Pastor Mike Impact Ministries

I believe this is a very good time to remindeveryone to pray for our military chaplains. First,pray for Dr. Steve Keith, who heads up the team of chaplains from the Liberty Baptist Fellowship.Then specifically, you can remember two chaplains we are very close to. One ismy son, Nathan Grooms, who is a U.S. Navy Chaplain and is presently deployed.Also, someone I call my adopted son, Shawn Taylor, who is an U.S. Air ForceChaplain. Shawn served as our worship leader for ten years at Rainbow ForestBaptist Church, and he is also presently deployed away from his family. Pleasedo pray for them and for all of our chaplains. Thenright here in the community where I live, in Sneads Ferry, we have the largeMarine Corps Base Camp Lejeune military base. I have two dear friends who workwith the military here. One is Justin Sterns, who does discipleship on basewith many of the Marines there. Then also Dave Mason, who has a ministry ofmilitary evangelism to the Marines here and provides a place where they cancome on Friday nights, listen to the Word of God, fellowship with one another,be encouraged, and walk as they should—not only as Marines, but as believersand followers of Christ. Both of these men are reaching others for Christ righthere in our community. Soplease pray for all our military today. Pray for our nation's leadership aswell, as we are living in a crucial time in our country especially with theconflict in the Middle East. Thank you again for your prayers. This shirtsimply reminded me to ask you to pray. Now,as we were studying Philippians chapter 2, especially verses 3 and 4, we readthese words: “Let each esteem others better than himself. Let each one ofyou not look out for his own interests only, but also for the interests ofothers.” As I read those two verses, I could not help but think again ofPsalm 15, which we have been studying together. Yesterday,we talked about what was in verse 2b: “He who speaks the truth in hisheart.” Now in verse 3, David moves to the use of our tongues: “He whodoes not backbite with his tongue.” The word “backbite” here means slanderor gossip. You know how much damage is done by careless words. We used to sayas children, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurtme.” But that is absolutely not true. Words can hurt more deeply than we canever imagine. Wordsare eternal. Once you say them, you cannot take them back. As a matter of fact,they are recorded in heaven because the Scripture says that one day we willgive an account for every idle word that comes out of our mouths (Matthew12:36). It is important what we say—and what we do not say. SoPsalm 15 says: “He who does not backbite with his tongue.” We are not tobe backbiters, slanderers, or gossipers. Proverbs 18:21 says: “Death and lifeare in the power of the tongue.” A believer who walks closely with God mustguard his speech. Gossip destroys friendships, churches, and testimonies. Thatis why Paul wrote in Ephesians 4:29—a passage we studied a few months ago: “Letno corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessaryedification.” Insteadof tearing people down, we should be building them up for the glory of God. Ipray that the Lord will help us do that. The way to do that is to think goodabout people—to think positively about people. As Oswald Chambers said, weshould see every person in Christ, or every person needing Christ. Then we canbecome people who encourage others and build them up rather than tear themdown, despite what they may say or do against us. We do not retaliate and saywhat we should not say. Remember,the Scripture says that when Jesus was reviled, He reviled not again (1 Peter2:23). And His last words about those who crucified Him were: “Father,forgive them, for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34). May the Lordhelp us to live that way.

Todaywe are focusing on verse 2 of Psalm 15, where David is answering the questionhe asked in verse 1: “LORD, who may abide in Your tabernacle? Who may dwellin Your holy hill?” In other words, who is able to experience and enjoycontinuous intimate communion and fellowship with the LORD God Almighty? Thenhe answers the question in verse 2: “He who walks uprightly, and worksrighteousness, and speaks the truth in his heart.” First,we are walking uprightly, and we are working righteousness. We are doing rightthings. We are thinking about right things. Then David says something sopowerful, and I believe it is literally key to our walk in the Christian life: “Andspeaks the truth in his heart.” To experience true fellowship with theLORD, it is essential that we not only thinks about truth, and not only hastruth in our heart, but that we speaks the truth. We walk and live in thattruth. Thatis why in Second, and Third John—those books where John is writing tobelievers—he says that one of his greatest joys is to hear that his childrenwalk in the truth. Now what does this mean: “speaks the truth in his heart”? Asa matter of fact, in Psalm 51, where David is repenting of his terrible sin ofadultery and murder, he says this in verse 6: “Behold, You desire truth inthe inward parts.” Godwants us to think about the truth, talk about the truth, listen to the truth,and let the truth guide our decisions. You see, I am convinced the battle ofthe ages is the lie versus the truth—the lie versus the truth. I have oftenthought that when people come and say, “Pastor Mike, what should I do aboutthis?” or “I'm having a problem and I don't know how to handle this,” one of mymain objectives as I sit there, listen to them, and begin to share counsel issimply this: I need to tell them the truth—the truth that comes from the Wordof God. The reason they are confused or in trouble is because they have been listeningto, and “speaking” the lie in their mind and heart. RememberGod's Word is Truth. Jesus said in John 17:17: “Sanctify them through Thytruth. Thy word is truth.” Not only that, remember Pilate asked thequestion in John chapter 18:38: “What is truth?” Interestingly, justbefore Pilate asked that question, Jesus had said: “For this cause I wasborn, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witnessto the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.” Then Pilateasked the question, “What is truth?”—while Truth Himself was standingright in front of him, and he was missing it. Myfriend, Jesus is truth. John 14:6 says: “I am the way, the truth, and thelife. No man comes to the Father but by Me.” On the other hand, the devilis a liar. In John 8:44, Jesus said: “You are of your father the devil, andthe lusts of your father you will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, andabode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie,he speaks of his own, for he is a liar and the father of it.” Inthe very beginning, Satan lied to Eve. We are either believing the lies of theevil one as we make choices and decisions in life, or we are listening to thetruth of God's Word. That is why we must let mercy and truth come into ourhearts. Proverbs 3:3 tells us: “Let not mercy and truth forsake you; Bindthem around your neck, Write them on the tablet of your heart, our hearts.” Becauseas we listen to the truth, speak the truth in our hearts, and make ourdecisions based on truth rather than the lies of the evil one, my friend, itmakes all the difference in the world in our daily walk. That is why John wouldsay to those precious disciples in Second and Third John: “I rejoicedgreatly that I found thy children walking in truth.” We walk uprightly. We workrighteousness. And we speak the truth in our hearts—in our innermost being. Welet that truth live within us. Are you letting that truth live in you today? Itrust you are. 

Thereis nothing more important than practicing the presence of the Lord and desiringto be in His presence on the holy hill. That is Mount Zion. That is where thetemple was. That is where God made known the glory of His presence among Hispeople. You dwelt in His presence there. Today, we can dwell in His presenceevery day. Asa matter of fact, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. So what does“the fear of the Lord mean? It means being continuously aware of and consciousof the presence of the Lord in your life—24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Youknow He is there. As Brother Lawrence put it, you “practice His presence.” Thatis what David is asking here. Now,who can do that? Who has the right, the privilege, and the experience ofdwelling in the presence of the Lord? David begins to answer the question inverse 2: “He who walks uprightly, and works righteousness, and speaks thetruth in his heart.” Three things are mentioned right off the bat. First, “walkinguprightly”. Second, “working righteousness”, and “speaking thetruth in his heart”.  Lookat what he says: “He who walks uprightly.” This speaks of integrity. Itmeans a life that is sincere, genuine, and consistent—not perfect, but real. Theword “walk” reminds us that this is a daily lifestyle. Remember, God toldAbraham in Genesis 17:1: “Walk before Me blamelessly.” That is walkinguprightly. That is walking in the right direction following Jesus every day! Youfind this same truth mentioned in Psalm 23:3 “He leads me in paths ofrighteousness for His name's sake.” Righteousness is doing that which isright. So first, we walk with the Lord uprightly. We are cleansed of our sin.We are enjoying fellowship with Him. We are listening to His voice, payingattention to His Holy Spirit, and walking in obedience by faith. We areenjoying a life of experiencing God. We walk uprightly, and it shows forth tothe world around us. That is so important. Thenwe “work righteousness”. Now this is interesting. Righteousness is doingwhat is right. I will never forget, as a young Christian, hearing someone say: “Doright. Do right. Do right. If the stars fall from heaven, do right.” People havecome to me asking for counseling or advice on how to handle a certain situation,and my answer—because of how I have been influenced—is simply this: “Be aChristian. Be a Christian.” “Just do right!” Thatmeans you do right according to God's Word. It means you follow Jesus. You dowhat Jesus would do in that situation, my friend. The only way you can do thatis by first walking uprightly. You walk in the righteousness of Jesus Christ. Remember,our righteousness is as filthy rags. What we do on our own, without the HolySpirit helping us, guiding us, and directing us, “is as filthy rags”. Itmight impress people and make us feel good, but it actually stinks in the sightof God (Isaiah 64:6). Butmy friend, when we follow Jesus, when we are in love with Jesus, when we areenjoying His presence, when we have the fear of the Lord, and when we arewalking in a path that brings glory to His name, people can see the differencein our lives. That is a powerful thing. So our walk matches our profession whenwe walk uprightly. James 1:22 says: “But be doers of the word, and nothearers only, deceiving your own selves.” Abeliever who enjoys close fellowship with God seeks to obey the Lord. Oh, myfriend, that is not sinless perfection, but it is a heart that desiresholiness. May God help us to have that kind of heart. Let us continue over thenext few days looking at Psalm 15. I hope you will take time to memorize it tooand hide it in your heart, that you might not sin against the Lord.Godbless and may you have a wonderful, wonderful day!

