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."

Thoughts From Philippians 1 - Part 5

  I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, 26 so that through my being with you again your boasting in Christ Jesus will abound on account of me.27 Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in the one Spirit, striving together as one for the faith of the gospel  Phil. 1:25-27

                 Well, it happened again this week. While I'm semiretired working 400 miles from home 9 consecutive nights a month, I've gotten two desperate texts from my wife - one was a picture of a dead mouse caught in a trap that she would now need to dispose of and today the grandkids are visiting and the pool heater isn't working! Last time, she had a flashing engine light which required immediate attention and I had to call a mechanic and rental car company within an hour of closing and arrange that. Fortunately, I was home last month when her battery went dead and a pipe that froze during the winter burst soaking the floor, but the month before when I wasn't there, she got a flat tire. I know - first world problems, right?

            It makes me reassess why at 70 and financially secure I'm still working. When I ponder that, the only good answer is that this is my mission field. God has sent me to show Christ and share the gospel to 35 residents and 10 attendings and rotating medical students and 30 labor and delivery nurses and aides at the University teaching hospital. I've got to be about that mission otherwise the stress my wife endures (believe me, she'd be stressed even if I was home but less) and the disruption of normal life is not worth it.

       Paul, who has had a very difficult life since salvation, knew why he was doing what he was doing. First, it was so that those who were believers would make progress in their faith. I think of two residents who have fallen in love and now one is leading Bible studies at the local Christian Medical Society chapter, and they go to church together whenever they are off. I think of an attending who is taking her family to Indonesia to be a missionary doctor who I will be financially supporting. I think of one resident whose husband is a youth pastor at a local church. I'm seeing them all progressing in their faith and maybe my presence has played a small part. Secondly, like Paul, maybe I'm encouraging them to be joyful in a difficult four years that would want to steal their joy. Thirdly, like Paul, maybe they are being more vocal about their faith because of me. Fourthly, like Paul, maybe their lifestyle is becoming more exemplary of Christ because of my example. And lastly, like Paul, maybe they are bonding as believers together in the program finding strength and encouragement because of my boldness. To take credit for any of this may be reaching, but I can only hope that my presence has been a fan on the flame.

        But this is just the few believers I have found - most are unbelievers. Don't get me wrong, they are awesome people, some of whom I connect with better than believers. I enjoy them all. But my goal isn't to get them to like me and make them better doctors and then 50 years from now enter an eternity separated from God or live the next 50 years in an empty, hopeless, self-centered existence not experiencing the abundant life they can have on Earth found in surrender to Christ. The reason I am here is to introduce them to Christ. This is why I drive 6 hours each way, stay in a motel, am bored to tears some days and subject my wife to taking care of "disasters" on her own. I must say, my first 7 days here this month haven't been too fruitful, but I have 2 days left. I pray that Christ will be glorified in me today and tomorrow!

Thoughts From Philippians 1 - Part 4

  for I know that through your prayers and God’s provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance. 20 I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. 21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. 22 If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! 23 I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; 24 but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. 25 Convinced of this, I know that I will remain ...without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved—and that by God. 29 For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him, 30 since you are going through the same struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I still have. Phil. 1:19-25,28-30

       A lot of people go on Holy Land tours and maybe someday we will, too. To be baptized in the Jordan like Jesus, to boat on the Sea of Galilee like the disciples, to sit where Jesus fed the 5000 and where He preached the sermon on the mount, to view Golgotha or even to venture into Greece and trace Paul's travels are moving experiences, or so they say. I've got an idea that's cheaper and safer, however. I get the opportunity to hold in my hands on a daily basis, the same words that Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Richard Wurmbrand, Corrie ten Boom, John Bunyan, and Martin Luther held in their hands - the Bible.

