Tag: faith

Imagine

This post is from my friend Jim Musser’s blog

As churches across the nation shut down their physical worship services this morning, many replacing them with livestreaming events, I began imagining what this new reality will look like two or three months from now. Will Christian communities basically become a plethora of TV churches, with everyone sitting in their own homes with their eyes fixated on screens watching the same worship services to which they are accustomed attending in person? The pastors preaching sermons. The worship bands on stages playing songs.

The pandemic we are facing has no comparison to all but literally a few people in the world, those who were infants or toddlers in 1918 when the so-called “Spanish Flu” ravaged the world, infecting over 500 million and killing 20-50 million people. And just as that pandemic was a lifelong marker in the lives of many of our great-grandparents and grandparents, so this one will be a marker for our lives.

The question is, what kind of marker will this leave for us personally and for the Church? For the moment, based on God’s promise in Romans 8:28 to work all things together for good for those who love him and are called according to his purpose, I want to imagine the good that will come out of this pandemic.

Imagine that Christians, instead of gathering in small groups around their computer or TV screens to watch livestreaming worship services, that they instead gather in homes to sing praises to the Lord, to pray for the world, the nation, their own communities, and for one another, and to read and discuss the Word of God. Perhaps they also enjoy a meal together that includes the Lord’s Supper. (Acts 2:42-47)

Imagine that believers truly humble themselves before the Lord in the face of this pandemic, recognizing that their lives are fragile and not guaranteed. (Psalm 39:4)

Imagine that Christians take an inventory of their priorities in life and move the Lord from the periphery of their lives to the center, making him the driving force rather than merely a side attraction. (John 14:21)

Imagine that Christians in communities, rather than isolating themselves from everyone, seek to serve those who are isolated out of necessity—the elderly and the sick—by bringing them food, household supplies, and medicine, by checking on them and even visiting them for awhile. (Matthew 25:34-36)

Imagine that followers of Jesus, rather than hoarding supplies such as sanitizers, toilet paper, and food, that they would look to share those things with others in need. (II Corinthians 8:13-15)

Imagine that in a time of economic hardship, Christians will be generous toward one another, making sure their brothers and sisters have what they need. (Acts 4:32-35)

Imagine that believers remain full of hope and peace instead of the despair and fear taking hold of the country, because they are confident in the power and love of the Lord. (Romans 8:35-38)

Imagine that Christians in our nation act as the true Church has always acted: loving one another, serving one another, meeting each other’s needs, risking their lives for the sake of serving Jesus, and being a light of hope and peace for the unbelieving world. Imagine believers across our country, rather than being participants in an institution, instead are an integral part of a community who are united in their love for and hope in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Imagine believers once again being the Church.

© Jim Musser 2020

Cultivate and Care

Apollo 11 Earth_croppedGod created everything that is. The universe; the Milky Way and all other galaxies; the Sun and all other stars; the Solar System and all other solar systems; the Moon and all other moons; the Earth and all other planets, etc. He created all life and all the ecosystems to sustain that life then He created Humankind to take care of all he created on planet Earth. With stewardship of His creation in place he declared all His creation on planet Earth as good. 

Genesis 2:15 is His mandate for humankind, His crowning creation. Here humankind is entrusted with the cultivation and care of the world He created as our home.

The LORD God then took the man and settled him in the garden of Eden, to cultivate and care for it

My struggle to take this mandate seriously has been aided by a few key insights that I want to briefly share with you.  I now believe that the purpose for which humankind was created was to be caretakers of God’s creation.

  • Creation

Our call to be responsible stewards of the environment is rooted in the biblical account of creation in which the earth was entrusted to our care. Humankind is created to cultivate and care for God’s creation.

  • Solidarity

The challenge of protecting the environment requires that the Church look beyond national, cultural, and other human boundaries to work for the common good of all. Citizens of the kingdom of God standing in solidarity can overcome any nation, any culture and any other boundaries which keep us from obeying our mandate.

  • Stewardship

Care for creation is fundamentally an act of stewardship. As faithful stewards we should receive the gift of creation gratefully, nurture it responsibly, share it justly and charitably, and return it to God abundantly.  As faithful stewards  we should love all of God’s vast creation, recognize God, the Creator, as He reveals Himself through His creation and nurture our environment to the glory of God..

  • Respect

The way we treat the environment is often mirrored in the way we treat one another. In other words the respect we show to God’s creation is reflected in the respect we have for one another. Disrespect (abuse) of the environment disproportionally impacts the poor, but impacts all of us as we are all dependent on the earth for our physical existence just as we are all dependent on God for our spiritual existence. Showing respect for this planet God has entrusted to us is just another way for us to respect one another since care for our environment is one way to see that all have their basic needs met.

