I'll Make You Famous!

     Have you ever had one of those moments when you realized that you had known someone for a long time and did not know that they went to church and professed to be a Christian?  There were probably a lot of people that had that experience with me in High School and my early college years.  It's always an awkward moment when you try to surmise why you didn't know.  Is it because you weren't concerned enough to find out or they weren't faithful enough for it to show?  Maybe it's a little of both.
     I want to have the kind of faith that people recognize. Christians and non-Christians.  I want people to know beyond the shadow of a doubt where I stand and whom I stand for.  Don't get me wrong, I don't want to be like those misguided folks that picket military funerals in the name of Jesus.  I want to be known for a faith that matches the Bible.  The Faith, to be exact.
     Paul wrote to the church at Colosse that their faith was reaching far beyond their city gates.  They were becoming famous, in a sense, while they were making Jesus famous.  What was becoming well known?  Their faith in Christ and the love they had for all the saints.  Are you known for that kind of faith?  A faith that overflows with love?  Hear me.  I didn't ask if you were known for your knowledge.   Knowledge puffs up.  You can know a lot of scripture but yet not live it or let it change your heart.  They were known for their knowledge of scripture and how they lived it out!  That kind of faith, Paul said, came from the hope of heaven.  A real understanding of heaven changes people. It causes people to bear fruit in their Christian life.  Are you bearing fruit?  Are there new Christians following behind you?  Are there stronger Christians learning from you?  This isn't a call to church leaders only.  This is a letter written to the CHURCH at Colosse.  All are expected to make Jesus famous.
     If you are at a time in your life when people are surprised that you go to church, start loving others.  It will take  a decision on your part to stop loving yourself so much.  It will take a conscious effort to invest time in others.  Don't make people shocked to read in your obituary that you attended church.  Besides, I don't think Jesus reads obituaries.
                Read Colossians 1:1-8

26.2

****A Repost written after my first marathon.  I will be starting a new book of the Bible on Monday. Hope you enjoy*****

     I ran a Marathon! Yes I did it.  It seems like forever ago but it was only a year.  Just to make it clear, it was 26.2 miles.  It was one of the most challenging and fulfilling things I've ever done.  And every step closer to the finish line made me understand why Paul compared the Christian life to a race.

I probably took off too fast and didn't replenish enough early on.  It's easy for us to take off too fast in the Christian life and not replenish early on.  What I mean is, early on we tend to survive on the euphoria of being in the race and don't feed on God's Word.  It's easy to burn out quickly.  

There were times I wanted to quit.  Leading up to my race I ran into all kinds of obstacles (pun intended).  I met people who thought I was stupid for running a marathon.  You'll meet people who think you're stupid for following Jesus.  I met people who doubted I could finish the race. You'll meet people who will question your ability to stay faithful.  And you will meet those special people who are thrilled you are getting in the race.  They drown out the doubters if you listen.

     During my race there were a few times that I wanted to quit!  The course was too tough, they weren't enough encouragers, I thought I wasn't strong enough.  

     Nearly every runner in a marathon hits "the wall".  It's usually around 19 miles and it affects every runner differently. Some runners' bodies give up on them, some just get really tired or discouraged.  I was really focused on not hitting the wall at 19 miles.  When I started to see that wall coming, at just the right time, I made some friends! I caught up to a husband and wife who had tons of experience and a  good attitude.  The husband had run 25 marathons!  His wife had a little more experience with 40!  They encouraged me that it could be done and they took my mind off the struggles.  When you want to give up in your Christian life, if you're patient, God will send help at just the right time.  

     Like I said, I avoided the wall at 19 miles!  It was great, but then like a ninja the wall jumped out of nowhere and roundhouse kicked me in the spleen at 21 miles!  No one was around at the time, no other runners or crowds cheering me on.  It was quiet and I was alone and the only voice there was my doubt.  I came the closest to quitting at that point.  

     I know too many people who have quit the race with Jesus with just a few miles to go.  A few things kept me in the race and I'm confident the same will keep you in the race with Christ.  First, I knew others had gone before me.  I knew that people had completed the race.  I knew people like me had finished.  I knew I had friends and family that were looking for me to finish.  I couldn't let them down.  I made a decision to start the race and I was going to finish. And finally, I remember thinking, that Jesus went through so much physical pain and didn't quit when he had every right to.  

     So remember, there is a great cloud of witnesses that has gone before you that is cheering you on. There are others counting on you to finish. A lot of it boils down to making the commitment and sticking to it.  And most importantly, there's Jesus.  He has won the prize and won the war and gives you and me the privilege to run with him and even receive the winner's crown.  I was nowhere near the front of the pack, yet when I got a quarter of a mile from the finish and heard the people cheering, I began to hold my head up higher and felt my legs grow stronger.  I began to run like the starting gun had just gone off.  And when I crossed that finish line to the cheers of a great cloud of witnesses, I raised my hands in victory.  I finished  and you can too.