Ihave been so blessed with wonderful mothers in my life. My mother was, I wouldalmost say, the perfect mother. She loved us, cared for us, prayed for us, andset a wonderful example before us. We miss her so much. I'm sure there are manyothers out there whose mothers have gone to be with the Lord. We say, “Godbless you,” and we trust that God's grace and comfort will surround you todayas you reflect on precious memories of your wonderful mother. Iam also married to one of the most wonderful mothers in all the world—andthat's Edith. She is a reflection of Christ in her love for our children andgrandchildren. She is giving, kind, and the greatest cook in the world, as youcan probably tell when you look at me! Our grandchildren come to be with us, Ithink, just to eat her cooking. We are so blessed, and I'm sure many of you areas well. So today, we say to all the mothers out there: Happy Mother's Day! Aswe were finishing our devotion yesterday on Philippians chapter 2, verses 1through 4—the introduction where Paul is basically telling us to be kind to oneanother, thoughtful of each other, and to look out for one another's interestsrather than just our own—I couldn't help but think of Psalm 15. Psalm15 is a psalm I memorized early in my Christian life. I memorized it because itonly has five verses. It's a short psalm. The last verse ends with these words:“He that doeth these things shall never be moved.” That caught myattention. “He that doeth these things shall never be moved.” You cantell I memorized it in the old King James Version. I thought, “Wow, if you dothese things—what are these things?” Psalm15 has five verses, and David begins the psalm by asking a very importantquestion—one that we should all ask. It is found in verse 1: “LORD, who mayabide in Your tabernacle? Who may dwell in Your holy hill?” In other words,who can truly enjoy fellowship with God? Who can live in the presence of theLord and experience communion with Him? That is a good question. Are youenjoying fellowship with the Lord? That'swhat Paul is talking about in Philippians chapter 2—and really throughout theentire book, for that matter. He is speaking of fellowship with the Lord andfellowship with one another, so that we become an example to the world aroundus as we live as citizens of heaven. Davidis not asking how a sinner can be saved, because we know from the wholetestimony of Scripture that salvation is given by grace through faith alone. Ephesians2:8–9 says: “For by grace are you saved through faith, and that not ofyourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast.” Noone earns entrance into heaven by good deeds. We are saved only through therighteousness of Jesus Christ. ButPsalm 15 describes the character of the person who walks closely with God. Itdescribes the kind of life that enjoys intimate fellowship with the Lord. Yousee, sin breaks fellowship. It does not remove salvation for the true believer,but it does hinder communion with God. Isaiah 59:2 says: “But youriniquities have separated you from your God.” SoDavid is asking, “Who may abide in Your tabernacle? Who can walk daily inthe presence and blessings of God?” Then he begins to give us the answer inverse 2: “He who walks uprightly, and works righteousness, and speaks thetruth in his heart.”  First, we findthat the person who enjoys fellowship with God is a person who walks uprightly. Overthe next few days, I believe we are going to continue through this psalm andanswer the question: “He that doeth these things shall never be moved.” Whatare these things? What are those qualities that lead us into true, intimatefellowship with Jesus Christ? That is what we want for all of our mothers, allof our dads, and all Christian believers who are reading or listening to ourPastor's Chat today. Godbless and may you have a wonderful, wonderful day!

Today, let us continue here in Philippians chapter 2, verses 3 and 4. In the firsttwo verses Paul has been talking first about the right motives for spiritualunity and a submissive mind (vs. 1-2a). Then he talked about the right marks ofspiritual unity and a submissive mind (v. 2b). Now we are talking about theright means—the right means of spiritual unity (vs. 3-4). First,in verse 3a, Paul speaks of the negative and he says, “Let nothing be donethrough selfish ambition or conceit.” That is the negative. We are to makesure we do everything in humility and that we do not have vain conceit as we dowhat God wants us to do with a submissive mind and with unity in the Spirit inthe body of Christ. Nowin verses 3b-4, Paul goes on and deals with the positive and the practical. “…butin lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each ofyou look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interest ofothers.” This is humility in action. Humilityis not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less. OswaldChambers put it this way: “It is not thinking of yourself at all.”Because as you are displaying the mind of Christ, living for Him, servingothers, and putting others first, you do not have time to think about yourself. Yourprayers can, of course, be personal, asking God for grace and help in time ofneed. But at the same time, your prayers will mostly be intercessory. You willbe concerned about the needs, hurts, pains, and sorrows of others. This ishumility in action. “Esteemingothers better than yourselves” does not mean pretending others are morecapable or more gifted. It means choosing to treat them as more important. I liketo put it this way: Make sure every person—from the youngest baby and child tothe oldest person around you—is treated as a person of tremendous value. Theywere created in the image of God, and God loves them. With God's love, weshould love them. And when you meet a believer, you are meeting Christ Jesus! RememberSaul's (Paul's) experience in Acts 9:4-5: “Then he fell to the ground, andheard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecutingMe?" And he said, "Who are You, Lord?" Then the Lord said,"I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick againstthe goads." In other words when you mistreat a believer, Jesus Himselfhas said that you are mistreating Him! Think about that! Myfriend, this practically means rejoicing when others succeed, honoring themabove yourself, and wanting what is best for them no matter who they are. Thatis what you pray for. That is what you desire. You see them, as Oswald Chamberssays, as they are in Christ. This is exactly what Jesus did. ThenPaul adds, “Look out for the interests of others.” This does not mean ignoringyour own needs. It means not stopping there. It means living with a broaderperspective. Lot lived for himself. Remember Lot, Abraham's nephew? He chosethe land that looked like Egypt, near Sodom and Gomorrah, and he losteverything. Abraham chose to go the other way, wherever Lot did not go. Helived for others and became a blessing to the nations. Myfriend, this is the submissive mind—not me first, but others next. When achurch lives this way, joy overflows, unity is preserved, and the gospeladvances with power. Here is a simple challenge this week: Ask the Lord to showyou one specific way to put this into practice. Maybe it is yielding apreference. Maybe it is encouraging someone you struggle with. Remember Romans12:21: “Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.” Jesus said thesame thing in Matthew 5:43–44. Pray for someone who maybe irritates you. Putthis into practice, and if we do that, we will fulfill Paul's joy. Remember hesaid, “Do these things; fulfill my joy.” 

