In humility consider others better than yourselves

Philippians 2:3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.

Have you ever noticed how people elevate themselves by trying to lower others. Given we are in the run up to the political primary season we can, regrettably, expect to see more of this.

There is a tendency, human nature if you will, to have a sense of self-importance. It is tied to that sinful human nature we have. It can be manifested in a number of very subtle ways. Even Christians can be caught up in it if they are not watchful. It starts with the thought of us doing more in ministry than others. And then criticizing the efforts or results of others. Gossiping is another pitfall to be avoided. The downward spiral can continue until we are lost or the focus of what we about becomes lost.

When we look at the life of Christ, two examples stands out to exemplify what humility is all about. The first is washing the feet of the disciples. A task normally left to servants, yet there is Jesus washing their feet. He tried to model the behavior the Disciples would need to emulate in all they did. He had observed how their behavior and decided that this one lesson was important to provide.  The second example is how the Son of God died on the cross. He died for the forgiveness of sins for all mankind. All can embrace that forgiveness. And He did all this for a bunch of sinners. He suffered the humiliation of the cross for you and I. That is humility. We can honor his sacrifice by also serving in humility. We do not serve to elevate ourselves. Rather, we serve to elevate others. That is the lesson Jesus wants us to take to heart. That is how Paul served in his ministry. We too can serve in humility, we just need to remember who we are serving.

PRAYER: Father, we struggle at times remembering who we are serving. We forget that we are not in ministry to raise up ourselves. We must remember that we serve others, and not ourselves. We must remember that Your Son served us and not himself. Strengthen our faith, develop our knowledge that we may have a better ability to serve in a manner that is pleasing to You. We serve out of love, and are saved by Your grace and not our deeds. Help us to share the love You have for all mankind. We ask this in the name of Your Son, who lives and reigns with the Father, and the Holy Spirit. One God, now and forever. Amen

Some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry

Philippians 1:15 It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill.

Serving the Lord is full of adventures. You never know where you will be led. Because He is giving the directions if He is in charge of the ministry you are involved in. And His being in charge makes all the difference.

There are a multitude of reasons for preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ. As we see in Philippians 1:15 there are some who do so out of envy, some our of rivalry. And others who do so out of goodwill. I looking at moving forward with this blog I had to look into my heart to discover why I was motivated to do so.  Was it envy?  There are a lot of very, very good devotional writers out there who are much better than I at this craft. I suppose each started out from humble beginnings. And so after prayer I was able to determine that I was not doing this out of envy.  So what about rivalry? That implies you have some reason to brag or a desire to be better than someone else.  Again, that is not the case. So I am able, with confidence to say it is out of goodwill that I am doing this. It is a labor of love. It is an act of service that I am able to do freely and without expectation of reward. That is the most wonderful thing about grace. There is no pressure. I do not have a gun to my head in this act of serving the Lord. I am already saved through grace. I could write 10 devotionals a day and not be more saved than if I did 5 a week. The act of service comes from the heart, not from coercion. Faith without deeds is dead. But then grace saves is the premiere concept to remember. Why serve then if we do not have to? Because we are spreading the love of Christ out of love and not obligation. That impresses those being served much more than someone who is doing service as an obligation to earn their salvation. It is sad, but there are people out there who do not know they are already saved. There are people out there who have become convinced that they must serve to earn that which was already won for them when Christ died on the cross. That misconception exists in the world is my motivation to write. The lost need to be found. Those who have strayed need to be returned to the Shepherd. May all our efforts in ministry be blessed by Him who is our leader.

PRAYER: Lord God, Heavenly Father, You are the one we serve. Your Son saved us so that we could serve others with love, and in freedom. Help us, guide us, strengthen us in our efforts to share the Gospel. For if You are with us, who can stand against us. This we ask in the strong name of Jesus. Amen

Filled with the fruit of righteousness...

Philippians 1:11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.

Motivation to do something can be fleeting thing. In my case it is difficult to find motivation on Monday. I enjoy the weekends and do not want to be back at work. But then again I like to eat and play so off to work I go. How about you?  What motivates you?