It Ain't Over 'Til It's Over

     It was a cool October night in 2004.  The Boston Red Sox of the infamous curse were falling yet again to their hated rivals, the New York Yankees.  It was the ninth inning and they were down one run.  With Mariano Rivera taking the hill that's as good as a Win.  Normally.  The Yankee fans could sense another trip to the World Series. It was the ninth inning of Game 4.  Did I mention that the Yankees were up 3-0 in the series?  Then it began to happen.  Dave Roberts stole second.  Bill Mueller singles to score Roberts.  With the score tied up, the game headed to extra innings.  David Ortiz finally ends it in the 12th Inning with a walk off Home Run.  The Red Sox pushed back elimination by one game, or so the Yankee fans thought.  The Red Sox went on to win game 5 in extra innings.  They won Game 6 with the famous "Bloody Sock" of Curt Schilling.  Finally, making history, they Boston Red Sox closed out the Yankees with a thumping in Game 7.  It was Bean Town's turn to head to the World Series.  They came from 3-0 in the series to win the next 4, count'em 4 games to finally defeat the dreaded Yankees for a chance to end the 86 year "Curse of the Bambino."  Oh yeah, I almost forgot, they won the World Series.
     The world was fixated on the two ballparks during October that year.  People who weren't even fans of either team tuned in to watch History unfold.  It was electric.  For the sports fan, it has to listed among the top come from behind victories of all time.  We like those kind of stories.  We can relate to feeling defeated and counted out.  We all hope for a chance to prove everyone wrong and come out victorious.  Even though that's a great story and a phenomenal comeback, it has nothing on Friday to Sunday turn around that took place about 2,000 years ago.  Jesus looked as if he had been defeated and Satan was sure he had won.  On that Sunday, at the darkest hour, literally and figuratively, just before dawn, victory began to stir in the cold, lonely tomb.  The world as we know it changed...forever.
     The interesting thing is that it didn't end there.  That was the beginning of the end for Death and Satan but just the beginning for God's people.  The messengers of life and light.  Jesus was soon going to give us the task of telling people about His new life and their shot at it too.
     Then, a few years into the work of spreading the Gospel, a man was in prison.  Not some common criminal.  One of the leaders of this movement of Grace.  He was in chains for telling people about the life in Jesus.  To many, especially the enemies of the church, and even some of the followers of the way, it looked like Satan was winning.  Christians were scattered and attacked for their faith.  The leaders, like Paul, were arrested and beaten.  Was all of this for nothing?  Maybe, just maybe, as some were about to give in and walk away from it all, Paul added one little sentence in his letter to some believers.  This is what he said, look closely, or you may miss it.  "All the saints send you greetings, especially those who belong to Caesar's household."  A short, almost uninteresting sentence.  One that is easy to skip over.  Yet it carries some valuable information.  The Gospel had reached even into the house of Caesar!  The very man who was commanding the persecution of Christians.  The one who would not tolerate the praise of anyone above himself.  The Good News had pierced the hearts of people who were right under the nose of the Emperor of Rome.  Paul was saying, "If you think all is lost, just wait."  You can almost see the gleam in his eye as he shared those words.  You ain't seen nothing yet.  Hang in there, the Gospel isn't done.  It's going to go where Jesus has commanded.  Everywhere!
     So, if you feel defeated, just wait.  Victory has been won.  It may be the bottom of the 9th, but there's a comeback waiting.  Jesus is victorious.  So don't give up on your neighbors, your husband, your wife, or your kids.  Jesus Wins! We Win!

Read Philipians 4:21-23

Punching a Grizzly Bear

It was a hot, sticky day in July.  We were winding up a week of Jr. High camp.  There had been some major thunderstorms so the air was thick!  About half way through the week, there began to be a strong smell around the gym.  The smell of a dead animal.  You know it.  It had to be strong since we were at a Jr. High week and we could smell it over the aroma of non-bathing boys.  At first we suspected a rat. Then a possum. Finally, a deer.  It was big.  Well, on the last day of camp when everyone was saying their tear-filled goodbyes, one of the campers came crying from the back of the gym.  She was sobbing hysterically.  We finally got the idea from her sobs that we needed to go behind the gym.  My friend Eric and I went back there and we found a sight that we never expected.  One of the camp dogs had gotten wedged between the wall and some stacked lumber hiding from a storm and probably died of a heart attack.  It was sad, but man he looked alive. He was standing there, eyes wide open.  You would have thought he could play fetch until you smelled him.

     Some of us are like that.  We look alive and ready to play until you smell us.  Often, the only one that can smell us is God.  We can cover our stench to those around us.  But God smells the pungent odor of a greedy, weak Christian.  We all know that a Christian can seem alive but really be dead.  Just read the first three chapters of Revelation.  I submit to you one way that we don't normally consider that reveals our level of health.  Paul told the Philippians  in chapter 4 vs. 18, that their gifts to help the gospel were a "fragrant offering, and acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God."  I understand that if we are giving back out of what God has loaned us, we smell good to God.  If we are not giving, we can infer that we may just stink.  It's a sign of spiritual health.  Why is giving so important to our spiritual well-being?  Does God need our money?  Not truly.  It is one of the most real ways we can relate to the sacrifice of God.  Giving up what we want to help others.  When we give until it challenges us, we can catch a small glimpse into the heart of God.  

     Besides our odor problem or lack thereof, Paul reminds us of some important lessons about giving.  First he ties together their giving with the Philippians concern for him.  If we don't give, we don't care.  We give, we care.  Pretty simple, but we try to make excuses as to why we hold on  to our treasure.  Next, Paul applies learning to do without when you are the recipient of offerings but we can learn a lot as a giver.  Now buckle up, buttercup.  I am about to blow your mind.  Philippians 4:13 does not directly refer to your sports activities, test taking, job interviews, mud wrestling, sudoku puzzles, Angry Birds, or lottery chances.  The main point of this verse is contentment.  The ability to make it on a little because God is with you.  Trusting God through lean times as well as the good times.  Paul had learned this blessing.  I struggle with it.  But we can survive the difficult times in life because Christ gives us strength.  Even when if seems as if we are all alone.  