I cannot believe that I am sitting here in my office doing this Pastor's Chat after the back surgery yesterday that we had. It was a day of miracles. We live in an amazing day. I am so grateful and thankful, and I believe all that happened because of prayer—pure prayer. We do not take anything for granted. We could have the best health system and the best of everything, but unless God helps us, takes care of us, and we trust Him, it is really all in vain. So Praise the Lord and Thank You… Thank you…Thank you for your prayers!!!!!!Now let us go on here for these last couple of minutes to our passage in Philippians that we were talking about yesterday. We are looking at verses 2 and 3 where Paul said: “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.”We have already been talking in this chapter about having the right motives for spiritual unity. Remember, the right motives have to do with the fact that since we have consolation in Christ, since we have comfort in Christ, we have fellowship of the Spirit, and since we have love in Christ. Since we have them, and since Christ has been our all in all, therefore we should continue to have the right marks for spiritual unity. (Philippians 2:1-2)Those right marks include having the same love, being of one accord, and of one mind. This will lay the foundation for right means in our service to the Lord. Paul gives the negative first which is: “nothing is done through selfish ambition, but in lowliness of mind, and esteeming others better than ourselves”. God help us to remember that we need the right motives. We need these right spiritual marks and the right means. They bring about spiritual unity in our families and in our church.Then Paul writes: “Let nothing—let nothing—be done through selfish ambition and conceit.” We talked about what that meant, but I want to finish with this thought. Paul's command is strong when he says this. “Let nothing.” Not just let anything, or let some things, or even most things—but nothing—be done through vainglory and selfish motives. Even good ideas and sincere convictions must not be pushed forward with selfish motives.For a example, I was thinking about how we might go to a business meeting at church to vote on whether we should change the Wednesday night prayer meeting to Thursday night. Now, I do not ever remember having to vote on things like that, but some churches do. You sit there and say, “Oh wow, that is awesome. All my social activities and athletic activities for my kids are on Wednesday night. I am voting to move it to Thursday night.” Then another member shows up and says, “Oh man, I hate this. No, I am voting to keep it on Wednesday night because I am already committed to all these things on Thursday night in my social life.” We go to the meeting to vote based on what we want and what best benefits us. I'll never forget the great pastor of yesteryear Adrian Rogers saying, “That is not the way it works. We all should go to the meeting thinking, “What does Christ want for our church? He is the Head of our church. What does He want?” And then vote accordingly!When we have unity of mind and unity of spirit, when we have the consolation of love, we have the right motives. We are not being selfish. And you know what happens? We do what Christ wants us to do, and we vote the way Christ wants us to vote. Then we become part of His ministry and a church full of joy, happiness, and comfort with one another. And a great witness to the community and world around us!I trust that you have been blessed by these verses and that you continue to be encouraged to do nothing this way—nothing in the way of conceit, nothing done through selfish ambition. God help us.God bless and may you have a wonderful, wonderful day!

Todaywe are looking at Philippians 2, and we are going on to verses 3 and 4. But letus remember, in verses 1 and 2, as we talked about the spiritual motives andthe marks for spiritual unity, that these things will give us a heart ofsubmission. The submissive mind is a secret to Christian joy in our lives. Ofcourse, chapter 1, the single mind, lays the foundation for that. If our singlemind is focused on Jesus Christ and the gospel, and on sharing that good newsunder whatever circumstances we are in, what a difference it will make.  Nowin verses 3 and 4, Paul goes on to say, “Let nothing be done through selfishambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind, let each esteem others betterthan himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but alsofor the interests of others.” Paulhere begins with the negative: “Let nothing be done through selfish ambitionor conceit.” Sometimes we have to deal with the negative before we can puton the positive. That is why most of the Ten Commandments are “thou shaltnot.” It sounds kind of negative, but then it gives us the opportunity tounderstand that only by God's grace can we do the positive—to love God with allour heart, live for Him, and let nothing come between us and Him. First,Paul deals with negative of selfish ambition—he says, “Let nothing be donethrough selfish ambition.” Selfish ambition is that drive thatpromotes ourselves at the expense of others. It is putting personal gain aboveeverything else. That is something we sometimes see in churches. I could noteven begin to tell you how many times I have dealt with people who come andsay, “I deserve that position. I deserve to be the one giving that speech. I amthe one who deserves it.” It is simply trying to put themselves out in front,and it causes difficult situations every time. Nexthe adds, “nothing through selfish ambition or conceit.” Conceitliterally means “empty glory.” It is an inflated view of ourselves. It says,“My opinion matters most. My way should prevail.” My friend, how many timeshave we seen this in business meetings? We have seen it in situations in thechurch between people. It is so sad when you hear somebody promoting themselveswith empty conceit. They believe they deserve it. They feel entitled. Bothof these things—selfish ambition and conceit, which Paul says should nevermotivate us—are rooted in pride. Pride is always destructive. Proverbs 13:10says, “Only by pride comes contention.” At the root of all contention,strife, and division in a church, my friend, is not merely a matter ofpreferences or the way we do or do not do things. It is a matter of pride. “Iwant my way. I am going to have it my way, and I am going to make sureeverybody knows what I want.” “I have a right to express my opinion.” Myfriend, that causes many divisions. It divides families. It divides churches.It divides ministries. Paul saw it in Rome, and now he warns against it inPhilippi. Even strong, healthy churches are vulnerable when pride enters in. Wehave seen it happen with pastors. They start out with a spirit of humility,like King Saul did. Then, before long, God blesses their ministry, and theybegin thinking more highly of themselves than they should. The next thing youknow, they are full of pride and determined to be in control. It is all theirway or no way, and they refuse to listen to others. I have seen that happen.You have heard about it in Christianperiodicals and circles. Butmy friend, that is not God's way. That is why Paul goes on to say, “Letnothing be done” through these things.  Let nothing be done through selfish ambitionor conceit. That means not some things, not most things, but nothing. May wethink about that as we examine our own hearts concerning conceit, pride, andselfish ambition. Do we have that kind of heart? If we do, let us ask God tocleanse us and forgive us, and let us have the mind of Christ—a mind ofhumility.

Nowwe are going to continue in Philippians 2, and today we are talking about theright marks of spiritual unity. Yesterday we talked about the right motive forspiritual unity in the first verse which lead to these marks. “Therefore ifthere is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowshipof the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by beinglike-minded.” Then he goes on to say, “having the same love,being of one accord, of one mind.” Today, we want to look atthese four things: being like-minded, having the same love, being of oneaccord, and of one mind. These are the four marks of spiritual unity. Thesame mind means thinking the same way. Now this does not meanuniformity in every opinion. It means that our thinking is being shaped by themind of Christ. It has nothing to do with our preferences or opinions about howthings ought to be done in the church, or the music that should be sung—whetherit be contemporary or traditional. No, it means when it comes to the gospel ofJesus Christ and the very essentials of what our faith is about, we have unity,and we have the mind of Christ. First Corinthians 2:16 says, “we have themind of Christ.” The way we have this is that “we are not conformed tothis world, but we are transformed by the renewing of our minds” in theHoly Spirit and in the Word of God” (Romans 12:2). Second,we see the mark of the same love. Now this is not emotional preference,but deliberate, sacrificial love that seeks the good of others. Jesus said inJohn 13:34–35, “A new commandment I give you, that you love one another as Ihave loved you. By this all will know that you are My disciples if you havelove for one another.” In First John 3:16, “By this we know love,because He laid down His life for us.” What love is that? The love of Godin Christ Jesus through His death on the cross. We experience that love, and weare to have that same love for one another. Thenone accord, which literally means “one-souled”—hearts knit together indeep spiritual connection. Acts 4:32 tells us of the early church: “Now themultitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul.” So we havethat as a mark of spiritual unity. Lastly,of one mind. This is having a single purpose—the glory of Jesus Christand the advancement of the gospel. Remember Paul said earlier in Philippians1:27 that we are “to stand fast in one spirit, with one mind strivingtogether for the faith of the gospel”. Sothis is not shallow unity. This is deep. It is Spirit-produced harmony. Infact, it reflects something very profound—it is the unity of the Trinityitself. Jesus prayed about this in John 17, that His followers would be one asHe and the Father are one. This is internal—and eternal too, for that matter.Paul is not focusing on rules or structure. He is focusing on our hearts, ourminds, and our attitudes. Whenthe Spirit produces this kind of unity, the church becomes something powerful,something attractive. It's like iron filings drawn to a magnet. Even whenpressures try to pull them apart, something stronger pulls them back together. Haveyou ever been a part of a church like that—one that is warm, loving, and has asense of belonging that is unmistakable? Oh, my friend, that is what we need inour country today: churches like that. Thisis what Paul calls for. You will notice it all begins when the truth of verse 1shapes the attitudes here of verse 2 in our hearts. God help us as we let Himdo that in us each and every day. God bless and may youhave a wonderful, wonderful day!

