“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.” (I Peter 2:9-10 NIV)
I have known a lot of students over the years that, despite being very gifted, intelligent, and having great personalities, have had a very low view of themselves. Despite all the evidence, they don’t see anything special about who they are.
I sometimes see the same thing in those who claim to be followers of Jesus. Though they are “chosen,” have “royal” ties, are citizens of a “holy nation,” and a “special possession” of the Creator, it is often difficult to distinguish them from anyone else because they don’t view themselves any differently.
Peter was writing to people who were a minority in the midst of a majority of unbelievers, just like we are today. He was seeking to remind them they were different and to encourage them to live their lives differently than the majority around them. It is easy for our identity to be swallowed up when we are surrounded by people who believe and live differently than we do. This is why so many college students forsake living out the faith with which they were raised.
Yet, as Peter knew, when we fully realize who we are in Christ, it is easier to embrace the life that runs contrary to the world. When we understand our special standing, we are motivated to declare the praises of the One who loves us and shows us mercy. And then, in the midst of the darkness, His wonderful light shines brightly through us, attracting those in the darkness whose hearts are open to His love and mercy.
Today, recognize that in Christ, you are a special possession of the Lord and that He wants His light to shine brightly through you so that others may know, too, how special they are.
© Jim Musser 2016
“This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘The people of Israel are oppressed, and the people of Judah as well. All their captors hold them fast, refusing to let them go.
‘Yet their Redeemer is strong; the Lord Almighty is his name. He will vigorously defend their cause so that he may bring rest to their land, but unrest to those who live in Babylon.’” (Jeremiah 50:33-34 NIV)
Yesterday, I wrote about a sidewalk at an Atlanta homeless shelter. Today, I have another story about that sidewalk through which the Lord revealed another truth.
We were out in the yard playing with the children. Laughter and excitement filled the air as they played various games. I was walking and observing them when I noticed writing on the sidewalk. The kids had access to chalk and one of them had written, “Jermaine is stupit (sic).” Another slanderous statement with another name accompanied it, a sentence that has faded from my memory. But I do remember the feelings of disgust, anger, and compassion that washed over me. The shelter was a place of hope for these kids who had so much going against them, and one of their own was adding more abuse and heartache to already troubled lives.
I walked around for a few minutes contemplating what I should do, if anything. I told one person in charge, but he was so busy with other things, he didn’t act, and, at that point, I’m not sure what I expected him to do. Then it came to me, an overwhelming sense that I should erase the offensive comments. So I sought out a broom and some water, and, as the kids returned to the building, I washed and brushed the chalk away. After I finished, it was as if the accusations were never made.
For much of the evening, while we were watching the kids do karaoke, I thought about this. Why did I feel so strongly the need to do this? It didn’t take long to figure it out. Having been with these kids for a few days and hearing stories from their moms of the struggles they had endured, I felt protective of them. They had been through enough and I didn’t want them to have to endure more. I felt the need to defend them. And I believe this was from the Lord.
We may feel beaten down by others and by life, but God is our defender. The accuser may be constantly whispering to us that we are losers, or fat, or ugly, or stupid, but the Lord is also there to vigorously defend us. He will not let those mean and damaging words remain unchallenged. He will erase them with His righteousness, which covers all those who belong to Him (I Peter 2:24).
Today, if you are feeling the taunts of the accuser, know that you have a Defender who is vigorous in His fight on your behalf. Whatever the accusations, He will erase them with His righteousness.
© Jim Musser 2016
“They sailed to the region of the Gerasenes, which is across the lake from Galilee. When Jesus stepped ashore, he was met by a demon-possessed man from the town. For a long time this man had not worn clothes or lived in a house, but had lived in the tombs. When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell at his feet, shouting at the top of his voice, ‘What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, don’t torture me!’
For Jesus had commanded the impure spirit to come out of the man. Many times it had seized him, and though he was chained hand and foot and kept under guard, he had broken his chains and had been driven by the demon into solitary places. Jesus asked him, ‘What is your name?’
‘Legion,’ he replied, because many demons had gone into him. And they begged Jesus repeatedly not to order them to go into the Abyss. A large herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside. The demons begged Jesus to let them go into the pigs, and he gave them permission. When the demons came out of the man, they went into the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and was drowned.
When those tending the pigs saw what had happened, they ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, and the people went out to see what had happened. When they came to Jesus, they found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting at Jesus’ feet, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid.” (Luke 8:26-35 NIV)
We were at a homeless shelter in Atlanta tasked that morning with sprucing up the large back yard of the facility which was where the kids played, but had been neglected for many years. I focused on cleaning up the meandering sidewalk that wound through the property. Leaves and dirt covered it. At one particular section, half of it was obscured by weeds, which had found the layers of silt an inviting place to take root. So I began taking my shovel and exploring to find the edge of the sidewalk. Once I found it, I began to clear away the weeds and dirt. After an hour or so, the sidewalk was restored to its original width. What was for so long hidden was now revealed.
