3/15/17

Caleb McCusker

“I want to know Christ- yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,”

Philippians 3:10

More than anything, to really know Christ is my ultimate desire and goal in life. I want to be like Him! I want my heart to break for what His breaks for, love what He loves, hate what He hates, and see like He does. These are the things I desire most of my life, but I know to do so is a struggle and I fight daily within myself, against my flesh that hinders me to become more like Christ. But still, I press on through the fights, through the storms, and the fire that refines me in my walk as long as I look to The Rock for my strength and comfort in times of trial.

3/14/17

Caleb McCusker

“And be found in Him not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ- the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith.”

Philippians 3:9

If it’s one thing I hate in the world it’s anything based on false religion So far from what I’ve read and seen in the world, religion has brought nothing much more than laws, bondage, and death. Yes, death! Religion kills! The Muslim faith is just one of many proofs that religions kills. “Religion of peace” my backside.  God didn’t come to this world to force religion upon people, no, He came to set us free from the bondage of the laws of religion and of sin through His love and what He did for the world on the cross. He came to set the captives FREE! Now, I know for one am naturally a rebel at heart and usually go against anything that has to do with any religion that involves rules, regulations, and acts that don’t match up with the true living Word of God. I don’t believe at all that is what it’s all about. It’s all about a personal relationship with Him. Not religion or what people today have made religion out to be.

I am who I am through my faith in Christ, and when I see or hear about religious acts or the kind of churches that require you to follow weird laws or requirements that don’t match up with scripture, my rebel flag starts to fly and in my heart I rebel against those things which then eventually shows itself physically in my life.

Now, is this right? I don’t know honestly.. Probably not. But, I get that righteous anger because I hate to see people in chains and in bondage not only to their sin, but to religion and what all that brings with it. To be honest, I’m still working this out with the Lord on what is the right way to handle these feelings.

3/12/17

Caleb McCusker

“What is more, I consider everything a loss because  of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ.”

Philippians 3:8

There isn’t much I hold sacred in this life besides my relationship with God, my family, friends, and the few things I am passionate about. I don’t let the things of this world take control of my life, because “what good is it to gain the world but lose my soul?” What gives me the right to hold onto anything that rightfully belongs to the Lord anyways? I’ve had to give up a lot of things over the years for the sake of being on the mission field for so many years serving the Lord. Friends, family, personal desires, comforts, and things other people my age have the opportunity to do that I can’t. All I’ve sacrificed for the sake of what God called my parents into.

Even though I’ve had to give up all these things, I’ve not complained about where God has take us over the years.

Not many people can say they’ve grown up more than half their life in a foreign country, in a culture that is not their own, not many have seen the things I’ve seen, done the things I have done, experienced the things I have, nor walk where I have. I see the world with a much wider perspective now then a lot of people do in today’s culture. Now, by no means am I trying to give myself praise here for all that I’ve done or given up. I am merely sharing the truth of what God has taken and what He has given in my life. If anything, God gets all the praise for taking anything away if it draws me closer to Him.

Over the years I’ve learned to hold all things with an open hand so when God decides to take away, even my own life if He wills it, It’s all His to do what He wills with. It for sure hasn’t been an easy thing to do because I am still a sinner, but if by doing so I gain more of Christ in my life, the Lord, take it all.

3/3/17
Caleb McCusker
Luke 12:37-40
"It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when He comes. Truly I tell you, he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them.
It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready, even if her comes in the middle of the night or towards daybreak. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what
hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.""

The end times are so much closer then some may think, and with that knowledge, we need to keep our eyes to the sky for the Lord to come back. But that doesn't mean all life should stop because of
this. No! Jesus wants us to stay busy and continue to spread His Word to the natons! Theres a whole world out there that still needs the Gospel spread to, but it's not going to happen if we shove
our heads in the sand as we wait for the Lord's return. 'Till the whole world hears' is the motto for PFM (Potter's Field Ministries), and I love it! Though we know the Lord is soon to return, that doesn't
mean we should stop the kingdom's work. Not even. More so we should be hitting the streets even harder with the Gospel, and kicking in the gates of hell. Amen!

3/2/17
Caleb McCusker
John 15:15
"I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I have learned from my Father I have made known to you."

The coolest thing to me is that Jesus calls us friends. Sometimes It's hard to process that the King of the universe wants to be my friend. I mean, who am I that He would want to be such?
Not only does He want to be my friend, but He loved me so much that He came to my level , lived a sinless life, hung on a cross and died, rose to life, and in the process, broke the chains of death!
How amazing is my God!

3/1/17
Caleb McCusker

Matthew 20:26-28
"Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must become be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave- just as the Son of Man did not come to be
served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

Just as Jesus did for me, humbling himself to go from Majesty to lowly carpenter and servant, so should I do for others. As I prepare to head to Uganda, I need to start preparing my heart for the time
I am going to serve the people there in Africa. I know for sure there will be times my flesh will flare up while I'm out on the field, but I can't let the enemy get the best of me if I am to be a servant
and an example of Christ to the people I am going to minister to.

2/27/17
Caleb McCusker

John 12:26
"Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me."
To be honest, the most important words to me are the ones when I go to meet the Lord when He says, "Well done, my good and faithful servant." Nothing is as important to me then getting to hear those words.
I'll go to the ends of the earth to serve the Lord just to hear those words, I'll serve anywhere, and anyone. I know you could be thinking, 'yeah right.' But I'm serious when I say that.
Jesus took on death itself to save me, the least I could do is serve Him with all I have and wherever He wishes to send me.

2/23/17
Caleb McCusker

Ephesians 5:21
"Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ."
Having to submit to someone else is just a part of life. I will have people over me all throughout life so the best thing I should do is humble myself and just submit to those God has put authority over
me. God made us in His image, so I should show respect to others; people that He loves and died for. Showing respect not only for His creations, but to He Himself as well.

2/23/17
Caleb McCusker

Galatians 5:13
"You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love."

In Christ, I am free to do all things, but not all things are beneficial for me. What I am free to do, someone else may have convictions about it and not partake in what I am doing.
And I, instead of causing that person to stumble, I'd much rather use my freedom to NOT do something that could stumble someone. Granted, my flesh doesn't always want to use my freedom that
way. It wants to not care about others convictions and disregard how they feel about it. This is not who I want to be.

2/20/17
Caleb McCusker
1 Corinthians 9:22
"To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible mean I might save some."
Like Paul, I ought to become all things to all people so that I might win save some, even if that means I must humble myself and bring myself to level of whom I am ministering to.
If I am to win some to Christ, I should do whatever it takes to do so.

2/19/17
Caleb McCusker
Romans 15:1
"We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves"
Just like God who bears with my failing, Iought to do the same to those who are weaker then I in certain areas.
Now, I am only human, therefore, my flesh will AND has gotten the best od me in areas I struggle with in my life. A big one for me is anger. I have been dealing with anger that I have been holding
onto for years, but by the grace of God, I am slowly surrendering that anger to Him and allowing and allowing Him to warm my hardened heart.
Since the Lord has done this and so much more for me so many times in my life, the least I can do, not only that, butit's my obligation to help others who struggle with the same issues I have in life
and come alongside them. Not building myself up and giving myself praise for victories in my life nor tearing them down for them failing at an area of their life, but to build them up and walk
alongside them, letting them know that they are not alone in their struggle. God is a god of grace and He is bigger then our failings.