Author: Chuck Musselwhite

Greater Than Yourself

The average life expectancy of someone living in the United States is 82.1 years. Did you know that lines up with Scripture? Life expectancy was 70 years, 80 if things went well back in King David’s times. Not much has changed in over 4,000 years. All the technology we have developed and people still live the same time. King David challenges you to live for something greater than yourself.

‭‭PSALMS‬ ‭90:10‬

“As for the days of our life, they contain seventy years, Or if due to strength, eighty years, Yet their pride is but labor and sorrow; For soon it is gone and we fly away.”

What are you going to do with the 70 years appointed to you? Are you going to spend most of it trying to extend it to 80 years, or will you waste it away with purposeless living? David almost sounds like his son Solomon when he says, “Yet their pride is but labor and sorrow, For soon it is gone.” People will work their whole life, and it will amount to nothing. David is challenging us to live for something greater than ourselves.

Feed What is Important

Do you ever get confused by all of the diet fads and information out there? Don’t eat carbs, fast sixteen hours a day, eat only clean foods, keto is the only way to go. It can make your head spin trying to figure out. Jesus tells us to feed what is important, our spirit. That is where our life comes from. The flesh profits nothing.

‭‭JOHN‬ ‭6:63‬

“It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.”

If you are honest with yourself, you will admit that you spend excessive time and resources on your flesh compared to what you spend on your spirit. The flesh profits you nothing, but in your spirit is life. Jesus spoke to your spirit to breathe in new life. It is essential to spend time each day strengthening what will benefit you the most. Neglect it, and it will start to impact every other area of your life.

Stretch Your Faith

It seems like the world is going south real quick. You have a worldwide pandemic, staggering inflation, and countries on the brink of a Third World War. These times will take a measure of faith that hasn’t been seen in centuries. God is presenting the church with a unique opportunity to share the Gospel. Are you ready to stretch your faith? God is calling disciples to step up and be the church.

‭‭JOHN‬ ‭6:13

“So they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves which were left over by those who had eaten.”

There is something special about the feeding of the five thousand. There are really no other miracles like this and the feeding of the four thousand. To provide for so many people on such a grand scale boggles the mind. Jesus prayed began breaking the bread, and pretty soon, the disciples were gathering baskets of leftovers. Most miracles were for individuals, but these were for the masses. It shows that God is sovereign and capable of doing what needs to be done when needed.

Satisfy Your Soul

Mick Jagger and The Rolling Stones coined our culture perfectly back in the sixties when they released the song “I Can’tCan’t Get No Satisfaction.” The following decades have proven that people live unsatisfied lives and always think that getting more will make them happy. Jesus provides an alternative by telling you to come to Him, and He will satisfy your soul.

‭‭JOHN‬ ‭6:35‬

“Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst.”

There are seven “I Am” statements from Jesus in the book of John. Some examples are “I Am the good shepherd” and “I Am the light of the world..” Here He says that He is the bread of life. Anyone who comes to Jesus will no longer hunger and thirst. Jesus fulfills that spiritual longing inside our hearts that only He can fill. There is no need to search any longer because all spiritual sustenance will be provided. He will satisfy your soul.

Important Lessons

I grew up in the church, and I am not ashamed to admit it. That’s not a popular stance to take today, but my childhood is filled with wonderful memories of church. One of those was my grandmother. She loved to sing and had most hymns memorized. She never needed a hymn book and sang with all of her might. Inside those hymns were some of the most important lessons I’ve learned. That’s what you see in today’s passage.

‭‭PHILIPPIANS‬ ‭2:6-7

“who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.”

Last week I told you how Paul inserted several creeds and songs that the early church sang. These were there to help teach and preserve essential doctrines. It doesn’t get any more important than the incarnation (Jesus coming to earth as a human) and the atonement (Jesus dying on the cross as our substitute). Jesus was both God and man while he was on earth, but He emptied Himself and became a servant. Those are life-changing doctrines.

Be of the Same Mind

Amazing things can be accomplished when people work together. Tiny armies defending their homeland have overcome large militaries when they are intent on one purpose. Paul calls the church to be of the same mind and come to a Godly unity so that Jesus can accomplish His purposes through His people. Is your heart ready…

Sing of the Lords Lovingkindness

There is nothing better than going to church on Sunday, worshipping the Lord, and being taught His Word. Surrounded by His people and in the presence of the Holy Spirit can make you feel closer to Jesus than any other time. King David knew this from an early age. He experienced the lovingkindness of the Lord out in the fields as a shepherd and the halls of a king’s palace. Sing of the Lord’s lovingkindness.

‭‭PSALMS‬ ‭89:2

“For I have said, “Lovingkindness will be built up forever; In the heavens You will establish Your faithfulness.”

David loved to sing of the Lord’s lovingkindness. Many psalms are expressions of David’s gratefulness. We get some of the Bible’s most descriptive language from his songs. These were all an expression of what was gushing out of his heart. Not bad from one of Israel’s toughest warriors. It shows you can be both strong and heartfelt in serving the Lord.

Used for a Season

History is littered with one-hit wonders. Whether in music, sports, business, or politics, some people rise quickly and fade even faster. It’s no different in ministry. An author/speaker bursts onto the scene, and their platform explodes. Then just like that, they disappear. They were used for a season by God to reach the masses. John the Baptist was used for a season to ready the people for Jesus.

‭‭JOHN‬ ‭5:35

“He was the lamp that was burning and was shining and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light.”

It would be easy to think this verse standing by itself is about Jesus. He is described as the “light of the world,” but this is actually about John the Baptist. Jesus is telling the crowd that he doesn’t need man’s witness or testimony to validate His ministry, but God did send John the Baptist. While he was alive, the people basked in the brightness of his light. He was new and was willing to challenge the hypocrisy of the Pharisees.

Striving Together

The precision and synchronization needed for sports like rowing always amaze me. You watch as up to eight people row in unison. They are serving together to achieve one objective, victory. Paul calls the church to have the same purpose in mind striving together for the faith. If we all work in unity, it will be an unstoppable force against Satan.

‭‭PHILIPPIANS‬ ‭1:27

“Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, I will hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel.”

The church in Philippi has unity issues. Some people were in it for themselves. They preached the gospel for personal gain and wanted their way in particular issues. It was tearing at the fabric of the church, so Paul encourages the saints in what he would like to see them accomplish. I love how Paul spends little time addressing issues and offers solutions instead. He wants their conduct to be worthy of the gospel, stand firm in the Spirit, and strive together for the gospel. In this encouragement, he addresses the unity issues and what needs to be done.

Courage to Speak

Public speaking is still one of the biggest phobias. Ask someone to get up in front of a group of people, and their palms begin to sweat. It takes courage to speak in front of an audience, and only a minority of people are comfortable with the task. The same can be said for sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ, but you can pray for the courage to speak.

‭‭PHILIPPIANS‬ ‭1:14

“and that most of the brethren, trusting in the Lord because of my imprisonment, have far more courage to speak the word of God without fear.”

Paul wrote the letter to the Philippians from prison. His imprisonment had caused his haters to use that as proof that he wasn’t a real apostle, while his supporters used it to be bolder in preaching the Gospel. Tribulation will cause people to act like this. Some will do anything to prevent pain or suffering, and at the first sign of trouble, they bail, while others will see the trouble as confirmation that what they are doing is on track. Paul rejoiced at those who had the courage to speak.