     What do these names have in common - they were, like Paul writing to Phillippi, in prison for their faith. Like the 23 South Korean missionaries held hostage in 2007 by the Taliban, 2 of which were executed, or Mehran Shamloui sentenced 10 years in 2025 for house churching, Narges Nasri 16 years in 2025 for Christian activities, Abbas Soori 15 years in 2025 for house churching, Zahra Gholami and Hossein Mohammedi 2 years for "Christian activities", and Hakop Gochumyan 10 years in 2024 for deviant proselytizing, I picture them reading the same words I held in my hands today, "For me to live is Christ and to die is gain." Like Paul, they would be praying that they wouldn't be put to shame but would stand strong in the face of torture, death, suffering, starvation, loneliness and not back down. Even John the Baptist had doubts in the face of this so how could "lesser men" hope to stand strong? That's probably what those prisoners are now praying.

        These same words that I hold in my hands would encourage them that this life is a vapor and soon Heaven awaits so even if they die, that's actually better than life on Earth so it is win win for Christians. And this is not to mention the everyday Christians who are undergoing radiation, chemotherapy, colostomies for cancer or fatal diseases. You don't have to be in prison to find comfort from the same words that in our day comforted Nabeel Quershi and Tim Keller as they changed locations due to cancer.

      So maybe I'll walk the same ground that Jesus walked on in Israel, but for now I'm more than content to read the same words that the saints who have gone on before me have read.

Thoughts From Philippians 1 - Part 3

 Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel. 13 As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. 14 And because of my chains, most of the brothers and sisters have become confident in the Lord and dare all the more to proclaim the gospel without fear.15 It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill. 16 The latter do so out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. 17 The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains. 18 But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice. Phil. 1:12-18

         We play a game in the pool called categories. One person is "it" and they are on one side of the pool alone. They say, "The category is favorite ... and they say food, or breakfast cereal, or movie, or cartoon, or restaurant, singer, etc. Because my grandchildren are Generation Alpha, they ask things like favorite YouTuber which I have one answer to and it is Mike Winger. (They never guess it so I usually have to change to Mr. Beast) Mike Winger hosts Thinking Biblically and he does a lot of apologetics and preaches through complete books of the Bible. He also does off the cuff answers to questions about the Bible live on Fridays. Lately he has taken a break from a lot of his teaching and been exposing the cover up culture in the church, specifically in the charismatic churches. There are sexual predators and grooming behaviors, there is greed, there are people researching data on attendees so they can pretend to have supernatural knowledge about that person, there are lies such as, "I've fasted for 40 days" and they haven't, just about anything you can imagine and it's a disgrace to Christianity.

       Paul, too, had teachers in his day that as they say on The Bachelorette (so I don't use the same illustration two days in a row) are in it for the wrong reasons. These teachers were in it for selfish ambition, jealousy or dislike of Paul or a host of other reasons, but Paul was more concerned with what are they teaching? If they were teaching the correct gospel, it's like, "I don't care why you are doing it, I'm just glad the gospel is going out there." Paul figured that God would discipline them for their sin but in the meantime more people need to hear.

       So is Mike Winger wrong in going after fallen teachers rather than false teachers? (I asked him that today on Twitter but don't imagine he will ever even see it) Just to make it clear, he definitely goes after those who are teaching a false gospel, no doubt. But what about fallen teachers who should be disqualified to preach because of their sinful lives but yet are preaching the true gospel? It's hard to say. For one thing times are different. Today, the gospel has gone out to the world but in Paul's day it hadn't and that was of primary importance to him. Secondly, I sometimes boo at baseball games. My wife hits me and says I'm being mean to the players who are trying their hardest (some don't but that's beside the point). My response to her is that I never boo the players, I boo the coach for playing them. Maybe that's what Mike is doing. He is "Booing" the authorities over these fallen teachers for not taking them out of the game.

      A takeaway is if you were saved at a service where Robert Morris, Tony Evans, Carl Lentz, Bill Hybels, Ravi Zacharias, Perry Noble, Johnny Hunt or others - you still are saved. The truth of the gospel went out, and you received it despite the tainted messenger. If you love a worship song written by a fallen Christian artist, I say if it is truthful enjoy it. Of course, every time you stream it the artist gets paid so there's that.