I find comfort in this passage of scripture. My comfort comes from two statements. 1.) righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, and 2.) to the glory and praise of God. This comfort I find here is best explained in how something I could not earn on my own has been bought and paid for.  And the reason that I am doing what I am doing is to glorify and praise God. It is reassuring to have a purpose and motivation. We need that in our lives. We need to be doing something. Our efforts in life need a focus or we can go astray. A boat needs to be at anchor, or under power. Otherwise the boat will wander off or run aground. We can encounter people like that in our daily walk. They can be seen just drifting along without a purpose. Going from crisis to crisis with no direction in what they do. Or we can see people who have run aground and they are being thrashed on the rocks of life through addiction, hate, abuse, etc. But the righteousness that comes from Jesus Christ gives me hope that this life in not all that there is. Beyond this life there is an eternity of life that is only possible because God loves each and every one of us and wants us to be with him in heaven. That is why Jesus suffered the humiliation of the cross. It was to reconcile sinful man with the Father. The love of God brought us back together. We who were lost in sin could not make that leap. But God, who is faithful and just, built a bridge for us to cross. And it came in the form of a cross. We can praise and glorify God in all that we do by accepting his love and sharing that love with those who need to hear the Good News of the Gospel. We can help those who are lost to be found. We can also help fellow believers by staying in fellowship. That is how Christians stay on course. We share the love with believers, and non-believers. And for all this, may God receive all the glory!

PRAYER: Father, we take time today to thank You for giving us Your love. We sinners who were undeserving of that love were saved by the sacrifice of You Son Jesus Christ. The faith You give us through the Holy Spirit keeps us grounded and able to share that love with others. Guide us O God on our journey. Help us to shine the light of Jesus as a lighthouse pierces the darkness of the night. We ask this in the strong name of Jesus. Amen

And this is my prayer: Part 3 of 3

Phil 1:9 And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight.

Discerning right from wrong is, at times, difficult. We develop instincts that can help us to make the right choices. These instincts are developed through study, experience we, or others have that they share with us. At times, making the right choice is often not a popular choice.

 Life is a series of choices. The may be like turn right or left, go ahead or back up. It may be a yes or no, or an extra shot of espresso or not. We make choices every day. And we have no one to blame, or credit, but ourselves because these choices we make are our choices. They belong to us. It is not a matter of God made me do it. Or the flip side made popular by the comedian Flip Wilson's character Geraldine who said "The devil made me do it." We own them. And some decisions will follow us from the day we make them for the rest of our lives.

How then are we to make good decisions? That is the crux of the matter. Knowledge and depth of insight are attributes we need. If we try to live by making decisions by the seat of our pants sooner or later, probably sooner than later, will make bad decisions. When we involve the Lord in our decision making process we stand a much better chance of doing the right thing. Granted, when we pray we do not always receive the immediately. The answer comes in the Lord's time. We can improve our odds by maintaining a daily scripture reading program. Keeping in the Word helps us to hear what the Lord has to say in what He has given us in His Word. Seeking advice from fellow believers is another way we can make sound decisions. When we are part of the great cloud of believers we have peers to share their experiences, insight, and love of Christ. We are surrounded by people who love one another as we love ourselves. We all want to help others to not make the same mistakes that we or those we know have made. We have each others back. So we can, as a body of believers share our knowledge and depth of insight. Two minds are better than one, four better than two, and so forth. We share our knowledge, and experience so that our love may abound more and more.  Just as Christ shared his love with us, and his knowledge and depth of insight with us, so to do we with others. We pay it forward.

PRAYER: Father, we are like little children. We seek to learn. We yearn to walk on our own. Pride drives us to foolishness. Help us, O God to remember to involve You in our lives. Strengthen our faith so that we may overcome our sinful and prideful nature. Let the love Your Son shared with all flow into and our of us to others. We ask this in the name of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

And this is my prayer: Part 2 of 3

Phil 1:9 And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight

The endless thirst for knowledge has led many in this world to interesting and diverse lives. In some cases it has led to discoveries that change how we live our lives. It has changed the face of medicine, science, and life. In some cases this thirst for knowledge has replaced worshiping the Lord.