     Here's the icing on the cake.  MMMMMM, cake.  The church at Philippi had learned to give at the beginning of their Christian walk (vs. 15).  That's when we need to teach others to give. From day one. Not when they get settled, or when they get a high-paying job.  Now.  When you have a little, give.  When you have a lot, give.  When you're dripping from the baptistry, give.  If we can learn the lesson early on that we can survive when there are cobwebs in the piggy bank because Jesus is guiding and providing, we will smell better all the days of our life.  We will learn a valuable lesson.  God will supply all of our needs in Christ Jesus.  Perhaps not the 'wants' that may hurt us but the needs that sustain us.  So, you're welcome. Now you know not to punch a Grizzly Bear in the face while shouting, "Philippians 4:13."

Please read Philippians 4:10-20

Pinterest: Destroying the Saturdays of Men Everywhere

     My wife makes me watch Home Decorating shows.  I've blocked Pinterest on our web browser.  She makes me watch the real estate shows.  She likes them.  She likes to dream and wish about upgrades and changes to our home.  I have to admit, I like the ones where they build and remodel.  We could get into that business because we have a 3 boy wrecking crew that continually hones their demolition skills. We just need a little help on the construction.  Those shows and websites are popular because most people want to improve and upgrade their home.  You spend quite a bit of time there, so why not make it pleasurable.
     Paul challenged the Philippians to change their mental homestead and keep it nice and spiffy.  In chapter 4, verses 8 and 9, Paul charges them to fix their minds on certain things.  In the NIV it reads, "think about such things."  In the NASB it's rendered, "dwell on these things."  Before you fire up the torches and warm the tar in the fondue pot, hear me out.  I know that 'dwell on' means the same thing as 'think about', but it captures the meaning a little more than 'think'.  It takes my mind to another meaning for Dwell.  The idea of living in.  I believe that is a fair way to consider Paul's challenge.  We must try to 'live in' or 'dwell in' a better place if we are going to be victorious and become more like Jesus.
    We need to move to a mindset of truth.  We need to cling to truth in an age when everyone has their own truth which means no absolute truth at all.  The end result of that philosophy is utter despair and depravity!  We must move to a place where we cherish nobility.  My mind goes to the time of knights and maidens.  No matter how mythical that time was and how far they were from what they claimed, the ideal was correct.  We need to treat one another with dignity and respect and serve something, scratch that, someone, greater than ourselves.  We need to fix our minds on things that are right and pure and admirable.  Our world values evil and sin and greed.  We carry the attitude that is warned about in scripture.  We tend to call evil, good and good, evil.  Christians more than ever need to distance themselves from this culture of sin and hate.  Not in a self-righteous way but in a way that portrays the truth.  We are grace covered people who once were wrong, impure and completely unworthy of  admiration.  We still drift back that way even now, but the love of Christ pulls us back and makes us new!  We need to change our mental address and fill our minds with things that will drive us to be better, think better and treat others better.  When we are living in the right place, others will want to be our neighbors and see what makes the difference in our lives.
  Now, can anyone tell me how to get my Parental controls to block HG TV?

Normal is deadly.

     Philippi was a normal church.  They struggled with worldliness.  They wrestled with complaining.  Some of them fought with their past coming back to haunt them.  They had difficulty humbling themselves.  They had a couple of women fighting and bickering which caused a ton of problems for everyone else.  Sound familiar?
     We are people; and with people come problems.  I am reminded every day of two powerful truths.  Hurting people, hurt people.  People with problems cause problems.  When people are experiencing emotional pain in their lives, they can end up sharing that pain with others.  They take out their frustration on others.  Probably more common, is the latter.  When someone is continually a source of contention in the church, school, home, or workplace, they normally are dealing with something big in their lives.  Most often, it's a secret sin.  Healthy Christians just don't go around picking fights and tearing others down.
     In the face of all this fun stuff, Paul tells the church to rejoice!  In case they missed it, he tells them again!  They are to be gentle to everyone.  Stop with the fussing and fighting.  The complaining and arguing.  Why?  The Lord is near!  Jesus could come back at any moment.  If Paul felt that it was momentary then, how much more should we be ready 2,000 years later?
     Have you ever let your worry or anxiousness about something effect how you treat others?  When I am stressed I get angry more quickly at my kids.  I tell myself that they are just being worse at a time when I'm overwhelmed but actually it's me being overly sensitive because of my stress.  Paul tells us, let it go!  Pray!!  That's your first resort, not your last one!  What do we pray about?  Everything!  Isn't it too small?  Pray.  Isn't it selfish? Pray!  Isn't it wrong to pray for?  Pray!  Submit your requests and worries to God.  Give them  away to the one who can handle them all.  When you start to worry again, Pray!  Noticing a theme here?  When you truly give your worries and desires over to God, a peace will finally come over you.  One that is beyond belief.  When you get that peace, your brothers and sisters, spouses, kids and neighbors become a little bit easier to tolerate.  Once that happens, look out!  Something big is about to happen!

Detour!

