Thoughts From Philippians 3 - Part 2

 But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8 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 9 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. 10 I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.12 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Phil. 3:7-14

          There are a lot of famous people lately professing Christ, whether it's getting baptized or just making a social media post but I've never seen anything like it. Just this week I heard about Ryan Lochte the Olympic gold medalist who even had a reality show celebrating his wild life got baptized. I read Eminem the rapper known for explicit lyrics and debauchery is rapping about Jesus. Sophie Cunningham, the "beauty" of the WNBA got baptized and says she is following Jesus. Ella Langley, the top female country star gave all the glory to Jesus Christ while receiving her award. Russell Brand, English comedian and notorious sinner gave his life to Christ while going through a sexual scandal trial. Perez Hilton, flamboyantly gay gossip columnist with 4.5 million followers went through a near death medical illness and reassessed his life and became a believer and is now posting about reading his Bible. I just read this morning that Hunter Biden may have had a conversion experience although I need more details on that. Donnie Wahlberg, actor and New Kids on the Block member, and his wife Jenny McCarthey known for sex tapes, etc., just added a verse to Forrest Frank's open mic challenge expressing faith in Christ.

         This is amazing and I'm always optimistic and hopeful, but I always have a degree of pessimism. Paul was at the top of his world as we saw in the previous verses and he by faith received Christ and lost all his friends, his popularity, and became hated so much that everyone wanted him dead. He lost home, wealth, influence, power, safety, retirement - everything for the sake of Christ. Paul said it was well worth it because to get to know Christ and to be known by Christ became everything to him. In fact, all those things he thought were important before now seemed like rubbish. I wonder if these celebrity conversions are that or just adding something else to their lives? Time will tell but Perez Hilton says he is still extremely gay, Sophie Cunningham posed topless for a magazine and Ryan Lochte has a live-in girlfriend who they share a child with.

         While it's easy and more fun to look at others than ourselves, we have to ask these questions - am I willing to give up everything in this world to obtain a deeper relationship with God? Am I willing to endure suffering to know Christ better? Are treasures in Heaven more important to me than treasures on this Earth? I just read that Francis Chan's book Crazy Love has sold 2.2 million copies worldwide, yet his net worth is $300k. That's what I'm talking about. Is Jesus that "pearl of great price" that you would sell everything to obtain it? Is He that buried treasure in a plot of land that you would sell everything to buy that plot of land to dig up Jesus? I want to know Jesus more than anything. Do you?

Thoughts From Philippians 3 - Part 1

 Further, my brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord! It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, and it is a safeguard for you. 2 Watch out for those dogs, those evildoers, those mutilators of the flesh. 3 For it is we who are the circumcision, we who serve God by his Spirit, who boast in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh— 4 though I myself have reasons for such confidence. If someone else thinks they have reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5 circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; 6 as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for righteousness based on the law, faultless. Phil. 3:1-6

        My good friend Dennis once gave a devotion on 1Timothy 1:16,17. In those verses Paul describes himself as the chief of sinners and when you look at what he did to the church of Jesus Christ when he was Saul, he has to be high on the list. Dennis gave the example of, if you find yourself in prison and you want to be considered tough so you'll be left alone or maybe run the prison, you find the toughest guy and take him out. He said in his devotion that removes the excuse, "I'm too bad, God can't save me" because God already "took out" the toughest guy.

       Here in Philippians, Paul takes a different strategy, he says he was the best guy and God took him out. Was he contradicting himself? No, he was just evaluating his life through two grids - works and grace. As far as works go, he was the best. As far as by faith receiving the grace Jesus offered, he was the worst and this illustrates the two things we need to get saved from - our goodness and our badness.

      A "good" person is probably more resistant to the gospel than a "bad" person because when they compare themselves to everyone around them, they seem pretty righteous. They might say as I've heard before, "If I'm going to hell then it's going to be pretty crowded." Paul was that guy and it made him hate the teachings of Jesus that good deeds don't count for anything. Of course, there was a guy named Cornelius whose deeds did count for something - they counted for a visit from Peter who told him his good deeds don't count for anything and being humbler than Paul accepted the gospel with gratitude and didn't need blinding and a rebuke from Jesus to accept. All our good deeds are like filthy rags, the Bible says. It's like stepping on the gas to get there quicker when you are headed in the wrong direction.