As I was doing this restorative work, I was reminded the Lord desires to do a similar thing in the lives of the homeless with whom we were working. People don’t just suddenly find themselves on the street. Layers of poor decisions, abuse, violence, hurt, and despair were building for months and years prior to their being homeless. And after they get there, more layers of the same continue to cover over whom they once were. Like the demon-possessed man, the real person is obscured and practically unrecognizable. It takes divine eyes to see what lies beneath.
What the village saw was a crazy, violent man; what Jesus saw, however, was a man held captive by forces beyond his control. He saw what lay beneath the outward toll of his suffering. He saw the sidewalk rather than just what had accumulated on top of it. Thus, He restored the man to what he was created to be.
Isn’t this the purpose of ministry? Isn’t this the mission of Jesus, to restore lives to what they were intended to be? While perhaps it is easy to see this in ministry to the homeless, but it is really the same for all of us. We each have, to some degree, had our true selves obscured by the effects of life in this fallen world. The remnants of sin have left their mark on us, obscuring who we truly are. Like the soil gathered over a sidewalk, they provide an inviting place for the noxious weeds to take root and thrive in our lives. This is what Jesus desperately wants to clear away.
Today, if the hurt and despair of sin has obscured who you really are, then know Jesus wants to restore you. He sees who you really are and were meant to be. If you allow Him, He will clear all of it away to reveal the man or woman He created you to be.
© Jim Musser 2016
(Author's Note: Spring Break begins this weekend, so I will be taking a break during which I will be leading a group of students on a trip to Atlanta to work with a homeless ministry. WftW will return on March 14th. Blessings! Jim)
“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.
Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’
Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” (Matthew 7:15-24 NIV)
It seems “evangelical Christians” are an important voting bloc this presidential season, particularly among Republicans. Every candidate is emphasizing how “Christian” they are, visiting churches, Christian colleges, and quoting passages from the Bible. But as Jesus warns in this passage, BEWARE of what you hear from those who want your vote or, for that matter, anything else. People will often say a lot of things to get what they want.
Rather, Jesus says to pay close attention to what people do in order to determine who they really are. I often tell young men and women on campus who are interested in romantic relationships to observe how the man or woman they are interested in conducts himself/herself in the presence of others, because you can learn a lot about someone by observation. It is harder with politicians because most of what we see is what takes place in front of a camera; yet there can be hints of whom they really are if we pay close attention.
With regard to any relationship, wisdom leads us to pay attention to what the person does rather than merely taking what he says as certain truth. Rather, the truth is always eventually borne out in a person’s life. Just ask any married person.
So when we are seeking to evaluate whether a politician or a potential boyfriend/girlfriend is a true follower of Jesus, it is best not to be in a hurry to draw a conclusion. Instead, we should practice being an astute observer. How does this person conduct his life? How does she handle herself in difficult situations? Does the content of his day-to-day life reveal a person who is committed to Jesus? Is the spiritual foundation of her life as solid as she claims it is?
Today, know that claims of faith are easily made, but the true follower of Jesus seeks daily to be obedient to the One whom he claims as his Lord. This is the measure by which the Lord will use to judge everyone.
© Jim Musser 2016
“When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were amazed. ‘Where did this man get these things?’ they asked. ‘What’s this wisdom that has been given him? What are these remarkable miracles he is performing? Isn’t this the carpenter? Isn’t this Mary’s son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren’t his sisters here with us?’ And they took offense at him.
Jesus said to them, ‘A prophet is not without honor except in his own town, among his relatives and in his own home.’ He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. He was amazed at their lack of faith.” (Mark 6:2-6 NIV)
I have experienced it and I’ve witnessed it many times over the years of my ministry to students. Family members can be among the most doubtful and hostile when it comes to walking with the Lord. When I was in college, there was a point when my mother thought I was part of a cult and one of my brothers thought I was taking “this religion thing” way too far. After spending my adult life in vocational ministry, my siblings and extended family long ago accepted my choice and several embraced it, as did my mother whom I had the privilege of baptizing not long before her death. But when it comes to matters of faith, family members often become obstacles.
Mission trips to faraway places, ministry internships, and calling students to follow Jesus wherever He leads often brings me into conflict with their family members, either directly or indirectly. I recall one time having a face-to-face conversation with a father whose daughter desired to travel to Haiti with a group I was leading. Actually, it was more like a monologue where he just kept telling me how dangerous the country was and how much more he and his friends knew than I did. He wouldn’t allow her to go and we came and returned without incident.
Another time, another father called me about his daughter accompanying us on a trip to South Africa. In a very agitated voice, he asked question after question, each more filled with doubt than the previous one. Amazingly, he later gave his approval, but not until after his daughter was almost beside herself by her father’s doubts and worries.
And I have heard countless stories from students seeking to do internships or pursue ministry opportunities of family opposition to their pursuits. This opposition has included demands that they cease and desist with their plans, threats to withdrawal their financial support, calling them “lazy” and “beggars” because they will have to raise their salaries, shaming them for turning their parents’ payment of their college education into a “bad investment,” etc.
