(Author's Note: I will be taking off the rest of the week for Thanksgiving Break. WftW will be back on December 2nd. Jim)
“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
His love endures forever.
Give thanks to the God of gods.
His love endures forever.
Give thanks to the Lord of lords:
His love endures forever.
to him who alone does great wonders,
His love endures forever.
who by his understanding made the heavens,
His love endures forever.
who spread out the earth upon the waters,
His love endures forever.
who made the great lights—
His love endures forever.
the sun to govern the day,
His love endures forever.
the moon and stars to govern the night;
His love endures forever.” (Psalm 136:1-9 NIV)
Have you noticed how every year in stores, there is the focus on Halloween and then, after October 31st, the attention turns to Christmas? It seems retailers treat Thanksgiving as the poor stepchild of the holiday season. Yes, it’s there, but we aren’t going to pay it a lot of attention. In fact, within a couple hours of the Thanksgiving meal, we are going to entice people to start focusing on Christmas.
I think this can be seen as a reflection of our culture as a whole. We are much more interested in fun and receiving things for ourselves than we are giving thanks for what we already have. In other words, life is about us, and retailers know it. So they go from selling costumes to stocking their shelves with Christmas stuff. And we shouldn’t expect anything else. They are interested in their bottom lines and they are going to do what makes them lots of money.
But as followers of the Lord, we need to resist getting pulled along by the culture into self-absorption and greed. Being thankful is not to be merely a two-to-three hour focus on the last Thursday of November; it is a way of life. All of Psalm 136 is about being thankful for what the Lord has done. It is a guide for us as believers. We are continually to look both to the past and present for the work of the Lord and be thankful for all He has done. We look up at the stars and give thanks to the Lord. We stand on a beach and we give thanks. We ski down a mountain and we give thanks. We give thanks for mighty creative power of God. We look at our lives and give thanks for His provision—in our clothes closet, in our pantry, in our checking account. Even in our darkest times, we can still give thanks to the Lord for walking through it with us instead of being on our own. As the Apostle Paul tells us: Give thanks in all circumstances. (I Thessalonians 5:18)
Today, as you are preparing to celebrate Thanksgiving, remember all the good things the Lord has given you, both in the past and in the present. And do it, not just on one day, but every day. For while the world moves quickly on to the task of Christmas shopping, your heart should remain continually thankful.
© Jim Musser 2013
“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do. (James 1:22-25 NIV)
There are an estimated 350,000 churches in the United States and 118 million people who attend them (see this link). This answer begs a question: If the 12 disciples of Jesus could have such a huge impact on the 1st Century world, why is it 118 million can have so little? How can a mega church of 15,000 attendees not transform a city, or a church of 100 a small town?
I think the answer lies with this passage. The approach of most churches today is to teach what the Bible says. But there is not much emphasis on teaching people how to put it into practice in daily life. When Jesus was about to leave this world, He told the disciples to make more disciples, “baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” (Matthew 28:18-20) Teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you; not teach them everything I have commanded you.
This is the problem. For a long time, churches have focused on teaching what Jesus (and the Bible) commands, but not how to obey it in everyday life. Sermons, Sunday School, VBS, small group Bible studies all have focused more on what is commanded than how to obey the commands. And what this has helped create are millions of mere listeners, listening to sermons and lessons, but never putting them into practice. So while millions may be in churches on Sunday, there is no real world impact because every week they forget what they are supposed to look like as soon as they exit the building.
Today, recognize that merely knowing what the Bible says is not enough. Your life will not be transformed, nor those around you, until you put into practice what it says.
© Jim Musser 2013
“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written:
‘I will destroy the wisdom of the wise;
the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.’
Where is the wise person? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.” (I Corinthians 1:18-25 NIV)
He described himself as the most reluctant of converts to Christianity. And rightly so. He was an intellectual giant. He held prestigious positions in literature at both Oxford and Cambridge Universities and was an expert in medieval literature. He was also, for the first half of his life, a devout atheist. His name? Clive Staples Lewis. You might know him as the author of the Chronicles of Narnia series.
Today is the 50th anniversary of his death and is far overshadowed by the shocking assassination of President John F. Kennedy on the same day. I remember exactly where I was on that day—in my second grade classroom—when the announcement of the President’s death came over the loudspeaker. At the time, I did not know a man of perhaps greater historical influence over the lives of people had also died that day.
In the academic world where embracing a belief in a God who descended to earth, died, and then was resurrected is considered pure foolishness by the vast majority, Lewis found himself intrigued by the myth. As time passed, he slowly came to the conclusion, albeit reluctantly, that the myth was true. He chronicles his road to conversion in Surprised by Joy and details his rationale in perhaps his most famous and influential book, Mere Christianity.