    A "bad" person realizes they are a sinner and is more open to the gospel. That's why prison ministries are so successful. That's why AA introduces people to a higher power with success. That's why people at their lowest points in life, like the Philippian jailor about to kill himself says, "What must I do to be saved?" When Paul realized all his "goodness" was driving him away from God at 100MPH, he sat alone in the dark for several days lamenting and rethinking his whole world view. The conclusion was our deeds can't save us; we are all sinners separated from God. His deeds save us. Receive in humility by faith His free gift of salvation and let His Holy Spirit in you produce the works that God desires for His glory.

Thoughts From Philippians 2 - Part 5

  But I think it is necessary to send back to you Epaphroditus, my brother, co-worker and fellow soldier, who is also your messenger, whom you sent to take care of my needs. 26 For he longs for all of you and is distressed because you heard he was ill. 27 Indeed he was ill, and almost died. But God had mercy on him, and not on him only but also on me, to spare me sorrow upon sorrow. 28 Therefore I am all the more eager to send him, so that when you see him again you may be glad and I may have less anxiety. 29 So then, welcome him in the Lord with great joy, and honor people like him, 30 because he almost died for the work of Christ. He risked his life to make up for the help you yourselves could not give me. Phil. 2:25-30

       I was in Honduras, doing OB/GYN stuff with World Medical Mission, and I met a guy who was a handyman who was sent from and supported by a church back in the states. He and his wife, in their 50's, felt a calling from the Lord to go help this Hospital/medical compound in Honduras. She was good at computers and office work so helped with the charting and business end of a mission hospital. They weren't involved in the evangelism and were very weak in Spanish - they just helped make it possible for those called and gifted in those fields to function.

     This is like Epaphroditus who was sent from the church in Philippi to assist Paul. Paul refers to him as brother, fellow soldier, co-worker, messenger who met Paul's needs in a way that the church couldn't. We know Paul had problems with an eye disease so maybe he had some medical skills. We know that Paul, maybe because of his vision, wrote very large so maybe Epaphroditus did some writing for Paul who wrote three epistles while in this prison. The fact is, he assisted Paul in ways not everyone could and probably delivered this epistle back to the church as he convalesced back home. He was a vital part of the mission effort of Paul yet probably never led anyone to the Lord and I doubt my handyman friend in Honduras never did either.

     What does Paul think of non-evangelistic helpers on mission trips? Worthy of honor for one. Even in our churches, I'm pretty sure the deacons and elders and pastors get more honor than the secretaries, accountants, nursery staff, and information technicians. Paul actually goes on to say that if he died because of his illness - not from stoning, shipwrecks, starvation, beating, flogging, crucifixion, beheading but illness - that he would have died for the sake of the gospel even though he probably never even spoke publicly.

     So, what does this tell us? First that spreading the gospel is imperative and we should be using our abilities and gifts to make that happen both in our locale and also around the world. Second, if you are feeling a call to go outside your locale, chances are your abilities can be used, and they don't have to be speaking gifts. Third, if you don't go, we need to be praying for and supporting missionaries giving help in ways that we can. Lastly, and this is kind of heavy, we tend to divide life into two categories - sacred and secular. If we are all in for Christ, we are in "full time Christian service" whether we work for a church or at Wal-Mart. We are doing the work of an evangelist or missionary everywhere we go. Therefore, if someone works in construction building a new hotel in Pigeon Forge, TN, and they are being Christ to that team, witnessing, loving, serving, sharing - and they died in a crane accident, I'd say they died for the sake of the gospel.

     Epaphroditus and hopefully me are in "fulltime Christian service". Are you?

