Author: Chuck Musselwhite

When Others Wrong You

The story of Joseph is surreal if you were to put it in today’s context. He was sold into slavery, falsely accused and thrown into prison, and promoted to Prime Minister of Egypt to save the people from famine. That wouldn’t just make a Hollywood movie. It would be a multi-part series. God can use your pain for His good. Today we see what happens when others wrong you.

‭‭GENESIS‬ ‭50:20

“As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive.”

Joseph suffered the ultimate humiliation when his brothers sold him into slavery. They were sick of his smugness and the favoritism their father showed to him. Since he was the child of Jacob’s favored wife, Rachel, he got more attention and favor. The brothers thought that if they got rid of him, that would go away. This sends Joseph on a path no one would choose, but God uses it for His purposes and glory. Joseph becomes a slave in Potiphar’s house, then thrown into prison, which sets up the opportunity for him to interpret Pharaoh’s dream and become the prime minister of Egypt so he can save his family from famine.

A Prayer to Protect You

My teenage daughter just started driving. One of the joys of parenting has been teaching her, but letting her go on her own has been more difficult than I imagined. When she is driving, I am not able to protect her. I worry about her getting into an accident. I have to trust that she is in God’s hands. Did you know that Jesus prayed to His Father to keep you close? Today we look at a prayer to protect you.

‭‭JOHN‬ ‭17:11‬

“I am no longer in the world; and yet they themselves are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep them in Your name, the name which You have given Me, that they may be one even as We are.”

Jesus’ prayer in John 17 is the greatest in all of the Bible. Jesus pours out His heart and asks His Father to keep His disciples when He is gone. They will be in a dark world full of wickedness and against everything they believe. Jesus knows without His Father’s protection, His disciples will not survive. As a disciple of Jesus Christ, you are more than protected from the attacks of the enemy, you are held close to God, and He keeps you. That means He gives you everything you need to thrive while here on earth.

Don’t Quench the Spirit

One of the best things about camping is the campfire late at night after a full day of hiking. Sitting around and reminiscing about old times or telling stories makes the trip memorable. Putting that fire out when everyone is ready to go to bed can be challenging. Even the following day, you can stoke the coals and resurrect the fire. You have to drench that fire to make it go out. Many Christians do that exact thing regarding the Holy Spirit working in their church. Paul tells us, “Don’t quench the Spirit.”

‭‭1 THESSALONIANS‬ ‭5:19-21

“Do not quench the Spirit; do not despise prophetic utterances. But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good.”

The Holy Spirit was given to us as a helper and guide. He is there to convict us of sin and reveal God’s Word. Too many churches have taken too much liberty when it comes to the workings of the Spirit, and too many have throttled His work in response. Paul tells the church, “Don’t quench the Spirit.” The Spirit is likened to a burning flame, and we are to fan the flame as opposed to snuffing it out. Churches do that when they don’t let gifts like prophecy be used.

Jesus as Your Shepherd

Being a shepherd is a lonely job. You are out in the wilderness with nothing but sheep for long stretches of time. In Biblical times, the shepherd would often have to roam the country side taking his sheep to where there was enough food for them to eat. At night they would sit up protecting the sheep against attacks from wolves and bears. God fashions Himself as your shepherd. He has created you and cares for you.

‭‭PSALMS‬ ‭100:3

“Know that the LORD Himself is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.”

There are so many references to Israel as sheep. For good reason. Sheep were their main source of protein and from which they made all of their clothes. Sheep also were the featured animal in the passover and in temple sacrifices. Every Israelite knew the tendencies of sheep and could easily apply the lessons to themselves. Here, the Psalmist refers to the country as a flock of sheep and God as their shepherd. He wanted his readers to know that they were in God’s possession.

Seems Like All Hope is Lost

In the movie “The Hobbit, the Battle of Five Armies,” the dwarfs and elves are ready to go to war over the gold in the mountain. Greed is ruling the day when all of a sudden the Orcs come out of the mountain, and the two armies have to unite to defeat them and save the woefully prepared human army. When it seems all the armies are going to lose the Orcs, the dwarfs guarding the gold in the mountain come out and turn the tide. One day Jesus will arrive on the scene and take His church when it seems like all hope is lost.