Questions to ponder

  1. If we have a mandate to cultivate and care for God’s creation and we instead abuse it carelessly what does that say about our respect for God?
  2. If God made us stewards of His creation when he returns will he call us good and faithful stewards?
  3. If the Church united in solidarity against any political boundary or corporate power allowing hunger, disease and pain to flourish when its remedy already exists in God’s creation what impact would that have on how the world views the Church?
  4. Do we truly love God if we hate one another and His creation itself?
  5. Do we truly respect God if we disrespect one another and His creation itself? 

What Drives You?

I’ve always enjoyed reading the stories of successful people; finding out what drives
them.  What I find completely amazing (and intriguing) is that most people — those who accomplish the most in their chosen field — are rarely driven by money.

Jay Leno is an example.  He makes about $30,000,000.00 a year hosting the Tonight Show.  If the desire to be wealthy drove him, he could stop right there.  Instead he
performs an additional 100 – 150 concerts per year for audiences across the country.  Why?Because he loves his work.  He loves to write jokes and he loves to tell jokes.  That’s the driving force in his life — he loves to make people laugh (failed miserably with Conan!).

Years ago I remember seeing film of Walter Payton’s summer training regiment.  Part of it consisted of him running hills.  There he was in the July heat struggling to work his way up a steep incline, the earth giving way with each step as Payton fought to maintain his footing, remain upright and keep moving toward the top.  It was absolutely fascinating to watch, because it was obvious that he wasn’t out there for the money – – he already had plenty.  He wasn’t hoping to earn or keep a starting position — he already had a lock on the job.   Why did he do it?  What drove him on?  He had a passion for football, and he had a
passion for being the best – that was what drove Walter Payton.

It is a good practice to periodically ask yourself, “What is the driving force in my life?  What drives me?”   You can find the answer to that question in the answers to a couple of other questions:

  • What do you think about while you’re driving to work/school/carpool?
  • What do you think about while you’re driving home?
  • What do you think about right before you fall asleep?

Answer those questions honestly and you’ll have a pretty good idea about what it is that drives your life.

Rick Warren wrote The Purpose Driven Life which has sold somewhere in the neighborhood of a gazillion copies.  What I like about Rick Warren is that before
he wrote the book, he lived it.  As a young man he became consumed with a passion for church planting. He was only 3 or 4 years out of college when he moved to Saddleback
Valley to start Saddleback Valley Community Church (now known worldwide simply as
the Saddleback Church).  He’s been there 32 years now and he doesn’t plan on leaving any time soon.  He could, of course.  He could retire and spend the rest of his days relaxing on the beach and never again have to deal with staff problems or contentious church members or zoning laws or critics or any of the other nuisances of life.  But he keeps on
keeping on doing the job he started doing a quarter century ago.  Why?  Because the driving force in his life isn’t to build a nest egg for retirement, it is to bring people to a closer relationship with Jesus. That’s his purpose.  That’s the driving force of his life.  That’s what drives him.

What drives you?  Like Rick Warren says, we should be driven by certain purposes in life. What purpose drives you?  Success?  Money?  Revenge? Sex?  Power?  Leisure? Comfort?

In the second chapter of Colossians, Paul uses a phrase that never fails to get my attention. He says in verse two, “My purpose is…” And he goes on to describe the driving force of his ministry.  He mentions three things that drive him.  The interesting thing is that they are all about relationships — how he wants to relate to those he knows and even those he doesn’t yet know.  He says, “My purpose is…” — and then talks about how he relates to others.  I find that very interesting and very relevant to our daily lives.

Whatever our purpose in life, one thing that we will certainly have to deal with is relationships.  Family relationships, social relationships, academic relationships, business relationships, church relationships.  Life is meant to be shared with others.   In many ways the quality of our lives comes down to the quality of our relationships.  So when we ask ourselves, “What purpose drives my life?” we are also asking, “What purpose drives my
relationships?”

Three things drove Paul’s relationships; to offer hope, promote love and bring faith.  Here’s Paul purpose statement:

(Col. 2: 1-5) . . .My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, . . .

I’ll write more about how this passage changed the driving force in my life for the good later.  Right now my purpose is to get to my cardiac rehab session on time (for once!).

Feeling Alone

Have you ever felt that God wasn’t listening anymore?  I hope you never have, but the fact is, if you haven’t, you will.  There will be times in your life when God seems to be far away, and intimacy with Him seems like nothing more than a fading memory, or a distant dream.  When that happens, you have the opportunity to become closer to God than ever before, because this is a time in your life when you can learn to walk by faith, not by feelings.