Thoughts From Philippians 2 - Part 4

  I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, that I also may be cheered when I receive news about you. 20 I have no one else like him, who will show genuine concern for your welfare. 21 For everyone looks out for their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. 22 But you know that Timothy has proved himself, because as a son with his father he has served with me in the work of the gospel. 23 I hope, therefore, to send him as soon as I see how things go with me. 24 And I am confident in the Lord that I myself will come soon. Phil. 2:19-24

          Paul met Timothy at the beginning of his second mission trip prior to the famous Paul and Silas imprisonment and earthquake in Phillipi, the church that he is several years later writing to while being imprisoned again. Paul saw in Timothy a worthy apprentice who was like a son to him, that he trusted to lead churches and be his voice for the gospel to encourage and teach the believers in cities he had passed through. When the great commission commanded going into all the world and make disciples, not just believers, Timothy was the "discpler". Sure, when Paul was able, he spent a good deal of time in cities discipling. I think it was Ephesus where he even set up a school and stayed several years. But quite often, like in Phillipi, he left fairly soon and was unable to teach. Remember, he couldn't just leave them with a Bible, they didn't have those yet.

        What made Timothy so special? First of all, he served. He didn't desire the spotlight but let Paul do the preaching. Just the fact that Paul and Silas were arrested and not him in Phillipi in Acts 16 implies that he was in the background serving and even in Paul's letters to him, Paul encourages Timothy to not be timid. Beware of teenage preachers. I've never seen any "pan out". They can't handle the spotlight and kudos to Timothy for not wanting it.

       Second, he had Godly upbringing. He was steeped in the Word from childhood and well grounded. I'm worn out watching 11 grandchildren. Everyone always says, "Grandchildren are great. You play with them, spoil them, then send them home." My wife didn't get that memo - she wants to keep them! The good thing about that is that we get to Biblically disciple them. Just this week my second son was named campus pastor and baptized Yul's two kids. (Yul won Survivor- Cook Islands) My third son led devotions at his kids' Christian school playing guitar and sharing a message that when he recounted it with me, incorporated passages from throughout the Bible and was great! What a blessing! I give my wife 70% of the credit, maybe 65%. haha

       Lastly, an overlooked passage in scripture that we should all memorize, " For everyone looks out for their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ." Phil. 2:21 What a telling verse! Paul doesn't qualify it and say, "I'm just talking about unbelievers here." No, he has seen enough believers by now and says, unlike Timothy, everyone still puts themselves as number one priority, it's our default mode. We have to work on that! This is what set Timothy apart - somehow he had managed to succeed in the area that Paul mentioned earlier in the chapter, "Consider others as more important than yourselves." I haven't succeeded at that, have you?

        Let's be Timothys. Let's raise Timothys.

Thoughts From Philippians 2 - Part 3

 Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.14 Do everything without grumbling or arguing, 15 so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky 16 as you hold firmly to the word of life. And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain. 17 But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you. 18 So you too should be glad and rejoice with me. Phil. 2:12-18

         I remember when John Piper ruffled some feathers when he criticized the popular worship song "What a Beautiful Name" because of the line, "You didn't want Heaven without us". He said that it was man centered theology suggesting that God was incomplete or needed humanity. Personally, I love that song and don't think it implies that at all, but I do agree with him that we do misunderstand the grand scope of things in modern day Christianity and specifically in evangelism and sharing the gospel. When we share the gospel, the emphasis is on reconciling a broken relationship with God caused by sin and remedied by the cross of Jesus appropriated to us by faith. I usually end with we get to go to Heaven, but I miss the whole plan for us on Earth. Why doesn't God whisk us away right after salvation? This passage focuses on our brief time here and what we are to do once we are saved.

       Before we even get to that, we have to examine our motivation and attitudes. Are we complaining and arguing? "Do I have to go to that?" "Why can't we just stay home and relax?" "They have enough helpers, they don't need me." Or we go, and so and so isn't there and we are disgusted with them. Paul says that it is God who works in you to will to act and enable action. If you are grumbling and complaining, you have to check your love for God and your yielding to the Spirit inside you.

       So what is His good purpose for us? That we might become blameless and pure Children of His that shine in a dark world. Do you stick out? When you enter a room of non-believers, do you bring Christ into it or leave Him outside. Occasionally I run into people, and I can see in their eyes or countenance that they are Children of God. There is a resident in Memphis I knew immediately when I met her that she is a Christian. There is a new graduate student that I met that I will ask next time. Don't be afraid to ask people. If you're wrong, at least you have started a faith conversation. And don't get discouraged that the world is getting so evil. It will only magnify your brightness!