As Jesus experienced and prophesied, those closest to us, who know us the best, will often be the ones who oppose our faith the most. As the saying goes, familiarity breeds contempt. Our family and those we grew up with know us. As they did Jesus, they interpret our expressions of faith as somehow being arrogant and “holier than thou.” Or, they just think we’ve gone over the edge. And they refuse to support us.
But, as did Jesus, we still must carry on and do that to which we’ve been called. And, as it happened with my mom, that faithfulness can often lead others who once opposed us to change their minds. They see the commitment and they see the fruit that comes from being obedient to the Lord.
So, today, if you are getting opposition from those closest to you, know you are not alone in that. Even Jesus faced opposition from those in His hometown. Yet, He did not quit or tone it down. He continued to pursue and carry out the will of His Father. And, indeed, so should you.
© Jim Musser 2016
“Even though we speak like this, dear friends, we are convinced of better things in your case—the things that have to do with salvation. God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them. We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, so that what you hope for may be fully realized. We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.” (Hebrews 6:9-12 NIV)
A recent post on Facebook read, “Friday, hurry up and get here. Pleasssssssssssse!” It was Monday.
We are not, by and large, a very patient society. We are in a hurry to get to where we want to be. A student can’t wait for the end of the school year. A single can’t wait to find that special someone. A guy in his 50’s can’t wait for retirement. We often live for tomorrow and loath today.
Thus, words like diligence, faith, and patience may be hard for us to fully comprehend; yet the Hebrew writer says these are required to live a successful life as a follower of Jesus. In the passage preceding this one, he writes of those who have fallen away from the faith. From what he writes here I would assume it was due to a lack of the very things he says are necessary. They couldn’t wait for the promised blessing of eternal life. Life was too hard and too tempting. So they succumbed to the desires of the moment.
Our lives are made up of many days and years. Eternity, for most of us, is likely still a long way away. To get to where we want to be will require much diligence, faith, and patience. It won’t happen NOW, yet every day gets us one step closer. So how we live today, tomorrow, and the next day is important.
Today, be diligent in how you live. It makes a difference and helps get you closer to where you want to be. Continue to have faith because the Lord is faithful in keeping His promises. And be patient because your rendezvous with eternity will arrive eventually and quicker than you might imagine.
© Jim Musser 2016
“Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings.” (Hebrews 13:7-9a NIV)
I once knew a woman who did her doctoral thesis on Jesus and the Myers-Briggs Personality-Type Indicator, a personality test. The test breaks out one’s personality into a combination of four distinct categories. If one has a balance between two of the categories, such as introversion and extroversion, it is referred to as the “X type.” This woman’s thesis was Jesus was the X type across all four categories, being perfectly balanced in each. I don’t think it is too much of a stretch to say the Hebrew writer recognizes Jesus’ balance when he commands us to not be “carried away” by the many strange teachings that pop up in life, like the one I heard last night on public television that our bodies can actually age backwards as we grow older, à la Benjamin Button!
We live in a time where being extreme is becoming more and more attractive. Both of our political parties are currently involved in a battle between those who want a more balanced approach and those who favor some type of revolution to replace the existing system. We have people on both sides of the immigration debate both here and in Europe, some wanting to seal their countries borders to keep immigrants out and others who believe their countries’ borders should be wide open.
We see this tendency, too, within the beliefs and practices of various groups in Christianity. The “liberals” call for acceptance and non-judgment of anyone regardless of their behavior or attitudes toward it, to the point there seems to be no recognition of sin, and “conservatives” tend to judge others in such a way to presume there is no grace.
And this is the way the devil likes it. C.S. Lewis captures his strategy perfectly through the demon Screwtape (in The Screwtape Letters) when he says, “All extremes, except extreme devotion to the Enemy, are to be encouraged.” The devil has us where he wants us when we allow ourselves to wander off into the extremes of our attitudes or behavior. For when we enter this territory, we can see no other truth than our own. While we may sincerely claim God led us there, the true ruler of the territory in which we reside is someone quite different and he gladly lets you believe whatever you want.
Jesus, on the other hand, is steady and balanced. While extremists on all sides may claim He is with them, He is on nobody’s side; rather, He calls us to the middle where there is judgment with mercy, where there is both faith and works, where there is realistic thinking about the world, but no fear, and where the pursuit of love and righteousness is more important than the pursuit of power. While some may argue that Jesus is extreme, He really isn’t. Instead, He is perfectly balanced. He never changes. He is same in the 21st Century as He was in the 1st Century, regardless of the many attempts to shape Him into the image we have of Him.
Today, as you are exposed to the claims and counter-claims from the territories of the extreme, remember who the ruler is of those lands and what his real strategy is (John 10:10). You would be wise to avoid the extremes, except the extreme devotion to Jesus who never changes and who desires to bring perfect balance into the lives of any who follow Him.
© Jim Musser 2016