Today we are looking at Philippians 2:1-2a and we are talkingabout the right motive for spiritual unity. Let us read these verses. “Thereforeif there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if anyfellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by beinglike-minded…” TheApostle Paul here gives us four “if” statements. In theoriginal language, they carry the idea of certainty. They could just as wellhave been translated “since”: since there is consolation inChrist, since there is comfort of love, since there is fellowship of theSpirit, and since there are affection and mercy. As you read these statements,Paul is not questioning these realities by saying “if.” He is actually buildingon them. He is essentially saying this: “Since these things are true in yourlife, live like it.” Wheredid your consolation come from? In Christ. Where did your comfort of love comefrom? From Christ. In the context of the church and the fellowship ofbelievers, we know that this consolation in Christ is that encouragement ofcoming alongside. It is not just the sense that the Holy Spirit and Christ havecome alongside me, but that others in Christ have come alongside me—fellowbelievers praying, encouraging, and helping. That encouragement comes throughChrist in others. It is the same root word used for the Holy Spirit as ourComforter. Christ Himself strengthens and encourages us. He does it throughHimself, of course, and through the Holy Spirit, but He also does it throughothers. Second,that comfort of love is that deep, soothing assurance of God's love that ispoured into our hearts. That brings to mind Romans chapter 5:3-5. Paul says, “Andnot only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulationproduces perseverance.” Remember, in previous verses he is talking aboutthe gift of suffering and suffering in Christ—suffering for Christ. He goes onto say, “and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does notdisappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by theHoly Spirit who has been given to us.” There is that comfort of love thatcomes through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. Fellowshipof the Spirit is the shared life we have in the Holy Spirit. Every believer isconnected not just to God, but to each other. It is mystical in a sense. Youmay meet someone and feel as though you have known that person all your life.You love that person. Where did that come from? The Holy Spirit. He connects usas we are in Christ. Fourth, this affection and mercy is the tender compassionthat flows from the heart of God. It is also that affection and mercy that comefrom fellow believers because of Christ and the unity we share with them. Paulis essentially asking: Has Christ, and have others, encouraged you? Has Christ,and have others, comforted you? Do you share in the Holy Spirit with others?Have you received God's mercy? The answer is: “yes, of course!” So then, whatdoes this produce? It produces unity in the body of Christ. Thatis why Paul adds, “fulfill my joy by being like-minded.” Paul alreadyhad joy in Christ and joy in his sufferings, despite his circumstances. But itadded to his joy to know that the believers were getting along with one anotherand were unified in Christ. Unity brings joy. We see it in our families, in ourchurch, and even in our country. It brings joy to spiritual leaders, it bringsjoy to the church, and most importantly, it brings joy to the heart of JesusChrist. Disunity,on the other hand, is more serious than we often think. It is not just apersonality clash. In a sense, it is ingratitude—it is receiving all that Godhas given us yet refusing to reflect His heart toward others. My friend, let usremember today the overwhelming grace that God has given us, as we love oneanother and maintain the right motive for spiritual unity. 

Let nothing be done through selfish ambitionor conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better thanthemselves. Let each one of you look not only for his own interests, but alsofor the interests of others.” Now,if you have been with us through chapter 1, you know that the Apostle Paul iswriting from a Roman prison. Yet his letter is saturated with joy. The wholebook teaches that if you want real joy, you must have the right mindset. Youneed a mindset that is fixed on Jesus Christ. Chapter 1 tells us you need asingle mind: “For me to live is Christ.” Paul wrote that this mindsetkeeps our joy steady, no matter what our circumstances might be. Now,as we come to chapter 2, Paul introduces the next great secret of Christianjoy. It is the submissive mind—a mind that is submitted to the Lordshipand the will of God. The church at Philippi was a wonderful congregation. Theywere generous, loving, and courageous in their faith. But they were not withoutproblems. My friend, that reminds us there is no perfect church. If you everfind the perfect church, I have heard it said many times, that once you joinit, it will not be perfect anymore. Yousee, the church is not a congregation of people trying to display theirspiritual trophies. It is a place where lost sinners, broken sinners, andbroken people can find hope in Jesus Christ. And it is a place where savedsinners can learn to live for Christ and display His glory. Thechurch is a wonderful place. But the Apostle Paul had heard, while in prison,through Epaphroditus that two prominent women in the church, Euodia andSyntyche, were in conflict. Their disagreement had the potential to divide thewhole church. At the same time, there were pressures from the outside. Falseteachers were pressing in, trying to disrupt the truth of the gospel. Paulunderstood something very clearly about the church: disunity is one of Satan'sfavorite weapons. It grieves the Lord, weakens the church, and damages itswitness to the world. So Paul, before giving one of the greatest examples ofhumility and submission in verses 5–11—the example of the Lord Jesus Christ—he firstlays a foundation in verses 1–4. Nowlisten very carefully. In these first four verses we just read, he appeals tothe highest spiritual motives. Because we are in Christ, because we havereceived the comfort of His love, the fellowship of His Spirit, and the tendermercies of God, we are called to live in unity. Paul is not calling for outwarduniformity forced by rules. He is calling for inward spiritual unity that flowsfrom hearts that are right with Christ and right with one another. Thekey verse here is found in verse 3, where he writes, “Let nothing be donethrough selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteemothers better than themselves.” In chapter 1, it was Christ first. Inchapter 2, it is others next. And Paul gives us four examples of humility and asubmissive mind in this chapter: the Lord Jesus Christ in verses 5–11, theApostle Paul himself in verses 12–18, Timothy in verses 19–24, and Epaphroditusin verses 25–30. Hegives us these examples to show what it truly means to have a submissive mind.But everything begins right here in verses 1–4. If we understand and applythese verses, the rest of the chapter will come alive. My friend, as we studythis chapter together, may God help our hearts to be open to His holy Word. Mayour hearts be open to live in submission to His truth, and in submission to theLord Jesus Christ. What a difference it will make in our churches and in theworld around us. 