      I want to glow, don't you? Moses glowed from spending time in God's presence so much so that he had to wear a veil around people. May that be us!

Thoughts From Philippians 2 - Part 2

 Christ Jesus:

6 Who, being in very nature God,
    did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
7 rather, he made himself nothing
    by taking the very nature of a servant,
    being made in human likeness.
8 And being found in appearance as a man,
    he humbled himself
    by becoming obedient to death—
        even death on a cross!

9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
    and gave him the name that is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
    in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
    to the glory of God the Father  Phil. 2:6-11

          I've been visited by Jehovah Witnesses before, There were 3 of them the last time, two younger apprentices and one older who was there for support and to defend for the faith. She was obviously more trained. On a side note, just saw Michael and at one point his mom encourages him with a line about Jehovah. Anyway, their argument is that Jesus isn't God and to treat him as such, i.e. worship, pray to, etc. is offensive to Jehovah who is the one true God. In other words to pray in the name of Jesus. They also don't believe in hell, so it eventually ended with, "If I'm wrong, I will cease to exist. If you are wrong, you will spend eternity in hell. You better be sure you're right." They never came back.

           Paul says in these verses, and it's probably a creed that the early church quoted because of the way it's written, the following about Jesus;

   1. "Christ" isn't Jesus first name. He's called "Christ" because He was the Messiah

   2. His very nature was God and by right had equality that He chose not to grasp

   3. God exalted Him above all others

   4. Every knee in Heaven and Earth shall bow to Him (so much for not worshipping Him)

   5. This worship doesn't bother Jehovah but pleases Him and gives Him glory

           Every cult and false religion has a wrong view of Jesus often because they refuse to acknowledge the trinity because it doesn't make sense. It doesn't make sense to me either because my mind is limited. I'm glad that the God I worship is bigger than my comprehension. The Bible teaches it, so either I can choose to reinterpret the Bible to say what it doesn't to satisfy my understanding, or I can choose to submit to its authority and say someday I will understand it when God expands my brain.

       Jesus is God! I worship Him because He saved me. What about you?

Thoughts From Philippians 2 - Part 1

Therefore, if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of others.5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus Phil.2:1-5

        I've visited a few churches lately that aren't my home church while visiting grandchildren and working out of town. My conclusion - I wouldn't attend any of them, well, maybe one. But they all come highly recommended by my kids and residents. What do they see in them that I don't? The preaching was mediocre, the worship was unspectacular, and you know what, when they visit my church, they probably think the same thing. What is it about our churches that cause us to defend them as vigorously as our favorite singer or pizza? I'm convinced it is the body or the real meaning of "church". I love meeting with my small group who has borne my burdens and vice-versa. I root for my pastor who is a dear friend and I know would do anything for me and works like a dog for our body despite detractors. I worship along with my worship leader who I've known since high school and seen the transformative power of the Holy Spirit in his life. When I visit churches, I don't get any of that.

          Paul is telling us this same thing in Chapter 2 that the Christian life wasn't meant to be lived as a visitor to a church. It's meant to be lived like a person with a new family. Paul says that being united with fellow believers causes encouragement to happen. Who doesn't need to be encouraged? In context, in the previous chapter, not only does Paul mention his imprisonment, but he talks about the church being persecuted. Are you depressed or discouraged? The best thing you can do is find a small group or Bible study meeting, even today, and go. There, he says you will find comfort, compassion, sharing of your burdens, joy, tenderness and love because ideally Christians are treating one another as more important than themselves following the humble example of Christ through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit.

        Are you just attending a church, or do you belong to a church? This is why churches stress becoming members even though membership is not mentioned in the Bible. Membership stresses belonging, which is what it means to be "the church". If you are just attending, chances are you will be disappointed and keep church (s)hopping. If you are jumping in with both feet, you will be wearing a shirt that says, "I Love My Church."