     Tuesday was tough.  There were good things about the day but overall it was just tough. I know that my life is blessed and that many are far worse off but it was one of those days when you feel defeated.  I was angry.  I got angry at God.  Yes, even preachers do that sometimes.  At least this one does.  But with all trials a lesson is learned if your eyes are open.  It took a while but my eyes were opened.  I never got an opportunity to write the devotion for Tuesday.  I felt bad about that because I committed to doing it.  Even though the day was long and frustrating in many ways, I was able to get a devotion done for Wednesday but I was mentally exhausted.  I tried to do my best but I know that I didn't put the amount of mental effort into it that I normally do.  I felt brain dead.
     That is why I am taking a detour from Philippians for Thursday.  I learned a big lesson (again).  With all my feelings of failure and inadequacy weighing me down, I saw a notification on Facebook and I clicked it.  It was a friend commenting that they really needed the devotion that I had posted early Wednesday morning.  You know the one. The devotion that I barely had the energy to write. The horrible one.  You would think that I would have seen it coming.  I've been preaching for quite a few years and it never fails.  The sermon or lesson that you feel the worst about seems to be the one that most profoundly effects people.  One more reminder that it's not about me.  It's about God and His Word.  God has always been in the business of using unworthy, broken, and useless people and things.  I have preached about that countless times, one way or another.  Yet I still forget when it comes to me.  Paul told the Corinthians in his second letter that he had prayed to God for healing and deliverance from a problem and every time, the answer was the same.  God's grace was sufficient.  God's power is made perfect in weakness.  When all our strength is gone, it becomes clear that we keep on only by the power of God!  Paul wrote earlier in 2 Corinthians chapter 4 that we have the treasure of the Holy Spirit in us to show that the all-surpassing power is from God and not from us!  We are simple, cracked, and broken clay jars but we hold great treasure when we submit to Christ.
     When you feel powerless, you become powerful in the hand of God.  He can use you most when you are used up.  He will bring the victory through you when you are finally surrendered.  Let him use you.  If you feel as if you have nothing left to give, get ready.  God is about to use you like never before.

Read 2 Corinthians 4:7 and 12:7-10

Pick a Side!

     There's no place like home. There's no place like home. There's no place like home.  Just click your heels together and keep saying that.  If you're a dude, take off the ruby slippers.  Do you ever just want to go home?  Don't get me wrong.  I love my family...a lot.  But I am tired of this place more often than not.  I struggle every day with the urge to live like this place is home.  Sometimes I win, sometimes I lose.  It broke Paul's heart to see people living as enemies of the cross.  I bet if you throw a rock you will probably hit an enemy of the cross. Though I don't recommend throwing rocks at your neighbors.  You may hit an enemy of the cross in the mirror.  Paul challenges us to follow his example and the examples of people like him.  If you're not careful, you can be an enemy.
     Most of us struggle living for the here and now.  Our god can easily become our stomach.  We get focused on just meeting our wants and our desires and forget about our need to be with and like Jesus.  More than ever we glory in our shame.  We call sin a lifestyle choice.  Sexual sin is accepted almost as readily in the church as outside.  We often become proud or at least calloused to our sin.  We have to remind ourselves what Paul said just before that description.  Their destiny is destruction.
     We don't want to be destroyed.  I hope we don't want others to be destroyed.  We need to get our minds off earthly things and get our hearts focused on eternal things!  Is that extra hour of television really worth missing time with your kids?  Or reading your Bible?  How about praying for your co-worker who needs Jesus?  We all get focused on the temporary instead of the eternal.  Let's remember that Jesus is coming back.  He will make everything worth it!  Let's live like He's coming tonight!  Whose side are you on?
                           Read Philippians 3:17-21

What Did I Come in Here For?

     In sports, it’s said that the best thing to have besides talent, is a short memory.  Great scorers in basketball have it. Great shortstops have it.  Great quarterbacks too.  The ability to forget the last missed jumper, or error, or interception is a useful skill.  Often it distinguishes the good from the great.  A guy like Mark Sanchez has loads of talent but it seems that he will never be a Joe Montana because all of his very public mistakes are in his head more than on Sportscenter.  And that’s a lot.  

     In your Christian life, a short memory is key as well.  Paul reminds us of that in Philippians 3.  He just spent some time reminding the false teaching troublemakers about all the great reasons he had for deserving God’s love.  He then throws all of those things away, simply because they don’t mean anything.  We can never be good enough, faithful enough to deserve the love of Christ.  He gives it anyway.  Paul then goes on to say that he just wants to be like Jesus.  Not to earn his salvation but to share in what Christ did for him.  

     Here’s where the really important lesson come in.  He hadn’t gotten there yet.  He wasn’t perfect.  Few people have had a turnaround like Paul but he knew he still had his struggles.  The apostle realized the key to getting closer to the goal.  Forgetting your past.  There’s a fine line of the humility that comes from remembering what Christ saved you from and letting the old life drag you back into the pit.  Most of us lean towards the latter.  We get trapped in the lies of Satan that we aren’t good enough. There’s no way that God can forgive you!  You know what you did and God knows too.  Everyone knows what kind of person you ARE.  You haven’t changed.  You are disgusting.  You make God sick!  We believe that junk far too often!  Let me point out one simple truth to you.  God is God and you are not.  Are you more powerful than God?  If God can take away your sin and do away with it, why can’t you let go of it? He removes if from us as far as the East is from the West (Psalm 103:12).  When we hold onto our old sin and punish ourselves for it over and over, we are saying that we are greater than God!  We have to become like Paul. Forget the past and strain, fight, and claw toward what is ahead!    Press on towards the goal of Heaven. Fight for the prize!  

     Do not let Satan hold more sway in your life than the Spirit does.  Listen to the voice of truth in God’s Word not the lies of the deceiver.  You have a Savior who loves you.  He lived and died and lives again so that you could come to Him.  If you have believed in Him, repented of your sin, confessed Jesus as Lord and met Him in baptism to wash your sins away and receive the Holy Spirit, you are His.  His love is greater than your sin and He has set you free.  Keep fighting!

                                                         Read Philippians 3:12-14

What if My Family Tree is Rotten?