I have been reading Psalm 13, which is what I do when God seems far away.  David wrote this psalm when he was going through an emotional valley; yet he continued to find strength and direction in his faith in God.  David shows  our faith can overcome our feelings when God seems far away.

 Ps 13:5 “But I trust in your unfailing love.”

When I read this I hear David saying: “I won’t let despair get the best of me. I will just assume you are with me…watching over me…taking care of me…leading me along the way, regardless of how I feel about it.”

I have a friend who works for a company that is struggling to stay afloat. There have been some rumors that he might be transferred, or even laid off. This has put him in a state of limbo. He doesn’t know if he is staying or going, or if he’ll have a job next month. When he goes to the office he isn’t sure what he should do from day to day. As a result, he’s been afraid to begin any long-term projects and has found himself floundering — at a time when he can least afford to flounder. He finally said to me, “Since I really didn’t know what was going to happen back when I started this job I’ve decided that the only thing that has changed is that back then I expected the best and now I’m expecting the worst.  So I’m just going to trust God that everything will work out for the best, whether the company succeeds or fails, and keep doing my job the way it’s supposed to be done.”  His situation hasn’t changed but he has because of where he placed his trust in God.

What I’m saying is this: regardless of how you feel, assume God’s presence in your life and do what you know you should be doing.  Assume God’s presence.  Assume God’s love.  Assume God’s mercy.  Assume God’s guidance.  Assume God’s protection. Even though you don’t feel His presence, love, mercy, guidance or protection — trust that God is there by faith. This is how we, in David’s words, “Trust in God’s unfailing love.”

This means we continue spending time alone with God whether we feel like it or not.  We go to church each week whether we feel like it or not.  We serve whether we feel like it or not.  We include God in our daily life whether we feel like it or not.  We return to him again and again throughout the day whether we feel like it or not.

Even when you don’t feel God’s presence in your life, he is there.  Cling to God’s presence and act the same as if you felt His presence.  This is how you put your trust in his unfailing love.  It’s a matter of saying, “God, regardless of how I feel, I’m going to keep on doing what I know I should be doing, because by faith I trust that you are right here with me.”

Cling to God’s presence: trust God not your emotions.

Ps 13:5,6 “My heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing to the Lord, for he has been good to me.”

 When God seems far away, cling to what you know is true. Remind yourself of the things God has done for you, and rejoice in them.

 I try to think of all the things I know to be true, and offer them up to God. “Lord, you’ve made such a difference in my life. You’ve given me joy. You’ve provided for me. You’ve forgiven my sins. You’ve given me eternal life. You’ve answered my prayers.” [Here’s where keeping a prayer journal pays off!] As I remind myself of these things, and as I offer them up to God in prayer, I find myself strengthened in Him.

I’m not saying pretend to feel something that you don’t really feel.  I’m saying that God knows how we feel; so we might as well be honest with Him.  I search your heart for those things I know to be true, and, by faith rejoice in them.  I cling to them.

 When I feel like God is far away I sometimes think about where my life would be if I had never become a Christian.  What would my life have been like if it had followed its logical progression?  What kind of career would I have pursued?  What kind of person would I have married?  What kind of father would I have become? Every time I think these things through, I am overcome with gratitude for God’s sovereign mercy in my life.  Even when he seems far away, I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that he has made an incredible difference in my life, and I cling to that.  And I thank him for it.

Cling to God’s truth: rejoice in what God has done, not your emotions.

God loves you whether you feel it or not!  Cling to that truth.

Footprints in the Sand

I have been a Jesus follower for a long time and I have experienced the ups and downs of life in Christ.  What I have discovered about the ups and downs is that most are the result of my feelings going up and down.   There are times when I FEEL close to God, and times when I FEEL like He is far, far away.   These ups and downs are not exclusive to me but rather are a common Christian experience.  This poem written in 1936 has been overdone but it so vividly portrays the emotional cycles that cause us to misinterpret the presence of God in our life that I’m going to include it in this blog.

Footprints in the Sand

One night I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord. Many scenes from my life flashed across the sky.

In each scene I noticed footprints in the sand. Sometimes there were two sets of footprints, other times there was one only.

This bothered me because I noticed that during the low periods of my life, when I was suffering from anguish, sorrow or defeat, I could see only one set of footprints, so I said to the Lord,

“You promised me Lord, that if I followed you, you would walk with me always. But I have noticed that during the most trying periods of my life there has only been one set of footprints in the sand. Why, when I needed you most, have you not been there for me?”

The Lord replied, “The years when you have seen only one set of footprints, my child, is when I carried you.”

