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."

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?