       Let's focus on us. Are our motives pure? Is our lifestyle reflecting Christ? Are we vocalizing the gospel to everyone where God has located us? Then good job! Keep it up!

Thoughts From Philippians 1 - Part 2

  It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart and, whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me. 8 God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.9 And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, 10 so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, 11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God. Phil. 1:7-11

         Yesterday something amazing happened. I came into work at 5:50 PM, I normally start at 6, and the attending was waiting for me near the door and I heard her saying, "Where's my friend Jim?" When she saw me, she rushed me back to the delivery room where a patient had been pushing for a long time and couldn't get the baby out. When I entered the room, everyone looked and cheered because I can do forceps and no one else there was trained in them. I gowned up and picked the right forceps to use in her case, felt the position of the baby's head and was ready to go, when I was asked by the senior resident, "Can I do it?" He was supposed to leave an hour ago but stayed in hopes to have the experience. It's a training hospital so obviously I said yes and with my help and direction, he performed a great delivery. As I left the room the patient's mom and all the nurses thanked me continually and sang my praises for preventing a c-section, even though I didn't even get to do the delivery!

       What does this have to do with Philippians 1 you might ask? Paul is praying that the Philippians love would grow, their knowledge and discernment would grow, that their choices in life would always be the best ones, that their behavior would be blameless, that they would exhibit the fruit of the Spirit - why? - so that God would get the credit not them! You see, this young, phenomenal doctor who delivered this baby yesterday got no credit - I got it all. All he got was to sew up the lacerations, a thankless job. And this is the rub, if we in our Christian life are looking for praise and honor and recognition, as they say on The Bachelor, "You're in it for the wrong reasons."(which on that show means they went on The Bachelor to become famous not to find love) Our goal is to see to it that our "Chief" gets all the glory and we fade into obscurity.

         This whole account doesn't seem fair, does it? (And this is where all analogies to me and God stop and probably should have never started except to make a point) We ideally should love God so much that the fact that He is getting the praise instead of us should thrill us. The opportunity to make crowds cheer for Him, to laud Him, to lift Him up, to honor Him, worship Him, praise Him go along with the Sermon on the Mount where Jesus said, "Let your light so shine among men that they may see your good deeds and" - what? -"glorify your Father who is in Heaven." They see our acts and look right past us to the One that is doing them through us.

       "He must increase and I must decrease." Are you on board with that? Are you in it for the right reasons?

Thoughts From Philippians 1 - Part 1

 Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all God’s holy people in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons,2 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.3 I thank my God every time I remember you. 4 In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Phil. 1:1-6

              Someone once asked me, why do doctors work until they are so old? They have so much money, why don't they retire early and enjoy it? I think it's multifactorial, but I would guess that the major reason is that their identity is wrapped up and found in being a doctor. After all, we get a degree and our name is changed from Mr. or Mrs. to Dr. A lot of people call me "Doc" instead of Jim. It is weird to go somewhere where no one knows me, like a cruise for example, and I don't get treated special. Being a doctor, especially in a small town, gives you clout and respect and that's hard to give up. At least I thought it was.

       I closed my practice in the last 4 years and have been a travelling doctor to Memphis. Back home, without a practice, I really don't feel like a doctor nor get treated like one anymore and I'm surprised to say that I don't mind at all. I'm just content in my identity found in being a saint or "holy people" or a child of God. That's my identity and it's more than enough. God began a good work in me 65 years ago and He is continuing to work on me. I look back on myself half my life ago and I thought I was a refined piece of work by the Maker, and I see what an "ignoble" piece of pottery I was. God has been working on me for 65 years and will continue until the day that I die.