     I get asked a lot if I’m a male model.  I have to tell them no.  I’m a preacher.  Why are you laughing?  No really, stop laughing.  Whether you believe me or not, we human beings make many judgments based on outward appearances.  Sometimes that can get us in trouble.  We miss a good movie because of a bad trailer, we skip a great book because of lousy cover.  Sometimes we miss a great friend because of they way they look or act.  

     Paul warned the church at Philippi that they needed to be on the look out for false teachers calling themselves “The Circumcision.”  They were obsessed with family trees, 8 day old *ahem* “procedures,” rule keeping, proper attire and checklists.  They wanted to make sure the new Gentile Christians kept all the old Mosaic laws and looked the part of a good God-Fearer.  Paul saw through their mask of holiness and peered into their hearts.  They weren’t really following Jesus. They were following Jesus +.  Jesus + anything equals nothing.  

     Enough was enough.  Paul was ready to compare the outward stuff.  He reads off the laundry list of areas where he was “more holy” than the Circumcision group.  They were Jews, he was a pharisee.  It was like trying to compare your 8th grade Free Throw contest win with Michael Jordan’s basketball career.  

     He lays out all of his accomplishments and reasons for why God should accept him and then he does the unexpected.  He tosses them in the trash.  More importantly, he throws them away so he can have Christ instead.  He realized that Jesus + anything is nothing.  It’s Jesus or nothing.  You may be thinking, this has nothing to do with me.  I’m not Jewish, or a Pharisee.  I don’t have a tribe or anything like that.  Still, we do get caught up on having the right image.  We get really concened about how we look, what we wear and even how we act.  Don’t get me wrong, those things can be good things.  They become a problem when we focus on them instead of loving Jesus.  When we get more concerned about wearing the right clothes rather than worrying about someone being clothed in Christ; we are wrong.  When we start talking about things we can’t say or do ‘at church,’ but any other time they are fine, we are wrong!  If we ever start thinking or saying, “My family has been at this church for 50 years, who are you?,” we are wrong.  When it comes to our relationship with Jesus, our family tree doesn’t matter, our wardrobe doesn’t matter (except modesty), and our history doesn’t matter.  What matters is, “Am I in Christ?”   

     The only thing that mattered to Paul was knowing the power of Christ’s resurrection and to share in suffering like Jesus had for him.  That’s really all that matters in our lives. At least that’s the way it should be. Instead of bragging about our years of service or how many generations of our family have been in the church, or looking the part, let’s focus on letting Jesus change us.  Let’s let the Holy Spirit have more influence in our lives.  Let’s see what God can do through us, in the lives of others, so that we can be Jesus to them.  Whatever you count as a + in your corner, throw it away and just lean on Jesus.  He will never let you down even when your clothes are out of style, your family tree is rotten and your perfect attendance pins are rusted.  Oh, and stop laughing about me being a model.   
Read Philippians 3:1-11    

Golden Girls

     I’m about to let you in on a secret.  You may want to take my man card.  I used to really like the TV show, “Golden Girls.”  Thank you for being a friend, you traveled down the road and back again. You had to love that theme song.  It was a good one.  I really loved how sarcastic they were. I’m glad that sarcasm didn’t rub off on me.  Whew, dodged that bullet!  

     A show like that resonates with us because we all want friends.  There’s nothing like a good friend.  Paul needed good friends in a difficult time in his life.  Timothy and Epaphroditus were the right guys at the right time.  What made them good friends to Paul?  Timothy genuinely cared about other people.  There is nothing like having a “friend” who only talks about themselves and doesn’t listen to your stories. It’s easy to be that kind of friend.  We all want someone to listen to us and encourage us and be interested in our stuff.  We can easily drift into everything always being about...US.  We don’t want a friend like that and guess what?  Our friends don’t want someone that only cares about themselves.  Timothy cared about others!  I would bet that Timothy was a positive person.  I’m sure he got discouraged.  We know he had an illness.  Paul wrote to encourage him.  There is a lesson to learn here.  People who put others first don’t get as easily discouraged because they don’t focus on themselves and therefore have the time to get down.  Understand this; it has to be a genuine concern for others.  A false sense of humility and service just leads to more frustration because we are not getting the praise and satisfaction we are craving.  

     Epaphroditus, we’ll call him Phro, was another great comrade.  Paul called him a brother, fellow worker and fellow soldier.  Proverbs 17:17 says, “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity.”  There is nothing like a brother, they may argue with you and pick on you but when it comes time to get serious, they have your back.  We all feel complete when we have someone who will work beside us.  Nothing makes a tough job more bearable than having a co-worker.  Lastly, Phro was a fellow soldier.  Lasting bonds are made on the battlefield.  Men who served in wars like WWII still remain friends today even though years and miles separate them.  When you face death together and sacrifice together, whether physically or spiritually, it forms an unbreakable bond.  We need people to fight the good fight along side us. 

     So, what do we do?  Do we go in search of this kind of friend?  I believe if you do, that you will be frustrated.  The better course is to seek to be that kind of friend to others.  Going back to Kindergarten, the best way to have a friend is to be a friend.  We forget that along the way sometimes.  The church needs more friends to stand beside each other.  So go get your Sophia, Blanche, Rose, and Dorothy and live a little life. 

Quit Yer Complainin'!

     I get the feeling that Paul thinks Christians will argue.  What would ever give him that idea?  Christians get a bad rap for arguing.  Don’t get me wrong, we do it.  Sometimes over the silliest things.  I’ve been around long enough to know that people will fight in the Volunteer Fire Department, the Ruritans, at work, and any other place you get a few together.  So why does the world spend so much time talking about when the church fights?  Because even they know that we should know better.  You can question their motives as to why they critique us, but the truth remains that we should know better and we’ve been given a greater responsibility.