Myfriend, I will never forget something I read in Nik Ripken's book, “TheInsanity of God”. When he asked believers in China, who were being persecuted,how they endured such intense agony, pain, and suffering, they looked at him insurprise and said, “Haven't you read the Bible? Haven't you read the NewTestament?” It was the norm for believers in the first and second centuries tosuffer persecution—even into the 1500's through the 1600,s—for their faith inJesus Christ.  Myfriend, here in America we have no idea what that is like. Yet today, we aretold that the fastest-growing church in the world is in Iran. Do not forgetthat recently we were told that over thirty thousand people were executed bythe radical government there. Most of them were most likely believers who hadput their faith in Christ and were standing for truth. They chose to die ratherthan live without standing up for their faith in Jesus Christ. Thesuffering is not only there, but also in China, in Russia, in India, in Africa,and in parts of South America. The suffering is intense today. More believersare being persecuted, suffering and killed for their faith than at any othertime in Christian history. Yes, it could come to America, and it might not betoo far away. Paulsays “it has been granted” that you have been given this grace ofsuffering. He finishes by saying this in verse 30: “Having the same conflictwhich you saw in me and now hear is in me.” In other words, Paul is saying,“You are not alone.” You are going to suffer for Christ, but you are not alone.They no doubt remembered Paul's suffering in Acts chapter 16. He was beaten. Hewas imprisoned. Yet he kept praising God. Now they hear he is suffering inRome. And Paul is saying, “The same battle you face, I am facing.” Thisis so important because the enemy loves to whisper in our ears, “You are theonly one going through this. Nobody is suffering like you. Nobody has it as badas you have it.” But that is not true. First Peter 5:9 says, “Knowing thatthe same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.” Weremember in First Corinthians 10:13, “That there is no trial, tribulation,or temptation that has overtaken you except such as is common to man. But Godis faithful.” Hebrews 12:1 reminds us that “we are surrounded by sogreat a cloud of witnesses”. The writer has just spoken of those who diedfor their faith. Weare part of something bigger: a global church, a spiritual family, a sharedmission. We are not alone—but most importantly, Christ is with us. In Hebrews13:5, Jesus says, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So when youare in the battle, remember: others have walked this path, others are walkingit right now, and Christ walks it with you. Psalm 23:4 says, “Yea, though Iwalk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for Thouart with me.” Maywe live worthy of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Remember, that is the verse thissection began with: “Let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ. Sowhether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs—that youstand fast in one spirit, with one mind, striving together for the faith of thegospel” (v. 27). Paul also encourages us with Romans 8:31-32: “What thenshall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He whodid not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He notwith Him also freely give us all things?” Inclosing, remember: Stand firm. Stand united. Do not fear opposition. Accepteven suffering as part of God's plan as we live—and determine to live—our livesand our faith for Jesus Christ. And Paul adds: “Andnot only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance;  and perseverance,character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the loveof God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given tous.” (Romans 5:3-5)

Today we are continuing to look at Philippians 1, and we aregoing on to verse 29, where we come to a very challenging truth. It says this: “Forto you it has been granted on behalf of Christ not only to believe in Him, butalso to suffer for His sake.” Today we are going to be talking aboutthe gift of suffering. NowPaul says two things are granted by grace. Number one, faith to believe in Him.And how we all love and appreciate for that. We know Ephesians 2:8–9: “Forby grace are you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is thegift of God..." Thank God for thegift of grace! ButPaul goes on to say, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer forHis sake. Remember back in verse 28, Paul said “we should not be inany way terrified by our adversaries”. We should not be terrified by thosewho will cause persecution and suffering and inflict pain upon us. Why? BecauseGod has granted us this gift of suffering. Welove the gift of grace, but we might have a hard time understanding the gift ofsuffering, and it is even harder to accept. But what we need to understand isthat suffering connects us to Jesus Christ. Remember Philippians 3:10 wherePaul wrote later in this epistle: “That I might know Him and thefellowship of His sufferings.” In Romans 8:17 he wrote: “If indeedwe suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together with Him”. Andthen verse 18, Paul goes on to say: “For I consider that the sufferings ofthis present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall berevealed in us.” In1 Peter 4:13, Peter said, “Rejoice to the extent that you partake ofChrist's sufferings.” Remember Jesus Himself said in Matthew 5:10–12, “Blessedare those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake… Rejoice and beexceedingly glad,” that you have the privilege of suffering and beingpersecuted for Christ's sake.Wemust know that suffering is not meaningless. It deepens our faith, strengthensour character, and prepares us for glory. Thechurch in China, which has suffered so deeply under great persecution over theyears because of their faith, would tell us, “Don't pray that we are notpersecuted and that we do not suffer. Pray that we remain faithful.” When Ivisited the unground church there years ago the church leaders told us, “Persecutionpurifies the church”. As a matter of fact, we have heard that some churches inChina made it a requirement to have served time in labor camp prisons sufferingfor their faith to prove that they were truly a Christian before they couldbecome part of their fellowship of believers. Myfriend, that is not what we have faced so far in America, but it might not befar off! In James 1:2–3, it reminds us “to count it all joy when you fallinto various trials and tribulations”. In 1 Peter 1:6–9 we read: “Inthis you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you havebeen grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith,being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested byfire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of JesusChrist..." Nowlet's be honest—we do not naturally see suffering as a gift. But from God'sperspective: It is shaping us.Itis refining us. It is drawing us closer to Christ. So today: Do not waste yourtrials. See them through God's eyes. Trust Him in the process.  Inclosing this chat, I want you to read 1 Peter 5:6-11 that reminds us to humbleourselves as we face the attacks of the devil, “resisting him, steadfast inthe faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhoodin the world. But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal gloryby Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish,strengthen, and settle you. ..." Also a good book to read that would bless and give you abetter understanding of God's purposes of suffering in our lives is: “The Insanityof God” by Nik Ripken.

Today we are going to be talking about courage in the face ofopposition as we move to the next verse in Philippians 1:28. After the ApostlePaul told them in verse 27 to stand fast in one spirit and with one mind,striving together for the faith of the gospel, he goes on to say in verse 28, “Andnot in any way terrified by your adversaries, which is to them a proof ofperdition, but to you of salvation, and that from God.” Theword “terrified” means do not be frightened in any way. In the Greek, it wasused of a horse that was startled in battle—or even startled by nothing—causingit to throw its rider. The Apostle Paul is saying to these believers inPhilippi, who were facing persecution, do not be afraid. We find the sameencouragement throughout the epistles: believers are told to be courageous evenwhen they are being persecuted or mistreated. Thisis similar to what Joshua was told at least three times in Joshua 1:1-9, whenhe took the place of Moses to lead the people into the Promised Land, facinggiants and overwhelming opposition. In verse 9, God told him: “Have I notcommanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor bedismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go." But Paul is saying: do not panic, do not run—stand firm. One commentator saidit this way: “Do not be scared out of your determination to live out yourheavenly citizenship by anything your enemies might try to do to you.” Paulis teaching that their opposition is actually evidence. He says it is “to thema proof of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that from God.” Think aboutthat. When the world opposes the gospel, it does at least two things: Itreveals their rejection of God and it confirms your relationship with God. Rememberwhat Jesus said in John 15:20: “If they persecuted Me, they will alsopersecute you.” In2 Thessalonians 1:4–8, the Apostle Paul wrote something similar to that church:“So that we ourselves boast of you among the churches of God for yourpatience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that you endure,which is a manifest evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may becounted worthy of the kingdom of God for which you also suffer. Since it is arighteous thing with God to repay with tribulation those who trouble you, andto give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed fromheaven with His mighty power in flaming fire, taking vengeance on those who donot know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Godhas the final word. In Psalm 2 we are told that when the kings of the earth mockand attempt to deny God and His authority and throw off His restraints that: “Hewho sits in the heavens shall laugh; The LORD shall hold them in derision. ThenHe shall speak to them in His wrath, And distress them in His deep displeasure”(Psalm 2:4-5). SecondTimothy 3:12 reminds us, “All who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus willsuffer persecution.” Not might, not maybe—but will suffer persecution. Oppositionis not a sign that you are failing. No, my friend—it is a sign that you arebeing faithful. Hereis something powerful: Your confidence in trials is a testimony. In Acts 5:41,it says the apostles “rejoiced that they were counted worthy to suffer shamefor His name.” And remember Stephen in Acts 7. As he was being stoned todeath, his face shone like the face of an angel. Even in that moment ofmartyrdom, there was a peace and courage that could not be explained. Myfriend, that kind of courage comes from God. Aswe face opposition—even today, in America or anywhere else in the world—forbeing followers of Jesus Christ, we do not need to be afraid. We do not need tobe terrified by anything. God is in control. Your salvation is secure. And theenemy does not win. Jesus said in John 16:33, “In the world you will havetribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