For those of us working in the world of academia, Lewis deftly demonstrated what so many consider foolishness is actually quite logical and true. And he provided the intellectual heft to back it up.
Today, while most of the nation is focused on remembering a slain president, I will be remembering my gratitude for a man who has influenced me far more. He helped me, and so many others, see that while the vast majority views the Gospel as foolishness, there are good, solid reasons to believe it is true. If you still have doubts about that, then along with your Bible, read Lewis’ Mere Christianity and see for yourself.
© Jim Musser 2013
“Why should I fear when evil days come,
when wicked deceivers surround me—those who trust in their wealth and boast of their great riches? No one can redeem the life of another
or give to God a ransom for them—the ransom for a life is costly,
no payment is ever enough—so that they should live on forever
and not see decay. For all can see that the wise die,
that the foolish and the senseless also perish, leaving their wealth to others. Their tombs will remain their houses forever, their dwellings for endless generations, though they had named lands after themselves. People, despite their wealth, do not endure; they are like the beasts that perish. This is the fate of those who trust in themselves, and of their followers, who approve their sayings.
They are like sheep and are destined to die; death will be their shepherd (but the upright will prevail over them in the morning).
Their forms will decay in the grave,
far from their princely mansions. But God will redeem me from the realm of the dead; he will surely take me to himself. Do not be overawed when others grow rich,
when the splendor of their houses increases; for they will take nothing with them when they die, their splendor will not descend with them. Though while they live they count themselves blessed—and people praise you when you prosper—they will join those who have gone before them,
who will never again see the light of life. People who have wealth but lack understanding
are like the beasts that perish.” (Psalm 49:5-20 NIV)
On university campuses across the country, almost every building has a specific name attached to it. The university library might be something like the “Shelby R. Smith Library.” The education building could be the “Frances L. Stephenson School of Education.” The names are of people, usually of great wealth and/or accomplishment, who have given a sizeable gift toward the construction of the facility.
The honor of having one’s name on a building is intended to be a memorial to that person’s work and generosity and is sold that way by university officials to potential donors. Obviously, it works because every university expands its campus by this method. And it works primarily because people want to be recognized and remembered. But the reality is very few are remembered for long. Ask students on any campus about a building’s namesake, and only a few, if any, will know who the people were or anything about them. To students, it is just the name of the building.
The Psalmist gives us a sobering reminder that in the grand scheme of God’s eternal Kingdom, acquired wealth and fame mean very little. As he writes, “Do not be overawed when others grow rich,
when the splendor of their houses increases; for they will take nothing with them when they die, their splendor will not descend with them. Though while they live they count themselves blessed—and people praise you when you prosper—they will join those who have gone before them,
who will never again see the light of life.”
Yet, isn’t that what a lot of us do? We want to one day be rich and famous. We want people to praise us and recognize us for our achievements. And maybe some of us, as we grow older and begin to recognize the limits of our days on earth, hope for some monument to our accomplishments so as to recall the memory of whom we were and what we’ve done.
The Psalmist is very direct in calling this foolish thinking. We will take nothing of our wealth or recognition with us when we die. If we trust and revel in our earthly accomplishments, he says our destiny will be the same as an animal living only by instinct. In other words, while lots of money, the adoration of many people, and buildings built in our honor may feel really good, they gain us nothing in the eyes of the One whose opinion truly matters.
Today, recognize what the world considers of great value is, from the eternal perspective, of little or no value at all. So you would be wise to set your goals and aim for achievements in this life that truly will accompany you into the next one.
© Jim Musser 2013
"It is freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all" (Galatians 5:1-2 NIV).
During the 2000 Summer Olympic Games, the International Olympic Committee stripped Romanian gymnast Andreea Raducan of her Olympic gold medal because she took cold medication that contained a banned substance. Although acknowledging Raducan was unaware of what was in the medication and that it in no way enhanced her performance, the Committee said she violated the rules and thus, must be punished.
The law provides no mercy. Judges, perhaps, but not the law. You either follow it to the letter or you break it. When I am driving 71 mph on the interstate in a 70 mph zone, I have broken the law. The speed limit is not 70-75; it is 70. If a state trooper wants to ignore my violation, that is his prerogative, but I have broken the law, regardless.
The Jews of the First Century believed the way to be in good with God was to follow the Mosaic Law. The first converts to Christianity were Jews and many found it difficult to give up this idea. They wanted to follow Jesus, but they also did not want to discard their old ways. Many proclaimed to the Gentiles (non-Jews) that following Jesus meant keeping the Law, of which circumcision had become a sign. A Gentile wanting to become a Jew was circumcised. So, Gentile Christians in Galatia were being pressured to be circumcised. Paul saw the trap.
