God exalted him to the highest place..

Philippians 2:9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name,

What keeps you so busy that you do not have time for worship?  Is it the job? It is a hobby? Is it something you do for fun. Could it be a busy schedule with the kids? There are many barriers that can pop up between God and us. In many instances, they are barriers we put up by ourselves.

We miss so much when we are out of touch with God. We can arrive at that position so very easily. It's usually one little slip, just one distraction. That one thing can quickly lead to another, which leads to another, and so on and so forth. Satan has a vested interest in keeping us out of touch with God. He has a purpose in distracting our attention from Jesus. Jesus deserves our focus, our attention, above all else. His Father exalted Him to the highest place.When we forget that, we lose sight of what is really important. We lose out on so much. And it is up to us to get our focus back. We put the barriers up, we can take them down. It also takes diligence on our part to keep those barriers down. There is an ally we can call on. We can call on God, through prayer to help us. We have faith through the Holy Spirit and we can ask for help in keeping our faith. We have to take the time to spend it in prayer. We have to dig in and "gitter done!" God is waiting. Jesus is there for us. We just have to place Jesus in the proper location in our priority list. He is #1.

PRAYER: Lord, there are times in our lives when we are lax in our worship. We can become easily distracted. We lose sight of the light of Jesus. Help us to overcome our frailty. Help us to put on the armor of Christ to become impervious to these distractions. Help us to be more faithful by filling us with faith. We ask this in the name of Jesus. Amen

He humbled himself...

Philippians 2:8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross!

There is a lot of press lately covering the trial of 5 soldiers accused of murdering civilians in Afghanistan. This news sharply contrasts with the bit of scripture above. I know the story of one of these young men. He is my son. And he humbled himself to serve his country. As with most things in life, there is more to the story than appears on the surface.

I am profoundly grateful to God for this opportunity to serve Him in this manner. It takes my mind off some other things in life that are distracting. This verse in Philippians hit home today. Probably not for the reason some may think. But it is what I needed to see and this time and place in life. Thank You God. We are all thankful that Jesus was obedient to death. he died for all mankind. He was the sacrifice that reconciled all mankind to God. Forgiveness was offered to all. He died for you and I. That can cause some to feel a sense of guilt that drives them away or misdirects their beliefs. We should feel guilt, but not to the point where we lose sight of the marvelous gift we have been offered. We need to accept the guilt and move forward with our lives. Gratitude is to be embraced instead of hanging onto the guilt. Martin Luther had to confront his sense of guilt in order to move forward with accepting the beautiful gift in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We too need to do that.

The Apostle Paul puts this in perspective in Romans 5:6-9 "You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him!"

All too often we forget that soldiers offer up their lives so that others may live free from oppression. It is often a life of sacrifice. Not all handle it well. Just as you and I have good days and bad days, so do soldiers. When we seek to pass judgment on their service is serves us well to remember Christ. "He humbled himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross! Maybe there is a balance that escapes most people. But I rejoice in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. And I am humbled by the sacrifice of my fellow brothers and sisters in arms.

PRAYER: Father, today we ask for Your love, Your peace, and Your comfort for all who serve their country. They sacrifice much so that we can enjoy the freedom to worship You O God and not a false god. You are a God of love and compassion. We ask for Your love to be poured out upon all who stand in harms way. This we ask in Jesus name. Amen

But made himself nothing...

Philippians 2:5-7 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God,did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing,taking the very nature of a servant,being made in human likeness.

Serving the Lord can be at times very interesting. And watching others serve the Lord can be equally interesting and disturbing. It can be very tempting to take on an air of self importance when one is serving. However, just the opposite should be the case. More of Jesus, less of us.

When we reflect upon the life and service of Jesus we can see one very marked character attribute. It is the attribute of humility. You do not read in the Bible of instances where Jesus was pompous, or arrogant. You do not read of cases where he put his needs above those he was serving. He was there because His Father sent Him. He was fulfilling the will of His Father. In healing the sick, the lame, and the blind, it was not about him. It was about serving others. It was about spreading the love of His Father to the many. He was not elevate, rather His Father was raised up. When He cast the demons out of people, he would not permit the demons to speak of Him (Mark 3:12). He reached out to those who served the will of God embracing them as His brother and sister and mother (Mark 3:35). Those who choose to serve the Lord should take counsel from Mark 7: 6-13. It is not about us, it is about God. Pride is a dangerous pitfall. It has tripped up many a servant. I know from my own experience that one should not let praise go to your head when serving. I was given that word of caution and have taken it to heart. The temptation is great, the risk is huge, and the reward is nothing. We who serve make ourselves nothing and the one we serve is made everything. Being praised for doing a good job serving can be discomforting. My suggestion is to offer thanks for the praise and to suggest that to God be the praise. It is a subtle reminder to you and it lets those who are praising you know that it is not about you. It is all about the One We Serve.