“Only let your conductbe worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or amabsent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with onemind striving together for the faith of the gospel.” Welcometo Pastor's Chat. Today we are continuing to look at verse 27 of Philippians 1.In the first part of the verse, the Apostle Paul talked about our conduct, ourconversation—our citizenship in heaven. We have citizenship on earth, but weshould live on earth as though we are citizens of heaven. We are different. Welive differently. You read this throughout all Paul's epistles. It is soimportant. Todaywe are going to continue with the last part of the verse, where the ApostlePaul writes: “So that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear ofyour affairs.” Here it is: “that you stand fast in one spirit, with onemind striving together for the faith of the gospel.” Today we are talkingabout standing and striving together for the faith of the gospel. Now,the word “faith” here is not referring to our personal faith—like my faith inJesus Christ for salvation. The word “faith” here refers to the truth—the truthof Scripture, the truth of the gospel. The gospel is the power of God untosalvation to everyone who believes. The gospel is the death, burial, andresurrection of Jesus Christ. The gospel is the good news for every person whowill trust in Jesus Christ for salvation and eternal life. TheApostle Paul now shifts from what we might call citizenship to teamwork. Andthe first thing he writes is, “Stand fast.” That phrase means tohold your ground, like a soldier in battle. First Corinthians 16:13 says, “Standfast in the faith. Be strong. Be brave.” Ephesians 6:11 reminds us to“put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wilesof the devil.” To stand—to stand fast—is to hold your ground. We are in aspiritual battle, but my friend, we are not standing alone. Thenthe Apostle Paul writes, “with one spirit and with one mind strivingtogether.” That phrase “striving together” gives us our wordathletics. It paints a picture of a team working together toward one goal. TheChristian life is not a solo race—it is a team effort. Buthere is the reality: our enemy, the enemy of the church, the enemy ofChristianity, loves division. “Divide and conquer” is still his strategy. Evenin Philippi, there were tensions. We will see that when we get to Philippians4:2. That is why Paul emphasizes one spirit, one mind, one purpose. InPhilippians 2:2, he writes, “Be like-minded, having the same love, being ofone accord, of one mind.” No doubt that is why Jesus said in John 13:35, “Bythis all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for oneanother.” Unity is not optional—it is essential. A divided church isa defeated church, but a united church is a powerful church for the glory ofGod. Ilove the quote we have used for years in the churches I pastored: “Inessentials, we have unity. In non-essentials, we have liberty. But in allthings, we have charity.” The Bible reminds us in Romans 12:5, “We, beingmany, are one body in Christ.” So we are to stand fast in the truth. We areto work together in love. We are to strive together for the sake of the gospel. Whyis that? Because the main thing we are to be about as a church—and asindividuals—is sharing Jesus Christ with people who are lost, who are in theirsins, and who are headed for a devil's hell. We are their only hope. The churchis the institution God has placed on earth to share and carry forth His greatgood news. Matthew 28:19–20. Myfriend, let us make sure we stand fast. Let us hold our ground. Let us worktogether with other believers in unity for the sake of the gospel. We will beblessed as individuals. We will be a blessed church. And we will be excitedabout what God is doing as we join Him on His mission—telling the good news ofChrist to a lost world around us.

Todaywe are moving on to the last verses of chapter 1 of Philippians, verses 27–30: “Onlylet your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ... Remember,Paul is writing from prison. He is writing to this church at Philippi, tellingthem they can have joy in their lives despite the circumstances they might befacing in a Roman Empire that was full of debauchery, wickedness, violence, andevil. It sounds very much like the world we live in today. Heis telling them here in these verses: live worthy of the gospel. Look atthis very first statement—a powerful one: “Only let your conduct beworthy of the gospel of Christ.” “Monon” (only), is placed at the beginningof the sentence in the Greek text for emphasis. This is a strong word,emphasizing that this is very important. What truly mattered was theirconsistent, holy conduct. Above all, Paul wanted their lives to reflectworthily on the gospel of Christ. Theword “conduct” here, in some translations, is “conversation,” but itactually means “citizenship.” That word is also very important. Paul isbasically saying, live like citizens of heaven. Philippi was a Roman colony,and the people took great pride in being Roman citizens. You may remember thatafter the Apostle Paul had been beaten there in Philippi, they were going torelease him, and he said, “I am a citizen of Rome, and you cannot treat Romancitizens this way—beating me and throwing me into prison without a trial.” Theywere afraid, because citizenship meant a great deal to these people, especiallyin that community. Pauluses that picture to say: you belong to a greater kingdom—the kingdom ofheaven—so live like it. In fact, in Philippians 3:20, he says, “For ourcitizenship is in heaven.” As believers, you and I have two citizenships:one in the country and world in which we live, and one in heaven. But, myfriend, our greater citizenship is in heaven. And with citizenship comesprivileges, honors, and also responsibilities. Asa citizen of heaven, what a wonderful privilege it is to belong to thatkingdom—but it also carries great responsibility. That is why Paul says, letyour life, your conduct, your conversation be a testimony. Many people neverread the Bible, but they will read your life. That is why the Apostle Paulemphasized consistency—not just in what we say, but in how we live. Hewrote the same to the church at Ephesus in Ephesians 4:1: “Walk worthy ofthe calling with which you were called.” He said the same to the Colossianchurch in Colossians 1:10: “Walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him.” Weare not trying to earn our salvation, because we are already saved. But weshould reflect Jesus Christ. So we are to walk worthy of what? The gospel. Thegospel is a message that changes lives. First Corinthians 15:3–4 tells us whatthe gospel is: Christ died for our sins, He was buried, and He rose again. Thisis the message that brings salvation. It is powerful. And, my friend, thatmessage should be reflected in our lives—transformed, resurrected lives inChrist Jesus. Old things have passed away; all things have become new (2Corinthians 5:17). Sowhat happens then? We reflect the gospel of Jesus Christ. Let me ask you: ifsomeone saw your life—and that was the only thing they could see—what wouldthey think the gospel is? We are writing the gospel every day: With our words.With our actions. And with our attitudes. That is why Jesus said in Matthew5:16, “Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good worksand glorify your Father who is in heaven.” Sotoday, let us live like citizens of heaven—worthy of the gospel of JesusChrist. Godbless and may you have a wonderful, wonderful day!

Todaywe conclude our thoughts in Philippians 1:22–26. We are looking particularly atverses 25 and 26, where the Apostle Paul writes, “And being confident ofthis, I know that I shall remain and continue with you all for your progressand joy of faith, that your rejoicing for me may be more abundant in JesusChrist by my coming to you again.” TheApostle Paul, remember, is in prison in Rome. He is writing back to the churchat Philippi that he had founded years earlier. He uses the words “I amconfident.” He expresses confidence that he will remain—not because ofcircumstances (who knows what the authorities are thinking or planning to dowith him), and not because of human authority—but because he believes that Godhas a purpose for him. “Beingconfident of this, I know that I shall remain and continue.” Remember verse 6 ofthis chapter: “Being confident of this very thing, that He who began a goodwork in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.” I love Psalm138:8: “The Lord will perfect that which concerns me.” God knows when mylast day is. He knows when the time of my departure will be at hand. I don'tknow. But I do know this: I can be confident that as long as I have breath inmy lungs, my mind is working, and my heart is beating, God has a purpose forme—and God has a purpose for you. Thatis what Paul is talking about. What is that purpose? “For your progress andjoy of faith.” The word “progress” means advancing—advancing in your faith,growing in your faith, even through difficult times and circumstances that arenot good. The Christian life is not easy. It involves trials and challenges.But God uses people like the Apostle Paul to help others grow and move forward.God uses people like you and me to help others take that next step in theChristian life in the right direction. Thisreminds us of Acts 14:22, where Paul said, “Through many tribulations wemust enter the kingdom of God.”  Butnotice, growth is not just about endurance—it is about joy. So his confidencewas not only that they would make progress, but that they would have joy offaith. Because as you grow in your faith, you grow in your confidence. Andguess what? Your joy, your completeness, your maturity in Christ grows as well.You experience a satisfaction that only comes from being intimately connectedin a relationship with Jesus Christ. He is living in you. Thenin verse 26: “That your rejoicing for me may be more abundant in JesusChrist.” Notice carefully, Paul is not pointing them to himself. Their joyis not in Paul. Yes, he mentions rejoicing for him—they are rejoicing forPaul—but their rejoicing is not in Paul. Their rejoicing is in Christ. Paulunderstood that any impact he was making was because Christ was working throughhim. That is why he wrote in 1 Corinthians 3:21, “Let no one boast in man.” Everythingpoints to Jesus Christ. So Paul is saying, “When I come to you again, yourjoy will increase—but not because of me, but because of what Christ has doneand is doing.” Letme conclude with this: Live to help others grow. Your life should be impactingsomeone else. Let me ask you—are you discipling someone else? I can tell you,when you experience Christ working in you and through you, and you see othersgrowing in Christ because of your influence, that is real joy. I am convincedthat is the joy Jesus was speaking about in John 15:11 & 16: “Thesethings I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joymay be full”….“Bearing fruit that remains…” Weshould always be pointing others to Christ, no matter what, because we are onlythe instruments—He is the source of all life. It is evident that Paul, while hewas on earth, was not living for himself but for the spiritual growth of others.May the Lord help us to do the same. Godbless and may you have a wonderful, wonderful day!

