Author: Chuck Musselwhite

Get Alone With God

If you listen to surveys, one of the things people desire the most is a little quiet time by themselves. There is so much competition for your time and distractions that steal your focus. Carving out time to get alone with God and pray is a challenge, but it is one of the most important activities you can do. 

Matthew 14:23

“And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there.” 

Getting Alone with God

Jesus often stole away to pray. During the day, people pressed in all around Him to meet their needs. He walked with His disciples, who never looked like they would get it. Jesus had to get away at night just to be alone with His Father. When everyone else was asleep, he would go and spend the night in prayer to recharge for what awaited him the next day. 

Different but Still the Same

Have you ever watched sailboat racing? Seeing the crew jumping all over the boat as the wind changes is a sight to see. Each person has a specific responsibility that works in unison with the rest of the team. They all have different roles but the same goal, to win the race. The church is set up the same way. The Holy Spirit gives each person unique gifts to be used in conjunction with other believers to accomplish the same purpose, proclaim the Gospel. We are different but still the same team.

1 Corinthians 12:4-6

Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone.

Different but Still the Same

Everyone is equipped with a variety of gifts when they choose to follow Jesus. What you have been given will be different from others in the church. What doesn’t differ is the Holy Spirit who gives you the gifts. We have all been filled with the Holy Spirit upon salvation. This gives us unity in the church. God can take a diverse group of people and unify them as one church through His Holy Spirit.

When You’ve Been Wronged

Everyone one of us has been wronged by another person. What do you do when you’ve been wronged? Do you seek revenge? Do you file a lawsuit and take them to court, or do you isolate yourself and sulk? How you process your hurt will dictate your future. The Apostle Paul suggests an alternative to when you’ve been wronged.

1 Corinthians 6:1-2

When one of you has a grievance against another, does he dare go to law before the unrighteous instead of the saints? Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is to be judged by you, are you incompetent to try trivial cases?

Stop the Scandals

So many people who are easily offended these days. The Greek word for offense is scandalon, from which we get our word scandal. Originally the word was used to refer to the bait used to snare a wild animal. Paul uses it to refer to anything that hinders our walk with God. Paul puts his foot down and tells the Corinthians that it is not the way it is supposed to be in the church. This had become a problem in the Corinthian church, and Paul wanted the leadership to handle things differently. When we go to court, it is already a defeat for the church and us because it destroys our witness.

Selfless Giving

The grand gesture is very popular right now. Students are going to great lengths to ask their dates to the homecoming dance. Fiances climb mountains to propose at the perfect spot. We like to make a big deal out of the simplest acts. Jesus commands us to do the opposite. He calls us to selfless giving. Our motivation should be to bless others, not draw attention to ourselves. Break the mold and become a selfless giver.

Matthew 6:1,3

“Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret.

A Clanging Noise

Giving at the annual feasts in Jerusalem was a big show. People would go to the treasury to watch the wealthy drop coins into large brass receptacles. The more coins they put in, the louder the sound, making everyone turn and watch. The wealthy did it for recognition. The disciple of Jesus needs to give where no one notices except Jesus.

Good News For You

Jesus has good news for you. This news will change your life. Like the dawn of a new day, Jesus brings good news that brings new beginnings. The Bible has a term for this good news, the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Forgiveness and eternal life can be your if you choose to follow Jesus. That’s good news for you.
1 Corinthians 15:3-4
For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures

1 Corinthians 15:1-11 is one of the clearest presentations of the Gospel in all of Scripture. Christ died for our sins, was buried, and raised on the third day. He died to become the perfect sacrifice to appease God’s wrath, and our sins could be forgiven. He was buried, but death couldn’t keep him down. On the third day, He was resurrected from the grave. This was witnessed by the disciples and more than five hundred people before he ascended to heaven.

Are Your Prayers Being Heard?