‭‭1 THESSALONIANS‬ ‭4:16

“For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.”

The people of Thessalonica thought they had missed the rapture. Paul assures them they haven’t by telling them what will happen when the rapture comes. There will be a shout from the millions of angels in heaven declaring that Jesus is coming. Think of how you’ve seen armies shout before they charge into battle. Then, Jesus will descend on a cloud and gather His bride, the church. Paul further clarifies how you will know it is happening. The dead in Christ will rise first. Those who have died and gone to heaven will have their bodies rise out of the grave. (This includes those who have been cremated) Then those who are still living will ascend to meet Christ in the clouds. It will be a glorious moment.

Remain in Christ

I’ve written several times that I live in wine country. All around the area in which I live are vineyards. I have several friends who are vintners or winemakers. They make award-winning wines that people from all over California come to taste. If you ask them some of the most important aspects of winemaking, they will tell you vine management. Making sure those vines get enough sun is essential to a goo

‭‭JOHN‬ ‭15:4‬

“Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me.”

Jesus uses a word picture that everyone one of His listeners can understand. Jews were familiar with vineyards because they dotted the landscape of Israel. Wine was a typical drink, and many had participated in the harvest and grape crushing. They knew that no grapes would grow unless the branch was attached to the vine. The vineyard manager took special care of the vines to ensure optimum growth. Jesus tells the crowd that He is the vine and that they need to be attached to Him to see spiritual fruit grow in their lives. Unless they remained attached, they would wither up and die.

A Place Waiting for You

When you go on vacation or holiday, part of the preparation is arranging a place to stay. For some they go to visit family, others go camping, while others reserve a hotel. Wherever you go, you expect the place you will be staying to be prepared for you. No one wants to walk into a dirty hotel room with an unmade bed or a campsite littered with garbage from the previous camper. If you have a reservation for heaven, a place is waiting for you. Jesus went to prepare it for you.

‭‭JOHN‬ ‭14:2

“In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you.”

Jesus used a mansion as an illustration of what heaven would look like. There are many dwelling places, or as some translations use the word rooms. It makes you picture a glorious place waiting for you when you enter through the pearly gates. Heaven is going to be better than anything you can imagine. You will be in the presence of the Almighty God, there will be no more weeping, and you will be inhabiting your new physical body. Not too shabby.

Power and Conviction

It is difficult to figure out which ministry is legit nowadays. Technology has made it easy for ministers to increase their reach while at the same time creating a facade of an alternate reality. How does a disciple discern who is legit and who is fake? Paul gives us some guidance in today’s passage. Look…

Time to Take a Knee

There has been a controversy in the United States over people taking a knee during sports events. It upset a lot of people, especially those who had served in our military. A former president got behind the protest, blowing up the controversy from there. Whatever side you are on in the debate, you need to understand that one day every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord. As a disciple of Jesus, you need to submit yourself to His authority. It’s time to take a knee and worship.

‭‭PSALMS‬ ‭95:6-7‬

“Come, let us worship and bow down, Let us kneel before the LORD our Maker. For He is our God, And we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand. Today, if you would hear His voice,”

Taking a knee is a symbol of submission to someone over you. You’ve seen people do it for kings and popes for centuries. The Psalmist in Psalms 95 beckons his readers to make kneeling a part of their worship. He reasons that God is over every king and Pope and thus deserves our worship and surrender. It isn’t an act of humiliation but one of utmost respect. It also heightens your worship as your heart is given entirely to the Lord.

Don’t Lose Your Life

Most people didn’t give one thought to growing wheat until the war in the Ukraine. This hit home when the store shelves weren’t as full as they once were. Now people know that most of the wheat that people use in the world is grown there. Without wheat there is no flour and without flour there are no baked goods. This affects the supply chain not only at the grocery stores but at restaurants and beyond. If you can’t sow any seeds you are not going to have anything to reap. Jesus uses this analogy to say, “Don’t lose your life.”

‭‭JOHN‬ ‭12:25

“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.”