Todaywe are talking about choosing to stay for the sake of others, and we arefocusing on Philippians 1:24, where Paul writes, “Nevertheless, to remain inthe flesh is more needful for you.” Now Paul has just said in verse 23 thatbeing with Christ is far better. But now he shifts his focus from his desire tohis responsibility. He begins this verse by saying, “Nevertheless.” Inother words, even though I long to be with Christ, to remain in the flesh ismore needful for you. Thisis one of the clearest pictures of selfless living in the New Testament. Paulis saying, “Oh goodness, it is far better for me to go to heaven, but it isbetter for you if I stay.” He chooses to stay for their sake. This reflectswhat we also learn in Philippians 2:3–4: “Let each of you look out not onlyfor your own interests, but also for the interests of others.” Italso reflects the example of our Lord Jesus Christ that we read in Philippians2:5–8, who humbled Himself for us: “Let this mind be in you which was alsoin Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery tobe equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of abondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearanceas a man, He, Jesus Christ, humbled Himself and became obedient to the point ofdeath, even the death of the cross.” Jesusalso gave us an example in Mark 10:44–45. Jesus said to His disciples, “Whoeverof you desires to be first shall be slave of all. For even the Son of Man didnot come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom.” TheApostle Paul is living that out. Paul is willing to delay his own joy so thatothers can grow. I am telling you, my friend, this is real love. Thisalso reminds us of 1 Corinthians 15:58, where he wrote in that greatresurrection chapter, “Be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work ofthe Lord.” Paul saw ministry not as a burden but as a privilege in serving theLord Jesus Christ. Even though he faced pressure, imprisonments, and hardships,he still wanted to stay because he knew there was still work that needed to bedone. Paul gives us a glimpse of the hardships he faced in 2Corinthians 11:22–28: “Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are theyIsraelites? So am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? So am I. Are they ministersof Christ? (I speak as a fool.) I am more: in labors more abundant, in stripesabove measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often. From the Jews fivetimes I received forty stripes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods.Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked. A night and a day I have beenin the deep. In journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, inperils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city,in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among falsebrethren, in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst,in fastings often, in cold and nakedness—besides the other things, what comesupon me daily: my deep concern for all the churches.” Nowlisten, my friend, we think we have it tough. Did you just hear what Paul saidhe has already gone through in his ministry? And yet he says, “I choose to staybecause it is more needful for me to be with you, even though I would muchrather be with Christ.” You can see why he would rather be with Christ inheaven. But he says, “It is needful for me to stay for you.” Oh, for the sakeof others—serving others despite the hardships that we face even now in ourlives. So,let us bring this home today. Your life matters to others. There are people whoneed your encouragement, your example, and your prayers. Staying is sometimesharder than leaving, but God calls us to stay and serve. True maturity putsothers first. It does not ask, “What do I want?” but, “What do others need, andwhat can I do to encourage them?”  Paulchose duty over desire. May God help us to do the same today. 

Todaywe are looking at verse 23 of Philippians 1, where Paul writes, “For I amhard-pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ,which is far better.” Now remember, in verse 21 he said, “To die isgain.” He said in verse 22, that to live on in the flesh means fruit forhis labor; yet what he shall choose he cannot tell. Now he shares somethingdeeply personal—his desire: “I am hard-pressed between the two.” Thatmeans he is being pulled in two directions. On the one side, there is fruitfulservice here on earth, but on the other side, there is being with Christ inheaven. Paulsays very honestly, “having a desire to depart and to be with Christ.”Now the word “depart” here is a beautiful word. It is used of a ship beingloosed from its mooring and going out to sea. It is used often in Scripture asa tent that is being taken down and leaving for another place. It is a soldierbreaking camp in a war and going to a different battlefront. For the believer,death is not a defeat—it is a departure. Paulis not afraid of death. He is not dreading it. In fact, he says he has a strongdesire for it—not for death itself, but for what comes after: to be withChrist. That is the key. Remember, later Paul would write in 2 Timothy 4:6, “ForI am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departureis at hand.” He would write that to Timothy just before he is executed byNero. In 2 Peter 1:13–14, Peter also writes and says, “Yes, I think it isright, as long as I am in this tent, to stir you up by reminding you, knowingthat shortly I must put off my tent, just as our Lord Jesus Christ showed me.” Thesetwo men do not fear death. Putting off their tent and going on their departureonly means they are going to be with Jesus Christ. Paul says, “which is farbetter.” In the original language, “it is far, far better”. Why?Because he had the confidence of 2 Corinthians 5:8: “To be absent from thebody is to be present with the Lord.” Jesus, remember, told the thief onthe cross in Luke 23:43, “Today you will be with Me in Paradise.” Yousee, the Scripture teaches that the moment a believer dies, he is immediatelyin the presence of Jesus Christ. Thispassage reminds us there is no such thing as soul sleep. Paul expected to beconsciously with Christ immediately. Think about it—no more sin, no moresuffering, no more sorrow—fully in the presence of Christ. RememberRevelation 21, where John later would write, “And I heard a loud voice fromheaven saying, ‘Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwellwith them, and they will be His people. God Himself will be with them and betheir God.' Now listen to this: ‘God will wipe away every tear fromtheir eyes; there will be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There will beno more pain, for the former things have passed away.' He goes on to say,‘Behold, I make all things new.' Then He said to me, ‘Write, for these thingsare true and faithful.'” Myfriend, we do not have to worry about going through the valley of the shadow ofdeath. Why? Jesus is going to be with us (Psalms 23:4). Do you have thatconfidence today in your life—that heaven is your next destination, the placeof your departure? Are you looking forward to being with Christ? Because,when you really know Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, heaven isnot just a place—it is a person with whom we long to be. Godbless and may you have a wonderful, wonderful day!