Finding time to read the Word of God can be difficult at times in our lives. I once heard that if you can keep at something for one month it can become a habit and that makes it difficult to break the pattern of behavior. Interesting concept to consider. There is an important factor in establishing a habit of reading the Bible. There is someone out there who wants to distract you from doing just that. There is a party that has a dog in the fight to keep you out of the Word. He has many names. Satan, the devil, the prince of darkness, the evil one to list just a few. And he has one focus and that is to help you lose your focus on God. He has many methods to carry this mission of distraction out. Each more clever than the last one. It is a battle that you and I will wage until we pass on from this life. And why do you suppose he does not want you in the Word? He wants us to become lost. A sailor constantly refers to his navigation charts, GPS, and depth sounder to keep on course and off the rocks. We need to read the Bible daily because it gives us the information we need to stay on course and off the rocks of life.

When we are in the Word, we are in a conversation with the Lord. We are hearing what He has to say to you and I. We have the opportunity to ready, study pray over what we have learned, and look for opportunities to apply those principles imparted to us in our lives. If we are distracted we lose this conversation and all the benefits that follow. We may miss an opportunity to reach out in love to one who is lost or struggling because they have become distracted. That is why it is important to stay in the Word. It saves lives. Our life here and the lives of others we may encounter. The Word of God is a gift waiting for us to open it each and every day of our lives. Let us resolve to not miss that opportunity to gain the knowledge and depth of insight that awaits us in each verse.

PRAYER: Blessed Lord, Your Word feeds us and sustains us each and every day. Help us as we move through the many verses of wisdom we call the Bible to gain the insight You have set forth in the words captured through the centuries. Reveal to us how You would have us share those words with others. Guide us and keep us strong in our faith to maintain a daily reading program. Let the words of Your Son ring true in our hearts. We ask this in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen

And this is my prayer: Part 1 of 3

Phil 1:9 And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight,

Have you ever been accused of being shallow-minded? It is usually a term we associate with someone who has a one track mind. Their focus is on superficial things. Looks, possessions, and the like. They focus on one activity and it is almost like an obsession.

We are reminded of loving our neighbor in the words of Jesus in Matthew 22 in his discussion with the Pharisees. Beginning in  Mt 22:37 and going to 40.  Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

We are reminded of the commandment to love our neighbor as we love our selves. That can be a lot sometimes. And some may say that we do this not out of love, but because if we are to earn our salvation, we must do so. It is a works approach to salvation. But if we say we are saved by works, then we are telling God that his Son died in vain for us. We are saying we can save ourselves and we do not need the sacrifice of Christ. All I can say is good luck with that approach. We gain knowledge and wisdom and depth of insight in our study of the Word. And through our study we reach the conclusion that it is by grace we have been saved (Romans 11:6 and Ephesians 2:5&8). Love given under duress is insincere at best. Love given freely without obligation or expectation is true and pure. As we grow in our understanding of the Word of God we come to know this truth more fully. Christ died on the cross for you and I and all who believe. We know that, many others do not. They labor under the false teaching that they have to earn their salvation. As you continue in your Christian walk, remember that there are many who do not grasp the fundamentals of the grace of God. We who have gained knowledge and depth of insight need to reach out in love to those who have gone astray. We do this not out of obligation, rather out of love for our neighbor.

PRAYER: Most Merciful God. Your love for us is boundless. It can be a difficult concept of us, who live in a world of 'conditional love', to grasp. You gave Your Son to die for us so that we would be saved. His unconditional love is what we must emulate in our lives. Help us to have the strength, wisdom, and faith to carry that kind of love in our hearts all of our days. Help us to find those who do not grab onto salvation by grace. Equip us, and lead us in all of our efforts to share the Gospel in our world today and everyday. We ask this in the name of Jesus who lives and reigns with the Father and the Holy Spirit. One God, now and forever. Amen

All of you share in God’s grace

Philippians 1:7 It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart; for whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me.

I was blessed with a wonderful discussion last night about grace. It was broad in the scope, passionate in delivery, and insightful. This blessing came from a small group bible study Pam and I attend. Thank you my brothers and sisters in Christ. Are blessed in a similar manner?

