Author: Chuck Musselwhite

Anointed for the Work of the Ministry

One of the most solemn events in the church is when a pastor is ordained for the work of the ministry. There is a notable presence of the Holy Spirit when one who God calls steps forward and is anointed for the work of the ministry. Many come to celebrate and affirm what God is doing. That is the case with the first ministers called Aaron and his sons.

‭‭Leviticus‬ ‭8:23

“And he killed it, and Moses took some of its blood and put it on the lobe of Aaron’s right ear and on the thumb of his right hand and on the big toe of his right foot.”

At the ordination ceremony for Aaron and his sons to become priests, Moses killed a ram. Aaron and his sons put their hands on the head of the ram to symbolize the transfer of their sins onto the sacrificial animal. Then after killing the ram, Moses took blood and put it on the ear lobe, right thumb, and big toe of the right foot. All of these places are symbolic. The ear lobe represents hearing from the Lord, the right thumb symbolizes the work the priests will do, and the toe was everywhere they would set their foot. God wanted every area to be covered by the blood, so they remember the anointing on them to do the work that God had set them apart to do.

Practice What is Right

On the first day of football practice of every season Vince Lombardi, legendary coach of the Green Bay Packers, would take a football and look at his players and say, Gentlemen, this is a football.” It seems silly to say to professional football players, but he was making a point. Practice was critical, and he wanted them to take it seriously. As Christian, we are to practice what is right.

‭‭1 John‬ ‭3:7

“Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as He is righteous.”

John kept following Jesus very simple. Say you love Jesus, but you don’t love your brother? You don’t love Jesus. Did you blow it and stumble into sin? Confess your sins and be forgiven. People were making discipleship more difficult than it should’ve been way back in John’s day. Now he tells the church not to be deceived. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous. If you have been made righteous by your faith in Jesus, then your life will manifest righteous deeds.

Owe Nothing But Love

Has anybody ever lent you something like a book and told you it would change your life? What usually happens is that it goes to the bottom of my pile of books I am reading or in a pile, I will never read. The problem is that the person will constantly ask me what I think of the book. Then they ask for it back, and I usually can’t find it. It is better to owe nothing but love to people. ‭‭

Romans‬ ‭13:8‬

“Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law.”

Things get weird when we borrow from others, especially those who are close to us. There is a cloud hanging over your relationship even if the lender is totally fine with you. Paul encourages us to owe nothing but love. Everything else will bring grief and could cause serious damage. Obviously, there are times where you are in a bind, and someone is willing to help out, but for the most part, you should avoid borrowing anything except your father in laws tools because that is expected and approved by God.

The Light We Need

You can never have enough light in my book—overhead lights, table lamps, and even lights that illuminate the background. I like to see what I am doing. My wife doesn’t agree with me. I will often turn the lights in, and then she will come in and turn half of them off. Not sure we…

Call Upon Jesus

Are you someone who is afraid of the dark? When you have to venture into a place where you cannot see do you call out to those with you? The Psalmist addresses the issues of being lost. He assures us that the Lord is near. All we have to do is to call upon Jesus.

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭145:18-19

“The LORD is near to all who call upon Him, To all who call upon Him in truth. He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him; He will also hear their cry and will save them.”

The Lord never leaves your side. You may not sense His presence or feel like He is there, but He is. You don’t realize He is close because you are focused on other things and calling out to other people. God will not interrupt us unless it is essential but patiently waits. The Psalmist tells us that all we need to do is call upon Him, and He will answer. There is one catch. You have to call to Him in truth. That means you sincerely want Him to act in your situation and not just bail you out. God knows your intent.

Renew Your Mind

The mind is one of your strongest muscles. Its learning capacity is untapped. As a human, you have a choice of what you want to put into those memory banks. That can be a challenge living in today’s world, where you are being bombarded with ungodly images. Paul shows you a way to renew your mind and, in the process, transform your life.

‭‭Romans‬ ‭12:2

“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”

A lot of Christians are more interested in the destiny that God has for them than they do the discipline required to reach that destiny. In verse one of Romans 12, Paul tells us that our greatest form of worship is to be a “living sacrifice.” That means we sacrifice our wants and desires to be a servant to whatever Jesus needs of us. He continues in verse two by telling us to be transformed by the renewing of our mind so that we won’t be conformed to this world.

God is Patient With You

If you were put in your parents’ place and had to raise you, would you be more patient than your parents or less? The answer would probably be less in most cases. That’s because you know your inner-self and what your intentions are. God is patient with you even though he knows your thoughts and motives.

‭‭2 Peter‬ ‭3:9

“The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.”

Peter shows you three ways that God is patient with you. First, He knows the best timing to fulfill his promises. While you may think God is slow in working in your life, God sees it as giving you what you need when you need it. Most people act like impatient children and want everything now. God isn’t swayed by our whims but patiently waits until the time is right. Trust Him during this process.

Finding Refuge in the Lord

Touring old castles can give you a picture of God’s love and protection. Those castles have been around for centuries and provided shelter and protection to the multitudes. It endured battles and weathered storms yet remain. That is what David is talking about when he describes the protection God has given him. You can find refuge in the Lord as well when you turn to Jesus in times of trouble.

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭144:2

“My lovingkindness and my fortress, My stronghold and my deliverer, My shield and He in whom I take refuge, Who subdues my people under me.”

David knew God as his protector. God had protected him as a young boy while he watched the sheep, as a young man while he was fleeing from Saul, and as an old man when he had to flee his son Absalom’s coup attempt. He saw God as his fortress that was steadfast and never wavered. Do you look at the Lord the same way? Do you recognize how God has protected you over your lifetime? When you see how He has been your shield that has delivered you repeatedly, it changes your perspective on life.

Taking a Break

Hey Everyone, This week I am taking a break from writing devotions as I take my summer vacation. I won’t be posting any new devotionals but I want to encourage you to subscribe to my Facebook page or Twitter account where it posts previous devotionals I have written in past years. The links to the…

A Wealth of Knowledge and Wisdom

Have you ever been in the same room with someone who is incredibly smart? How did it make you feel? Were you intimidated by their knowledge or fascinated by what they had to say? Some people feel this way with God. They are either overwhelmed by how great He is or exhilarated with the wealth of knowledge and wisdom.

‭‭Romans‬ ‭11:33

“Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!”

Paul summarizes the immensity of God in these two statements. The depth of the knowledge and wisdom of God are too deep to plumb, and it is impossible to understand His ways. We don’t need to know the depth of His knowledge. All we need to know is that we will never reach the bottom, and it will never run out. If you ask for the wisdom of God, He will give you a double portion. Think about that for a second. The resources are infinite, and He gives you twice as much as you ask.