     Isn't that awesome to know that God loves you so much that He doesn't give up on you but wants the best for you and wants you to succeed. We think "succeed" and we think money, prestige, power, honor, or Dr. - God thinks "succeed" and He thinks a shiny pot that He looks at and sees His reflection. That's success! I'm grateful that God has allowed me to find my identity in Him. What is your identity found in?

Thoughts From 2Timothy 4 - Part 3

 Do your best to come to me quickly, 10 for Demas, because he loved this world, has deserted me and has gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, and Titus to Dalmatia. 11 Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is helpful to me in my ministry. 12 I sent Tychicus to Ephesus. 13 When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, and my scrolls, especially the parchments.14 Alexander the metalworker did me a great deal of harm. The Lord will repay him for what he has done. 15 You too should be on your guard against him, because he strongly opposed our message.16 At my first defense, no one came to my support, but everyone deserted me. May it not be held against them. 17 But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed, and all the Gentiles might hear it. And I was delivered from the lion’s mouth. 18 The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.19 Greet Priscilla and Aquila and the household of Onesiphorus. 20 Erastus stayed in Corinth, and I left Trophimus sick in Miletus. 21 Do your best to get here before winter. Eubulus greets you, and so do Pudens, Linus, Claudia and all the brothers and sisters.22 The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you all.  2Tim. 4:9-22

            This is Paul's last recorded writing before he dies. We will all face our mortality at some point so for us to learn to face it like Paul would be a good thing.

       First of all, from the previous passage, he knew that he had a mission on Earth and he was confident that he had fulfilled it tirelessly. Paul says in Ephesians that we are His workmanship created for good works that God has ordained for us. Jesus told his parents when they were looking for Him at the age of twelve, "Didn't you know I would be about my Father's business?" I want to be able to say, at the end, "I've been about my Father's business."

       Part of that is reflecting on all the people that will be in Heaven someday because of your ministry. Paul lists them all and there were so many others - Crescens, Titus, Luke, Mark, Tychius, Carpas, Priscilla, Aquilla, Onesiphorus, Erastus, Trophimus, Eubulus, Pudens, Linus, and Claudia. Not only were they his family but he kept up with them and knew where each of them were. When I leave this planet, will people greet me and say, "I'm here because of you." I know I've prayed with a lot of people to receive Christ, but unlike Paul, I haven't kept up with them to my regret.

      With all the great things that God has done through my life, I remember the failures, hurts, defections even more vividly. I had a drawer full of thank you notes praising me as a doctor, but I can't remember any of them. I do remember the scathing notes written to me, however. I guess that's human nature to remember the one negative and forget the hundred positives. Paul remembers Demas and Andrew the Metal worker but unlike David who tells Solomon to deal with Joab and Shimei after his death, Paul doesn't worry about it and says, "God will take care of them", and as the writer of Hebrews would say, "It's a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." As I reflect on my life, there are people that have done me harm but rather than dwell on it, I just feel bad for them because they messed with God's kid and if you know anything about parents, you don't mess with their kids.

      Will I fear death when the time comes? I hope I can think like Paul who says that God has delivered him from every evil attack that could have killed him and will take him safely home. In other words, God delivered him from death so that he could die. For Paul, death was nothing to be feared but just a chance to receive his crowns and enter into Heaven.

     I witnessed my dad dying of cancer. In a lot of ways, I was proud of the way he wished he could leave this world and head into the presence of his Lord. He had great faith and loved Jesus more than anything and couldn't wait to enter into His kingdom and hear Him say, "Well done.". In some ways, I think he shut down too early though. I wasn't in his shoes so I can't judge but at times I wanted to talk to him about spiritual things, and he just wanted to focus on dying. He did this for at least three months. Paul says, bring my parchments because I have more to write. Paul was wanting to write epistles that would never be written until God took him home. I hope that I will be taken home in the middle of serving him and not "check out" early.

      Maybe this is morbid to think about dying but this passage from Paul confronts us with the reality. The wisest man ever said that it's better to go to a funeral than a party and I think he would agree with Paul that to occasionally think about our mortality is a good and necessary thing.