PRAYER: Lord of Hosts, thank You for the many opportunities we are offered to serve You. We are provided spiritual gifts to further Your kingdom. We use those gifts is serving our fellow man, and in serving You. Help us dear Lord. Help us with the faith we need to remain humble in our serving and mindful of who we are truly serving. Let there be more of You and less of us. We ask this in the name of the One who served all in humility. Your Son, Jesus Christ who lives and reigns with the Father and the Spirit. One God, now and forever. Amen

We also rejoice in our sufferings

Romans 5:3-5 Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

I received a letter from my son Andy this past Tuesday. It was disturbing. He, and his fellow soldiers in the Fort Lewis-McChord stockade are being mistreated. I can imagine nothing more frustrating than to be innocent, imprisoned, and helpless to change that situation. This would be a faith challenging situation, or a faith strengthening situation depending on how you were to look at it.

 I wish that Andy could have access to this blog. I will not use it as a forum for commenting on or belittling anyone in particular. I will use it as a vehicle to help reinforce faith and witness to wrong doers. And so how would you feel if your son or daughter told you they were being mistreated by those who were appointed over you to assure your safety? Personally, I am at my more mild moments deeply saddened and at other times outraged. It also is a time of intense prayer for me. Andy is truly in the hands of God. I can not reach him. I can not hold him, comfort and reassure him. And so I ask God to cradle my son in His loving arms. I ask God to send his Holy Spirit to fill Andy with the faith he needs to survive this ordeal. And I pray for the hearts and souls of those who chose to mistreat him and his fellow soldiers. That is what I do, but what should Andy and all those being mistreated do?

We look at Romans 5:3-5 and gain tremendous insight into how we can deal with adversity in any form. We as Christians are constantly being shaped, refined, molded by our creator to carry out His will. There is a purpose to this. "Suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope." is what we read. How we handle adversity is important to us, and important to those who witness our situation. We are billboards for Christ. We are in the face of our fellow believers and nonbelievers and how we respond plays heavily into how others view our life in Christ. Do we project a persona of strength and belief? Or do we project a facade, a thin veneer that shows through to a rotten core below? Praying for those who would seek to mistreat us is how Jesus would respond. Praying for their forgiveness is exactly what Jesus did on the cross. In Luke 23:34 Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” It can be the most difficult thing for anyone to do, to pray for the forgiveness of those who wrong them. But that is what separates Christians from others. We have hope that others do not. The Apostle Paul reminds us, "And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. That my friends in Christ makes all the difference. To God be all the glory.

PRAYER: Father, Abba, we pray to you today, and everyday for those who seek to harm us. We pray for those who would seek to bring difficulty to our lives. We pray for those who discriminate against us, assail our faith, or cause us physical harm or death. We pray that your forgiveness would be upon them. We pray that Your Holy Spirit would crack their hearts wide open so that the love of Christ would fill their hearts. We pray that just as we who were lost and then found by Jesus, so to would they be found and gathered as part of Your flock. We ask this in the name our Your Son, our Savior and Shepherd, Jesus Christ who lives and reigns with the Father and the Holy Spirit. One God, now and forever. Amen

Even if I am being poured out like a drink offering

Philippians 2:17 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.

At some point in your life, if not already, you will experience the opportunity to be "poured out like a drink offering." You will sacrifice something so that someone or somebodies may benefit from that sacrifice. It is humbling to serve in this manner.

Parents are very familiar with the concept of sacrifice. We give up something of ourselves for our children. It may be that time we want to spend in pursuit of a hobby so that we can attend a child's sporting event. It may be that we put off or eliminate buying that toy we have longed for so that a child can have something we did not have growing up. That is what being a parent is all about.

The Apostle Paul is just like us, as parent. He fostered the birth and growth of congregations in Philippi, Ephesus, Galatia, and others. He poured out his heart and soul in his ministry so that the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ would spread and reside in the hearts of many. He did son while free, and in prison. Ultimately, his life was poured out and emptied spreading that same Good News. He gave the ultimate sacrifice. That last full measure of devotion to his Savior, Jesus Christ. He did not deny Jesus in his hour of need. He did not back down when doing so would have spared his life. It is a behavior learned from the study and emulation of the life of Jesus. Jesus gave the ultimate sacrifice so that all men would be set free from the death in sin. (Check out the irony in the words of the High Priest Caiaphas from John 11:49-51) He did not back down, he did not deny His Father. He cared for his sheep, and left his Disciples to care for His sheep. The love for His children has been handed down to this very day to each and everyone of us. We too sacrifice to spread the Word. We give of ourselves in time, talent, and treasure to continue the ministries reaching out to the lost. We too are poured out like a drink offering and share the joy that Paul felt.

PRAYER: Our Father In Heaven we stand here today, the beneficiary of the sacrifice of so many. From the day of You Son dying on the cross and his resurrection all the way to present time others have given so that we might live now and eternally. Our lives are totally dependent upon the sacrifice of the Lamb of God. And for that, no words can adequately express our gratitude. We each, in turn, sacrifice so that others may learn of the wonderful gift of Your Grace. We ask Father for the faith, courage, and determination to continue even as we too are poured out like a drink offering. We offer this prayer in the name of Your Son, our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen

It is God who works in you

Philippians 2:13 for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to His good purpose.