Mary Stevenson, 1936

Our feelings cause us to misinterpret the facts.  But we don’t have to be driven by our feelings.  We can be driven by faith.  We can let the engine pull the caboose.  Even during those times when God seems distant, we can by faith know He is there.

Regardless of how you FEEL I encourage you to cling to God’s presence.

Regardless of how you FEEL I encourage you to rejoice in what God has done.

Regardless of how you FEEL I encourage you to cling to God’s goodness.

David gives us a great example to follow: “But I trust in your unfailing love, My heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing to the Lord, for he has been good to me.”

The life God has designed for us is to live continually in His presence.  And we do regardless of how we feel!

Trust in God’s unfailing love

I am going through one of those times  when God feels far away.  I take solace during times like this that I am in good company: David was the poster child for feeling distant from God.  That is why I go to the Psalms to see what David did during those times himself.  The reality that sustains me whenever I feel deserted by God, a reality that doesn’t change regardless of how I feel, is that God is always with me.  I live in his presence 24 hours a day, seven days week, 52 weeks a year.  God’s presence is not a feeling to be felt  it is a faith to be lived.

This is the reality that sustained King David. He went through times when he didn’t feel God’s presence.  During one such time he wrote a poem that is we know as Psalm 13:

“How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever?  How long will you hide your face from me?  How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and every day have sorrow in my heart?  How long will my enemy triumph over me?

Look on me and answer, O LORD my God.  Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death; my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,” and my foes will rejoice when I fall.  But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation.  I will sing to the LORD, for he has been good to me.”

Have you ever felt like that?  I have and if you haven’t, well, God bless you and hang on to your salad days because you will go through times in your life when God seems to be far away, and His presence seems like nothing more than a fading memory, or a distant dream.


David wrote Psalm 13 when he was going through an emotional valley; yet he continued to find strength and direction in his faith in God.  David is a great example of what to do to overcome our feelings when God seems far away.

When David says in Ps 13:5 “But I trust in your unfailing love” he is saying: “I won’t let despair get the best of me. I will just assume God is with me…watching over me…taking care of me…loving me, regardless of how I feel.”

I have a friend who works for a company that is struggling to stay afloat. There have been some rumors that he might be transferred, or even laid off. This has put him in a state of limbo. He doesn’t know if he is staying or going, or if he’ll have a job next month. When he goes to the office he isn’t sure what he should do from day to day. As a result, he’s been afraid to begin any long-term projects and has found himself floundering — at a time when he can least afford to flounder. He told me, “Since I really didn’t know what was going to happen back when I started this job I’ve decided that the only thing that has changed is that back then I expected the best and now I’m expecting the worst.  So I’m just going to trust God that everything will work out for the best, whether the company succeeds or fails, and keep doing my job the way it’s supposed to be done.”  His situation hasn’t changed but he has because of where he placed his trust in God not his circumstance.

We have a new President.  President O’bama’s election was historic, especially for those my age who lived through the tumultous civil rights movement.  But talk about being elected at a bad time!  The country fragmented over an unpopular war, the greedy side of capitalism rearing its ugly head, banks on the verge of collapse, automakers facing bankruptcy and everyone wanting him to solve all our woes in his first year in office!  It must be a temptation to give in to the feeling of despair and just do nothing.  But instead his attitude is “I’m going to assume that the American people elected me for a reason and I’m going to do the job I have been elected to do.”  Even though he had no way of telling how all of this would pan out, the worst mistake Barack O’bama could make is to do nothing until he felt like it and letting  the financial mess we are in just get worse and worse.

What I’m saying is when God feels distant ignore the feeling and “Trust in God’s unfailing love”.  Assume God’s presence regardless of your feeling and get on with doing what you know you should be doing.  Assume God’s presence.  Assume God’s love.  Assume God’s mercy.  Assume God’s guidance.  Assume God’s protection. Even though you don’t feel His presence, love, mercy, guidance or protection — trust that God is there by faith. “Trust in God’s unfailing love.”

This means continuing to spend time alone with God whether we feel like it or not.  It means loving whether we feel like it or not.  It means serving whether we feel like it or not.  It means including God in our daily routines whether we feel like it or not.  David’s example and what I am trying to do is to choose faith over feeling.  I believe the tyranny of feeling over faith is often at the root of our sense of alienation from God.

If you are feeling distant from God and you don’t feel God’s presence in your life you have the opportunity to choose faith and assume He is there.   Choose faith and assume God’s presence and act the same as if you felt His presence.  This is how we “Trust in God’s unfailing love.” Trust says, “God, regardless of how I feel, I’m going to keep on doing what I know I should be doing, because by faith I trust that You are right here with me.”   This isn’t easy, but it is Biblical and it works!