Did you know that most people don’t listen to what you say? It’s true! Studies show that people only listen enough to respond with what they want to talk about. This is why they either talk about themselves or steer the conversation in another direction. Are your prayers being heard by God? He’s paying attention, but something else may be blocking the answer. 

1 Peter 3:12

“because the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do what is evil.”

Are Your Prayers Being Heard

Are your prayers being heard? Do you see evidence of God working through the prayer you have brought before him? Maybe those prayers aren’t being heard because there is unforgiven sin in your heart. There is nothing more that God wants to do than to hear our prayers and answer them the way he thinks best. If your prayers aren’t being answered, spend some time seeking his forgiveness.

God Makes Himself Known

Some people who enter the room need to make their presence known. They think everyone should know they have arrived. It often overshadows what is going on why people are there. God works in the opposite way. He can be so subtle that people won’t believe He exists because they can’t see any evidence. That is a dangerous mistake. Neglected too long, and God makes Himself known.

Ezekiel‬ ‭39:7‬

‘I will make known my holy name among my people Israel. I will no longer let my holy name be profaned, and the nations will know that I the Lord am the Holy One in Israel.

God Makes Himself Known

God makes himself known. We often think if we can’t see something at work, it isn’t there. That is often the case with God in our lives. It is easy to forget he is there because we can’t see him. We go on with our everyday life without a thought of how God is working in our life. Then, all of a sudden, God lets us know he has always been there. God makes himself known to us, and eventually the nations will know.

One Sacrifice

There are a lot of products out there that advertise as a “one size fits all.” All in one soap and shampoo, a multi-tool that will be the last tool you will ever need, and an energy bar that has all of the nutrients you need to fuel your body. The problem is that these products are over-promised and under-deliver. When the writer of Hebrews says that Jesus offered one sacrifice for all, it means that his death on the cross was more than enough for everyone. forgiveness.

Hebrews 10:12-14

But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.

One Sacrifice

One sacrifice did it all of our sins. That is all that is necessary. Christ’s atoning work on the cross satisfied God’s wrath and removed the penalty of death from us. There is nothing else we can do, or we have to do to get right with God. Christ’s work on the cross did it all.

Confronting Immorality

Very few things are as devastating as discovering immorality in a marriage. It impacts far more people than the couple. If there are kids, they are thrust into a state of confusion. Extended family and friends don’t know how to proceed, which will often divide churches. Sadly, the offender is often let off the hook because no one wants confrontation. Confronting immorality in the home and the church is difficult but essential.

1 Corinthians 5:1-2 

It is reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is not tolerated even among pagans, for a man has his father’s wife. And you are arrogant! Ought you not rather to mourn? Let him who has done this be removed from among you.

Confronting Immorality

The church has a process for confronting immorality. There were some sexual sins in the church at Corinth that the pagans didn’t tolerate. A man was with his step-mom. Even the thought of that is sickening, yet the Corinthians did nothing. They were arrogant about it. It gave God a bad name and was a sad witness for the church. This should’ve caused mourning and remorse for the sin, but it didn’t. The Corinthians had become calloused to sin. Paul demands that this person be removed from the church and delivered over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh.

Forgive Them

Do you struggle with holding a grudge? Are there people you refuse to forgive? Everyone will be hurt at one time or another. The question is, “How will you handle it when your heart breaks?” Jesus gives us some sound principles on how to forgive people. People mocked him as he was hanging on the cross and questioned whether He was God. His response? Father, forgive them.

Luke 23:32

Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed. When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left. Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.

The Bigger Picture

Imagine what your state of mind would be after suffering what Christ has and then to be hanging on the cross. It would be easy to be angry or even defeated. Jesus replies to all of this with “Forgive them.” In my book, that is pretty amazing! Who in their right mind would do that? Jesus knew something easy for us to miss. He saw the big picture and understood that most of these people were either following orders or had been convinced by others. They didn’t realize that the Son of God was right there with them. Isaiah 53 was being fulfilled, and they didn’t know it. All they knew was that they were crucifying someone.