     The Philippian church seems to have been a “good” church.  They don’t get the scathing rebukes that the Galatians get.  Paul is hammering in the idea that they must get along.  What is so important about us getting along?  Paul ties it to their salvation!  He previously reminded them of Christ’s attitude and how they were to take on Christ’s attitude.  Then he moves right in and challenges them to work our their salvation!  That’s a heavy task!  God’s grace saves us, but have no doubt, we are players in the game too!  Our faith is required and the Bible is tireless in teaching us that faith is an active faith!  Not merely belief.  The demons acknowledge the truth about God.  Paul says here in chapter 2 that God is working in us to carry out our salvation.  When we choose to do the opposite of the good He is leading us towards, we are fighting GOD!

     What sin does Paul and the Holy Spirit choose to focus on when he teaches us about working on our salvation?  Murder, theft, adultery, or homosexuality?  No. Good old arguing and complaining.  Those two sins are just as deadly as any other when we don’t give Jesus lordship over them.  Complaining and arguing are toxic in the church and sadly, many people don’t even feel a tinge of guilt when they perpetrate them against a brother, sister, preacher, or elder.  

     If I want to be blameless and pure, I must cease complaining and arguing!  That’s a tough pill to swallow.  Some people believe that is their spiritual gift!  There are others that think they are doing a service to the church by keeping a “voice of reason” around.  If there were not some negativity around, imagine what would happen!  But Paul and God teach us that when we complain, fight, and argue, our light for Christ in this world dims.  If the church is going to shine light and save people from Hell, we must live at peace with one another.  Make no mistake, we must follow the Bible in the church.  We can’t remain silent when people are teaching falsehood.  Think about this; are most arguments and complaints in the church about Biblical truth?  Or are they about personalities, opinions, traditions, and preferences?  

     When you feel the urge to complain, nitpick, argue or cause a hubbub (I like that word), stop.  Remember, when we fight unnecessarily we cause Jesus to blend in to the scenery of this world.  With enough complaining He might just disappear in our life.  Think about the people that have influenced you for Jesus.  Do you want them to fear that they labored for nothing?  That all their life sacrificing for you to know Jesus was meaningless?  How about the people that you are influencing?  When your brothers and sisters in Christ, your neighbors, your children, grandchildren, or parents look at you, do you want them to be closer to or farther away from Jesus.  I bet you feel like Paul.  You would be willing to give it all to help someone get to heaven.  So start with your opinion.  If it’s not building someone up and it’s not a matter of spiritual life and death, talk to the Lord about it.  I bet he can do more about it than Bertha at the grocery store.  Shine your light!  

We are Family!

     Have you ever known that guy (or girl) that just says whatever comes to their mind?  The no filter type.  They just let it pour out and there's no holding back.  That sums up the Apostle Paul.  Paul is not one for beating around the bush.  He certainly doesn't here.  Paul is trying to impress a point.  It's one that I try to miss.  It's an uncomfortable one that he pressed yesterday.  He won't let up today.  Again with the unity.  To rub it in, he states, "IF you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, IF any comfort from His love...fellowship with the Spirit...tenderness...compassion, then be united with each other!  Come on!  Make us feel guilty, why don't ya?  It is a valid point isn't it?  He reminds a bunch of blood bought, grace saved sinners that they had a debt they could not pay and yet they were set free.  We need that same reminder.  Of course we have been encouraged by our life in Christ, we definitely have been comforted by His love.  No doubt we've experienced fellowship that can only happen through the Spirit.  So then, do we have a unified mind with other Christians?
     Do we treat our church family like family or are they just casual acquaintances?  Do we tolerate them for a couple of hours a week or do we cherish them, warts and all?  We put up with a lot from our blood family and overlook quite a bit.  But truly our Christian family is blood!  In many ways we can be closer to the church than our natural family!
     How do we become like-minded?  We have to be on the same page!  Actually the same book.  We must be grounded in the Word together.  A church will always be at odds if the standard is not God's Word.  If we all have our own opinions, we'll never agree. If we study the Word together, we'll grow together.
     If we study together, we will begin to love who and how God loves.  Something I pray quite a bit, is for God to help me see people the same way He does.  To love them like He does.  The more we see how lost we are without Jesus, the more it helps us see the great need of others.  Our purpose becomes His.  We begin to be about the most important thing in the world. Introducing people to their Savior.
     Then the toughest part comes.  Putting ourselves last.  Even more difficult is putting others first.  They aren't as good as us.  Do you know their personality?  How about what they used to do?  Or still do?  But God never graded on a curve.  All are unworthy and all are still loved.  Then Paul pours a little salt in the wound.  Act like Jesus.  If you think you don't have to humble yourself, are you better than Jesus?  We wouldn't say that out loud, but we often act that way.  I know I do.  He is God, but he emptied himself of power for a while.  All to be like us; to become one of us, to die for us.
     If Jesus could do that for you, don't you think others deserve to know that good news?  If we can humble ourselves and try to love our brothers and sisters and the lost people we come in contact with everyday, the world would be much better.  Not only would we change eternity, but we would even improve this life!  So, have you gotten anything from being in Jesus' family?  Then start acting like family!  Let's stop going to church and start being the church!  The world is watching, let's show them how family acts!
                                                        Read Philippians 2:1-11

Secret Agent Man...Whose Side Are You On?