Have you ever wondered why you do the things you do? Have you ever stopped to think about what motivates you, drives you, or causes you to do what ever it is that you do? When dealing with kids, and they are asked why they did something that makes no sense whatsoever the answer maybe "I don't know." But what about you and I even when it does make sense?

There is a human condition that hinders us from doing what is right. It is that sinful nature which we have, as humans. We can't get past that condition. It is right there staring us in the face, if we accept that we are human. Some people do not labor under the belief that they are sinful. They seem to think that they are just all around good people. In denial is a scary place to be! But Christians do not labor under that delusion. We know we are lost to sin. We know that but for the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross, we would be lost, dead in fact, in our sin. The apostle Paul states it really well in Romans 7:15-25. I will not spoil it for you, but I encourage you to go there and look at it.

We are totally dependent of God. He works in all of us to further his will. He works in all of us to His good purpose. Without God, we are adrift. We have no anchor, our engines are out of service and we will be smashed upon the rocks of sin. Jesus saved us. He guides us. He is the lighthouse pointing out the safe passage. Without His light, we run aground. Brothers and Sisters in the risen Savior, we all must grasp tightly the saving grace offered freely by a loving God. Embrace Jesus and the life ring that has been tossed to all mankind to be brought to safety.

PRAYER: Almighty and everlasting God. Thank you Father for our lives and the purpose that You give us in our lives. Thank You for the saving grace offered to all. Help us to grasp that grace. Help us to embrace the love shown to all mankind by Jesus. 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

At the name of Jesus every knee should bow

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

There are many aspects of our lives that cry out for our undivided attention. At any given time we are called upon to determine what will be the greatest priority in our lives. Where is that list of items does Jesus fit into our priority list?


Life can be a constant struggle. And finding balance can at times be difficult at best. There are many important aspects of our lives. Seldom do things line up just right so that we are without struggle or conflict as to what is most important. It can be very difficult to set time aside for the most important aspect of our lives. And that would be our faith. All to often it becomes a matter of finding the right time, the place where we find no distractions. It should be an easy thing. It might start out with getting up early in the morning when the house is quiet and spending time in prayer and devotion. But then that extra 20 or 30 minutes of sleep calls out to us. Or we think we will find time at the office to take time and then events overcome us. Or the evening will surely be better and then...

It can be tough. It requires commitment, and discipline. It requires placing that priority for daily prayer and devotion first in the list or priorities. We need to spend that precious time in worship remembering that Jesus Christ is Lord. His name is above all names. And our tongues should confess that wonderful fact daily. He is our truth, our way, and our light of salvation. We need to stay focused in our worship. Satan applies many clever and cunning ploys to divert our attention. He will do his level best to distract us for our worship. He is ruthless, relentless, and we are constantly under attack. We rely on Jesus for our defense. We put on the armor of Christ for our defense every single day. Without Jesus, we are just another conquest for Satan. We are roadkill on life's highway without Christ.

PRAYER: Almighty and Everlasting God. You set the sun in the sky of the day and the moon in the sky of the night time sky. The stars are Your creation, as is all mankind. We are nothing without You. We wander from You O God. We foolishly think we can handle things on our own. We become lax in our worship. And fall prey to the temptations of life that Satan lays out in our path. Help us Lord to stay the course. Pour out Your Holy Spirit and fill us with the faith we need to keep our focus on Jesus.We ask this in the name of Jesus who lives and reigns with the Father and the Spirit. One God, now and forever. Amen

Your Attitude

Philippians 2:5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:

A popular phrase used to denote when someone was being difficult was "They copped and attitude." It was not meant in a complementary fashion. What if instead they copped the attitude of Jesus?  The possibilities....

The attitude of Christ Jesus. What does it mean to you?  Is it one of He is God, he knows it, and makes no bones about it?  That would not be in keeping with what we know of Jesus. Was it an I do not care about your problems attitude?  Again, that would miss the mark. What we do know is that even though he was God, He humbled himself. Came down to earth. Lived among us. He served rather than being served. He was obedient unto death on the cross. And He died for the salvation of all mankind. That is the attitude of Jesus. Humility exemplified. That is the behavior to emulate.

That is not an attitude our world today embraces on the whole. It is more of a self-serving what is in it for me type of world. There are instances of service, with love in mind and no expectation of exultation, for sure. But they seem to be few and far between. That makes a humble attitude stand out. Want to make a statement, be humble to all.

PRAYER: Father, we are by and large prideful. We do not typically remember to be humble. We know that we should, and struggle. Lord, help us to remember that Your Son was humble in his nature. We ask for the Holy Spirit to fill us with the faith to be humble in all that we do. We ask this in the name of Him who was humble even unto death on the cross for all mankind. Amen.