Grace is an interesting topic. It can be foreign to some, and difficult to grasp. While the grace of God is always there for us, we tend to forget how to show that grace to others. How we act, what we talk about, with whom we speak, how we share or not share, and even our body language can send a BIG message about how grace resides in our own lives. It can either be flashing like one of the LED billboards we see on the roadsides. Or it can be hidden from view, and reserved for those we think are worthy of our grace. The Apostle Paul makes a comment for us to take to heart. He states "whether I am in chains or defending or confirming the gospel, all of you share in the God's grace with me." The message I see there is two fold. First we always have that grace regardless of where we are or what we are doing. And secondly we share in God's grace always. Not just on Sundays during worship services or during a bible study. It is always there for us, and we must share that same grace with others. We do so at all times, in all places, with all peoples. This can be difficult, I know. We can encounter people in our lives where "extra grace is required'. For whatever reason, they are difficult. It is up to us to reach out to them and share that same grace given freely to us. Ephesians 2:8 reminds us "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—". If we are to honor that gift sharing grace is an imperative. Let us resolve to keep that thought today, tomorrow, and every day.

PRAYER: Father, ABBA, Your grace is sufficient for all. Your Son suffered the humiliation of the cross for us poor sinners. His blood saves us and it was offered freely, by grace. Help us O God to share that same grace in our own lives with others. Guide us in our ministry efforts. Show us those who are struggling and let our words, by your words of grace. Let each of us be a testament to how Your grace saves all. We ask this in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who lives and reigns with the Father, and the Spirit. One God, now and forever. Amen

I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the Gospel

Philippians 1:4-5 In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now,

Who is your "go-to-person" for help with spiritual matters? Do you have one? Do you want one? Are you that person for someone else? Have you given it any thought? Good questions to ask yourself.

Individually, we as believers are blessed with being part of a larger body of believers (a cloud of witnesses as we read in Hebrews 12:1). We are not alone. We can draw comfort from that fact. There are many to reach out to for help when we need it. And we can also be there for others to reach out to. There is that reassuring feeling of not being alone for us believers.

And what about when we step out in faith with a ministry. We still are not alone.  We are part of a larger group who are right there with us each and every step of the way. We take that first important step of beginning with prayer. We seek guidance in what to do. We seek guidance in discerning the will of God in what we do. And we do this first instead of after we are well into the ministry and find ourselves struggling. We ask first, then step out. And that makes our joy in ministry a shared joy. For right there, step by step are our brothers and sisters in Christ. And, more importantly we have God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit along with us. Our partnership is reinforced by the fellow believers and by the Trinity. Our efforts are blessed when we set out to share the Gospel in a God-pleasing manner. There is hope, where we would have been discouraged on our own. There is joy in ministry when we set out with help, with out partners in ministry.

PRAYER: Father, we oft times set out to serve You in ministry without asking You first. Our frail efforts often lead to frustration and discouragement. Lord, we ask for Your patience and support. We ask for Your Holy Spirit to fill us with the faith we need to move the mountains we may encounter. We ask for Your wisdom, guidance, and perseverance in all out ministry endeavors. And Father, we ask that you surround us with fellow believers who share our passion for spreading the Gospel. These things we ask in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen

I thank my God every time I remember you.

Philippians 1:3 I thank my God every time I remember you.

Old acquaintances are sometimes the best acquaintances. You know each other, accept each other for what you are. You have history together. Chances are you have seen each other at your best, and worst.

We have in Philippians 1:3 a very touching sentiment from the Apostle Paul to the Philippians. They obviously have a special place in his heart. He fondly remembers his time with them, and in the opening to his letter to the Philippians, he speaks of his memories of them. Paul thanks God for the Philippians. History records the church in Philippi sent gifts to Paul to help fund his ministry efforts. The Expositors Commentary of the NIV records the following: The first convert was Lydia, a "God-fearer" (a term denoting a Gentile who had become a partial adherent to Judaism) who responded to Paul by receiving Christian baptism and opening her home to the missionary party. Other significant incidents were the exorcism of the demon from a slave girl and the conversion of the jailer and his family. These early converts were a most diverse and unlikely group with which to found a local church, but the grace of God overcame their differences.