     I always like a good spy movie.  The kind where you get so angry over the treachery and deceit that you want to jump through the movie or TV screen.  We love to hate the bad guys.  Oops, we're not supposed to hate. You know what I mean.  The best stories are ones where someone is a double-agent or traitor and they finally get what is coming to them.  I think we like those so much because we can all relate to being betrayed.  Being stabbed in the back.  Tricked.  Played for a fool.  You’ve probably got someone or some time in your life playing in your head right now.  

     The most effective enemies come from within, don’t they?  The saboteurs that inflict the most damage are ones you would never expect.  The kind that build your trust only to turn on you when you least expect it. Is your blood boiling yet?  Has that ever happened to you?  Still even harder to think about; have you ever done that to someone?  Paul challenges the Philippians to conduct themselves in a manner worthy of the Gospel.  The primary characteristic of living worthy of the Gospel seems to be how unified you are with other Christians.  That’s a sobering thought, isn’t it?  

     Unfortunately, the church can be a place where people argue, gossip, and complain more than any other.  The number one reason, I believe, is because it’s made up of people.  We are imperfect and changing our location doesn’t make us perfect.  The person that gossips and complains at work 5 days a week won’t suddenly stop their favorite past time one day a week because they dress up a little.  There has to be a change of heart that takes place. To go a little deeper, I believe we have to acknowledge that their are people among us that aren’t redeemed.  I don’t mean the visitors that just haven’t obeyed the Gospel yet.  I mean the veterans that probably walked the aisle a long time ago but may have never truly surrendered their hearts and minds.  Or quite possibly some time after following Jesus, they turned their back on Him slowly but surely.  Paul said in Acts 20:29, “Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them.”  FROM YOUR OWN NUMBER!  

     Regardless, when we fight or pull in different directions, we do not live worthy of the Gospel.  If we want to be what Christ has called and made us to be, we must learn to live in unity.  If you are a gossip, stop it. Zip your lip. Shut it.  If you are a complainer, close your pie hole.  The great majority of complainers never talk to the one or two people who can actually address and change the issue they are upset about.  You know why?  They are afraid that something might get done and they will be out of a job.  Complainers and gossips would not know what to do if they didn’t use their greatest talent.  So if that is you, repent!  All hope is not lost.  Try praying before you ever say a negative word to someone else.  When you hear that bit of juicy gossip, stop right then and pray for the people mentioned.  See if you still feel like spreading the news then.  If the good news can change a murderer like Paul, he can change a character murderer like you!  

      Know this.  If you continue to keep division alive and well in the church you are hurting it and maybe even killing it.  The greatest sign of the truth of the Gospel is when Christians stand together in unity, fighting FOR the faith of the Gospel.  Paul said it right there in Philippians 1.  Make it your ambition to be the kind of person that people are glad to see coming, not glad to see going.  Don’t make people lie at your funeral.  Live a life of love just as Christ did.  Stand together with your brothers and sisters, not against them. 

                          Read Philippians 1:27-30

Hello, My Name is Mr. Magoo

      Are you a glass half full or glass half empty kind of person?  I’m a, “Who drank half of my Diet Dr. Pepper?” kind of person.  When it comes to my own personal life, I can be a little pessimistic.  It blows my mind to think that Paul had such a positive outlook on life.  I’m a little envious of people who can see the good in bad situations.  

     The man was in jail. Not because he knocked over a liquor store, but because he was preaching the Gospel!  If anyone besides Jesus had a reason to complain because of unfair persecution, it was Paul.  Yet here he is seeing the good that God can bring through his life even in horrible circumstances.  People are causing him trouble and he praises God that no matter their motives, they are preaching Christ.  He knows that he may be facing death for offering people real life and he can’t make up his mind how he wants to be delivered.  Through his 20/20 kingdom-eyed vision, he sees that living is deliverance and dying is deliverance.  He sees everything clearly.  If he lives, he knows there is more work that he can do for Christ.  If he dies, he gets his ultimate grand prize!  I would be choosing life and wanting an all-expenses paid, six week vacation in the Mediterannean.  

     I’ve heard it said that, “We often spend more time praying saints out of Heaven than we do praying sinners out of Hell.”  Ouch!  How can we be so naive to not recognize that we talk about wanting to go to heaven but we just don’t want to go today?  That seems a little hypocritical doesn’t it?  I think in my case and maybe yours, we think that if we go to heaven a little too soon, there won’t be anyone around to tie up our loose ends.  Ummmm, God?  The creator of the universe, sustainer of all life, the author and FINISHER of our faith is still here!  He can handle the situations better than we ever could.  Maybe there is another little lesson in there.  Don’t leave so many loose ends. (Ephesians 5:15 Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.)  We are told to make the most of every chance.  That way when our time is done we don’t have so many loose ends.  Tell who you need to about Jesus.  Love those who need loving.  Forgive those who need forgiveness.  Ask for forgiveness from whom you need it.  

     It all boils down to the jewel in the crown of chapter 1.  “For to me, to live is Christ, to die is gain.”  Make it your life’s ambition to live that kind of life.  That is living on the edge.   Being so sold out to Jesus that if you keep on keeping on, you can make Jesus more famous.  If you die, ‘Winner, Winner, chicken dinner!’  So, what is standing in your way to having that attitude?  Ask God to make it clear to you and then smash that idol.  Live your life on Go!  I get to Go tell others or I get to Go home!  Oh yeah, I almost forgot, who drank my Diet Dr. Pepper?

     Read Philippians 1:12-26

Vampires, Werewolves, and Waterboarding...Oh My!