The message of the gospel is that we are saved by the work of Jesus on the Cross, not by our own work. If we accept the view that we can get in good with God on our own merit, then we discount the significance of what Jesus did. We place our fate back in the hands of the Law, by which we are sure to be condemned because we are lawbreakers, whether by a little or a lot. And our fate is assured—we will be condemned and punished.
It is so tempting to want to go the way of the law instead of the way of grace. It seems fairer—you get what you deserve. But as breakers of God's law, we deserve death (Romans 3:23; 6:23 ) and with the law, there is no mercy. There is no other option if we forsake Christ's work in favor of our own. We fall short; He doesn't.
Today, if you somehow think you can make it to God on your own, give it up and recognize Jesus is the only way to God. And that way is paved with mercy, not condemnation and punishment.
© Jim Musser 2013
“On hearing it, many of his disciples said, ‘This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?’ Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, ‘Does this offend you? Then what if you see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before! The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit and life. Yet there are some of you who do not believe.’ For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him. He went on to say, ‘This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled them.’ From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.
‘You do not want to leave too, do you?’ Jesus asked the Twelve. Simon Peter answered him, ‘Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God.’” (John 6:60-69 NIV)
My wife and I sat in the waiting room for the ICU awaiting news about one of our campus ministry alumni who had collapsed at work just two days before. I overheard his mom say, “I don’t know how people handle things like this without faith.”
In the face of difficult times, we have a choice: We can embrace God and trust Him or we can walk away from Him in anger or dismay that He would allow such a thing to happen. The people in that waiting room made a conscious choice to trust the Lord with the fate of someone they held dear. It is never an easy one, but what is the alternative?
Jesus had just finished teaching and His words were not setting well with His followers. He had told them “unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.” (John 6:53-54) It was just too weird and too hard to fathom, so many turned away from Jesus and never looked back. They were done with Him. Yet the Twelve remained. Why? Because they fully understood the teaching and embraced it? I don’t think so. I think they found it just as weird and difficult as the others did. Yet they stayed. So the question remains, why?
Peter gives us the answer: “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God.” The Twelve concluded there was no better alternative. They believed Jesus was the Way, the Truth, and the Life and they would trust Him even if they didn’t understand or fully agree with what He said or did.
The Apostle Paul says we live by faith, not by sight (II Corinthians 5:7). Things may not be going the way we want or think they should, but in those moments we trust God regardless of doubts, worries, or fear. As Peter realized, what is the alternative? Do we follow the advice of Job’s wife and curse God (Job 2:9) in the midst of our severe trials? Do we walk away in anger and bitterness? To what?
In that waiting room, the people didn’t like what was happening. They were scared and perhaps even questioning God, but they made the conscious choice to trust Him anyway.
Today, if you find yourself in a situation where you are doubting the Lord and thinking of walking away from Him, consider this: To whom shall you go? Will you find anyone or anything better? God is trustworthy whether you understand what He does or not. There is no better alternative. The Twelve knew it. I know it. And so do millions of others who trust Him regardless of their circumstances.
© Jim Musser 2013
“Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates correction is stupid.” (Proverbs 12:1 NIV)
By this definition, I have encountered a lot of stupid people in my life. A few months ago, I was talking with a fellow pastor who lamented the inability of any church to correct anyone. “They’ll just go somewhere else,” he said.
This has been my experience as well. People can tolerate a lot of things, but few will accept being told directly that they are wrong. I once had a student get upset with me who said she was leaving our ministry, but that she did love me. I responded that if she truly loved me as a Christian brother, then she would honor me by being open to my attempts to reconcile with her. She never responded.
Hating correction is stupid because it prevents us from growing. If you can’t accept being corrected, you will never grow. I remember sitting across from my seminary professor in his office crying (literally) over a lost love. It was not the first time I had been in his office to talk about my broken heart. He looked at me and said, “Jim, have you given this over to God?” It was a corrective question and it needed to be asked. And because he asked it, I began to see how this relationship had become an idol in my life.
An unwillingness to be corrected demonstrates both arrogance and insecurity. We delude ourselves into thinking the way we live life is perfect (not in need of correction) because we are terribly afraid to admit our faults.
We need to see correction as a gift rather than an offense. It enables us to become the person God desires us to be. And there is no greater friend than the one who will lovingly correct us when needed, if only we have the courage to accept it. That will lead us away from stupidity into wisdom and growth.
© Jim Musser 2013