I have the blessing of attending a church which is growing in a part of the country where it would seem odd that such growth happens. We are not the predominant religion. There is a major faith that overshadows all Christian churches, yet there is an undeniable pattern of growth in these Christian churches. The Gospel is being preached, and heard by an ever increasing number of people here. The success of these churches cannot be disputed. Many walks of life are found in each. And yes, there is even a church that reaches out to bikers (motorcyclists). People need hope, people need to here the truth. And in the Gospel, the truth rings loud and clear. The undeniable love of God pours out in the words we all can hear and read each and every day. We are blessed by a pattern of growth here, and in other parts of this country and the world. There is a truth that transcends the false teachings of our world and those hungry for the truth are devouring the words of truth. The number of Christians grows and so we too can echo the words of the Philippians. We too can thank our God as we remember those who are flocking to here the truth. Praise God!

PRAYER: Lord, Your words of truth ring out for all to here. The peace and love of the Gospel flows out for the many. Your Spirit reaches into the hearts of the multitudes and removes the cords that have bound their hearts in false teachings. Your truth, and only Your truth sets men free. Let all Your servants be filled with the Holy Spirit and share the Good News of the Gospel with courage and determination. We ask this in the strong name of Jesus. Amen

Philippians 1:2  

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

There are a number of ways to greet one another when we encounter a friend. "Hey how are you?" "Good day," or even a "What's up?" are commonly used greetings. Ships passing will signal with a standard horn or whistle signal. And in some cases, signal flags will give an indication as to the condition of each vessel.

The Apostle Paul uses a very civilized greeting in his letter to the church in the city of Phillipi. It gives comfort, shows his love and reminds the Philippians of a very important aspect of their life in Christ.

Grace for god our Father is one of the key aspects of our life as Christians. We are doomed as sinners, but for the grace of God, we would remain doomed. But we are blessed with a loving God. He desires a relationship with us. He yearns for the day we can be together. And to that end, he sent his son to restore us to a state of righteousness. The state is one which we could by our own efforts achieve. But God, who is faithful and just reached out to us and restored all mankind who believe in His Son. No longer do we live in dread of death. It holds no end for us. Rather, we have life eternal through Jesus Christ.   Paul reminds the Philippians of this fact with his greeting. We need to keep that greeting in our hearts and minds.

PRAYER: Lord and Giver of Life, we stand before You forever grateful for the sacrifice on the cross of Your Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ. As we go about our lives, help us to keep our focus on Him. Guide us in the path that You would have us follow. Strengthen us when we are tempted to stray from that path. We ask this in the name of our Savior Jesus Christ who lives and reigns with the Father and the Spirit. One God, now and forever. Amen.

Peace to the brothers, and love with faith from God the Father

Ephesians 6:23&24 Peace to the brothers, and love with faith from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love.

How is your life going?  Is it a bowl or cherries, noodle salad, or ducky?  Or is it like most people, a constant struggle? Now matter how things are right this minute or on this day, it will change. That is one constant in life, CHANGE.

We live in a world where life is "messy". It is filled with all manner of difficulties. These difficulties come in the form of jobs, coworkers, health, family, friends, cars, and homes to just name a few. Each of the above, either singly or in combination can drag us down. Our focus on our faith can be diverted for short or long durations of time. And it seems that when one grabs your attention and acts like an albatross hanging from your neck, another joins it, then another, and another and so on and so forth. Not good by any stretch of the imagination. What are we to do?

Prayer is always a good place to start. We have that wonderful gift from our Father and reinforced as to the necessity by Jesus. Through out his life and ministry staying close to the Father was a vital part of his life. And prayer is just as important to us today. When we enter into a conversation with our Father in Heaven, we find that peace of God that surpasses all understanding. We grasp onto the love the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit have for us poor sinners. And we embrace the grace given freely to all who call Jesus Christ their Lord and Savior. We can find comfort right there, and at any time. We can put the cares of the world behind us, seek the counsel and the will of God in prayer. Today, let us resolve to try prayer first instead of only when all of our efforts have failed.  Love and faith from God the Father and Jesus Christ is right there, no matter how well or poorly our lives are going.

PRAYER: Lord and Giver of Life, You are there for us at all times and in all places. Your gift of prayer allows us to reach out to you, just as a child reaches out for the hand of a parent. We struggle at times to remember to pray first instead of when our own feeble efforts fail. Guide us through Your Holy Spirit to keep prayer as a first step in our efforts. Help us to remember to seek Your will in all that we do. This we ask in the strong name of Jesus Christ, Who with the Father and the Spirit reign as one God, now and forever. Amen