      Sorry Twilight fans, love isn’t all about ooeey gooey feelings. It isn’t about pasty parasites running through the forest, for that matter.  I don’t know much about Twilight because to me being forced to watch Twilight makes Water Boarding look like a Toddler Swim Class.  But, I digress.  I need to take it easy on Twilight fans because they are not the only ones who have a misunderstanding of love.  Most humans do.  We focus on all the emotion and little of the substance.  Love is a decision, it’s sacrifice.  The ooeey gooeys are a byproduct of love.  That’s why many relationships don’t last.  That girl that you “loved” in 7th grade only to agree to see other people two days later, never got to the point of sacrificial, real, biblical love.  Sadly, many adult relationships never get there either.  

     So when Paul prayed for the Christians at Philippi to grow in love, what did he want for them?  First, he wanted their love to grow deeper in knowledge and depth of insight.  To truly love requires knowledge. Knowledge of God, of yourself and others.  You must know who you are without Christ and then know His great love for you that overwhelms all of that. Then you must know the truth that is God’s Son, Jesus, and all He did for us and all the people in this world.  That knowledge will motivate you to share that love.             

     Paul also prays that their love will grow and overflow in discernment or insight.  Once we begin to grasp the great love and affection Jesus has for us, we must begin to grasp the wisdom and insight to live up to the new identity Christ has given us.  When I was a kid I had school clothes and play clothes.  You better not play in your school clothes. By His grace, God has given us new clothes in Christ.  His desire is that we bring glory to Him by not dirtying them up!  He’s called us to a new name and new standard.  

     Paul’s hope was with this greater love and knowledge, that the Philippians would choose what was best so that they would remain pure until Jesus returned.  When we try to stay pure and keep our new clothes clean, we allow that fruit of righteousness God has given to shine through and give Him glory.  

     So if you want to be able to experience real love and share real love, here’s what you do.  Spend time in the Word of God. I hope that this series of devotions will help you in that. So your knowledge and insight will grow.  You can’t share love you haven’t understood yourself.  The more you uncover about Christ’s great love for you (and even pale vampires), the more intense the need to tell others becomes.  What comes next is an overwhelming desire to be more like Jesus; and when that happens, you “look” more like Him.  When you do, you won’t be able to stop that fruit of righteousness from pouring out into the lives of others.  And that’s a whole lot better than shirtless werewolves frolicking in the forest.  At least I think so. 

     Read Philippians 1:9-11

Don’t be a Fibber    

      Allow me to let you in a little known secret.  Many times when people say, “I’ll pray for you,” they never do.  Earth shaking news, I know.  You probably were aware of that.  You may have been an “empty promise pray-er” before.  When we tell someone that we will pray for them, we usually mean well and have every intention of praying for our friend.  Unfortunately life soon catches up and takes over and we simply forget.  There are some intense prayer warriors out there that don’t relate to this but most of us are Prayer “Weekend Warriors”. 

     I find in Paul’s letter to the Philippian church a good way to help your prayer life and to be included in the lives of others.  In Philippians 1 Paul writes that he thanks God every time he remembers them and prays with joy.  How do we become that kind of person instead of the heart-burn inducing type of person?  Well, I think the text answers our question.  First, Paul writes that they have helped him while he preached the Gospel from the beginning of their relationship with Christ until now.  There was no, “Let me be fed and then I’ll sacrifice later.”  They jumped right in and gave to help others know the Good News.  He goes on in verse 7 to say that the Philippians are in his heart because they are partakers or share with him in the grace of God. Even during his imprisonment and his fearless defense of the Gospel.  The way to endear yourselves to others and be included in their prayers is to stand with them when they go through their darkest times and greatest tests.  

     On the other side of the coin, how do we become a person who prays when we say we will?  Pauls shines some light on that in verse 8.  We will become better at praying for others when we truly get to the place in our lives where we love them more like Christ does.  That’s a tall order.  We begin down the path toward Christ-like loving when we start doing what we spoke about in the previous paragraph.  We will love people more when we suffer along side them.  We’ll love them more when we weep when they weep and laugh when they laugh.  

     So, the key to becoming a Prayer Warrior and Prayer worthy?  Live life with others. Not just your family.  Stand with your brothers and sisters in Christ through the good times and bad. Be there for you neighbor who doesn’t follow Jesus. Have them in your home. Don’t just nod on the lawn mower.  You’ll love them more and they’ll love you more. You will keep your prayer promises because they will be on your heart. Then maybe, just maybe, when your name is mentioned in prayer it will be ‘Thank you, Lord’ and not ‘Help me, Lord.’

                                                            Read Philippians 1:1-8

Well, here we go....again.

I am beginning a new undertaking.  This is more for me and that's good since I am probably the only one who will ever read these words.  In the sense of my blog and it's readers, I AM LEGEND.   I only have myself to blame. I have followed a vicious cycle of posting and not posting due to the fact that I have a fairly busy life with 4 kids and and a wife and now a dog and a cat.  When I didn't feel that my efforts were being read,  I thought that there wasn't sufficient reason to devote the time to write.

Well, enough of that. Here's my attempt at regrouping and launching a counter-assault.  In an effort to spice up my devotional life I am going to attempt to study a passage of scripture and then write my thoughts down every day and post them to my blog. It challenges me to put some real thought into my Bible Study and if someone else stumbles on them...gravy.  So here's to new beginnings that hopefully last more than one day.  I'm hoping putting this on the web will shame me into accountability.  I'm beginning with Philippians. I'll post the first one tomorrow.  Here goes!
Tune in Wednesday, May 8th.