
There are many parts of the Body of Christ and not one is insignificant, regardless what the “Christian culture” might imply. While our attention may be drawn to those most visible parts, God gives equal attention to the less or nearly invisible ones. We may be impressed with a pastor’s preaching or his latest book, but the Lord may be even more impressed by the one who is wiping the runny nose of a child, speaking words of encouragement to a disheartened mother, or cleaning the toilets on a Saturday night. The parts of the Body are not equal in function, but they are equal in value.
Today, don’t be deceived by the apparent superiority of certain roles in the Church, which may have led you to believe you have no important part to play. All parts of the Body, like those of the human body, serve crucial functions even if they are very different from one another. Whatever gifts you have been given are intended by God to serve an important role in the functioning of the Body. For there is no other kind.
© Jim Musser 2014
"Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.” (Isaiah 43:18-19 NIV)
“I just fell back into being the person I used to be over the summer.” This honest confession by a student recently is something I think we can all relate to—the spiritual fallback. Seeing progress and growth, then, with a change of scenery or a life event, we fall back into acting like our old selves, the person we used to be before meeting Jesus. It may happen quickly or be a slow slide back, and at some point we realize our position has shifted.
This is a recurring theme in the Scriptures. Abraham, Moses, David, and Peter, all outstanding men of God, each had their moments of retreat from the Lord. The Israelites, about whom the Lord is speaking in this passage, sometimes seemed in perpetual retreat. In each instance we see God receiving them back and enveloping them with His mercy and grace. And to emphasize this point, Jesus tells the story of a rebellious son who is welcomed back into the family by his merciful father after wasting all that was given him (Luke 15:11-31).
When we fall back into our old ways, life can suddenly seem to be a wasteland—opportunities for growth lost and much time wasted on worthless activities. And we are filled with guilt and shame. Our instinct is to believe there is no way back, that we are stuck where we are, or if we head back in the right direction, things still will not be the same as they were before.
But God is not who we instinctively picture Him to be. He is very different. Instead of mulling over our sins, He is ready to move on, to start afresh. Do not dwell on the past? How hard that is! Yet, this is our God. His focus is on the present and the future. If you are willing to come along with Him, then the past is the past, never to be brought up again!
If you find yourself in a spiritual wasteland, know that with the beginning of this new day, you have the opportunity to start afresh. The Lord is ready to do a new thing in your life. Are you ready to let Him?
© Jim Musser 2014