“But if I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit from mylabor; yet what I shall choose I cannot tell. For I am hard pressed between thetwo, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better. Neverthelessto remain in the flesh is more needful for you. And being confident of this, Iknow that I shall remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy offaith, that your rejoicing for me may be more abundant in Jesus Christ by mycoming to you again.” Todaywe are talking about fruitful living while we are here. Let us look atverse 22 again. He says, “But if I live on in the flesh, this will meanfruit from my labor; yet what I shall choose, I cannot tell.” So Paulbegins by acknowledging something very simple, but very, very powerful. As longas he is active, his life has a purpose. He says, “If I live on in theflesh, this will mean fruit—fruit for my labor.” In other words, if Godallows me to continue living here on earth, then my life will continue toproduce fruit for the Lord. WhenPaul used the word “flesh,” of course, he was not talking about his sinfulflesh. He was simply referring to his physical life. As long as he is in thisbody, there is work to be done. What kind of work is that? It is fruitfullabor. This reminds us of Colossians 1:5–6, where Paul also wrote to the churchof Colossae: “Because of the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, ofwhich you heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel, which has cometo you, as it has also in all the world, and is bringing forth fruit, asit is also among you since the day you heard and know the grace of God intruth.”  InEphesians 2:10, remember that great verse: “For we are His workmanship,created in Christ Jesus unto good works,” bringing forth the fruit of “goodworks”. So, Paul understood that his life was not about just existing—it wasabout producing fruit for Christ. Let me say this clearly: if God leaves ushere, it is because there is still fruit to be borne. This fruit may includethe fruit of the Spirit, as you know in Galatians 5:22–23. It could be righteousactions in Philippians 1:11 (“Being filled with the fruits of righteousnesswhich are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God”). Or it might be thefruit of winning others to Christ as Paul wrote about in Romans 1:13. Paulsaw his life as an opportunity, not a burden. I will never forget a dear friendof mine. Her name was Estelle Dollar. She was 100-plus years old, and she hadto go into a nursing home—if I remember right—for an infection in her foot. Iwent in to visit her one day after she had been there for only a few days, andshe said, “Pastor Mike, guess what?” She said, “I have already shared thegospel with 50 people—50 people since I have been in here.” Goodness—over ahundred years old, and she still had a passion to be fruitful and share thegospel. How powerful is that? She saw her time in the nursing home as anopportunity to share Christ with others.  Butthen the Apostle Paul goes on to say something very interesting: “Yet what Ishall choose I cannot tell.” Now Paul is not trying to control his future.He is not making demands. He is completely submitted to the will of God. He issaying, “I do not know what God is going to do with me, but I am content withwhatever it is.” Oh,my friend, what a lesson for us today. So often we want to control outcomes. Wewant to know the future. But Paul teaches us that we really need to rest inthis truth: As long as I am here, my life has a purpose, and God is incontrol. Solet me ask you today: Are you seeing your life as fruitful? Are you investingyour time, your energy, and your opportunities for Christ, like Estelle Dollar?Because one day, according to 1 Corinthians 3:12–15, our works will be tested. MayGod help us today to live fruitful lives for the glory of God while we arehere.

“For I know that thiswill turn out for my deliverance through your prayers and the supply of theSpirit of Jesus Christ, according to my earnest expectation and hope, that innothing I shall be ashamed, but with all boldness, as always, so now also Christwill be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me to live isChrist, and to die is gain.” Todaywe are going to conclude our thoughts on these verses in Philippians 1:19–21,and we want to talk about some practical applications that we can take fromthese verses. Numberone: Keep your focus on Christ and not on people. Just like in the previousverses, people will disappoint us. Some may serve with wrong motives, but ourfocus must remain on Christ being magnified—not on what others are doing. Weneed to make sure that we keep our eyes on the Lord. Secondly:We need to depend on prayer and the Holy Spirit—the prayers of others and theSpirit of Jesus Christ to strengthen us and help us. Paul knew that he neededboth the prayers of believers and the supply of the Holy Spirit. We are nodifferent. We cannot live the Christian life in our own strength. That is why Iwant to encourage you to read the Psalms daily. They remind you that the Lordis your rock. He is your salvation. He is your strength. He is your deliverer.He is everything. The Psalms daily remind us of that truth. Numberthree: Make it your goal to never be ashamed of Christ. Paul said, “Innothing I shall be ashamed.” This reminds me of Romans 1:16: “For I amnot ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ.” Ask yourself regularly: Am Iliving boldly for Christ, or am I shrinking back? Augustine said, “Preach thegospel. Preach the gospel, and if necessary, use words.” And I can assure youit will be necessary to also use words! Numberfour: Live so that Christ is magnified in your body. In other words, in youractions, your responses to trials, your life—does your life make Christ lookgreat? This again reminds me of 2 Corinthians 4:7-10: “But we have thistreasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God,and not of us. We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we areperplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but notdestroyed. Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, thatthe life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.” And so, myfriend, that is what we should be doing—living so that Christ is magnified inour bodies. Weshould remember that we can fill in the blanks ourselves:Forme to live is ______, and to die is ______.Somepeople say, “For me to live is money, and to die is to leave it all behind.”Otherssay, “For me to live is fame, and to die is to be forgotten.”Otherssay, “For me to live is power, and to die is to lose it all.”Myfriend, we must echo the conviction of the Apostle Paul, “For me to live isChrist, and to die is gain”. Ifwe are going to have joy in spite of our circumstances, and if we are going toshare in the furtherance of the gospel, then we need to adopt Paul'sperspective on life and death:Tolive is Christ—then every day has purpose.Todie is gain—then we do not have to fear the future. Thefinal thought for these verses on my heart today is this: Paul could rejoice indifficult circumstances and ignore the wrong motives of others because his lifewas anchored in one unshakable truth—Christ is everything. That is why we havetitled chapter one “The Single Mind”—a focus that is always on Christ and thefurtherance of the gospel. Yes, that Christ would be magnified in us. Thatis my prayer for you today. And that is my prayer for me today. Godbless and may you have a wonderful, wonderful day!

Todaywe are continuing to look at Philippians 1:19–21, where the Apostle Paulwrites: “For I know that this shall turn out for my deliverance through yourprayers and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ. According to my earnestexpectation and hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but with allboldness, as always, so now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whetherby life or by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” Herethe Apostle Paul shares his heart in verse 20—that in nothing he would beashamed, but that Christ would be magnified in his body, whether by life or bydeath. That is a powerful statement. You see, Paul's greatest concern was nothis comfort. It was not his reputation. It was not even his survival. His onegreat desire was that Christ might be magnified. Iread something that I felt I ought to share with you: “How does Christ need tobe magnified? After all, how can a mere human being ever magnify the Son ofGod? The stars are much bigger than the telescope, yet the telescope magnifiesthem and brings them closer. The believer's body is to be a telescope thatbrings Jesus Christ close to people. You see, to the average person, Christ isa distant figure in history who lived centuries ago. But as the unsaved watchthe believer go through a crisis, they can see Jesus magnified and brought muchcloser through the life of a Christian with a single mind. Christ is with ushere and now.” “Thetelescope brings distant things closer, and the microscope makes tiny thingslook big. To the unbeliever, Jesus is not very big. Other people and otherthings are far more important in their lives. But as the unbeliever watches theChristian go through a crisis experience, they ought to be able to see howgreat Jesus Christ really is. The believer's body becomes a lens that makeswhat seems like a small Christ to them appear very great—and brings what seemsdistant very near.” Oh my friend, how powerful that truth is. Thisis what we see in 2 Corinthians chapter 4. When we go through a crisis as abeliever, we are vessels that carry a great treasure—and that treasure is JesusChrist. When we are knocked down, yet get back up… when we are persecuted, yetrespond with grace… when we bless those who oppose us and pray, “Father,forgive them; for they know not what they do”—and people are watching us—theybegin to see something different. And they say, “Wow, how did you do that?”  Thatis why in 2 Corinthians 4 it speaks of Christ being made manifest in our mortalbody. Paul's one desire was to magnify Christ—to make Him large, visible, andexalted. He was saying, “I want my life, or even my death, to make Christclearly seen.” This echoes what he wrote in Galatians 2:20: “I am crucifiedwith Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me.” Andin 2 Corinthians 5:15: “That they which live should not henceforth live untothemselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.” Oh my friend, weshould desire to be able to say with the Apostle Paul: “For to me to live isChrist, and to die is gain.” Thiswas not just theology for Paul—this was his life motto. To live is Christ: Christis his purpose. Christ is his message. Christ is his strength. Christ is hisreason for living.  “Andto die is gain.” Why?Because to depart and be with Christ is far better. “To be absent from thebody is to be present with the Lord.” (2 Corinthians 5:8). Paul is saying,“If I live, I serve Christ. If I die, I go to Christ. Either way, I win.” Oh,what a great message for us today. Today,I trust that even as you face the crises of life, Christ will be magnified inyou—so that those who do not know Him will see the real Christ living in you. Godbless and may you have a wonderful, wonderful day! 

“ForI know that this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayer and thesupply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, according to my earnest expectation andhope that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but with all boldness, as always, sonow also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death. Forto me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”Aswe think about these verses and consider the Apostle Paul and his greattestimony—writing this letter from a prison in Rome to his friends and thesaints at Philippi—we must be reminded what the whole book of Philippians isabout. It is a message of joy, a message of encouragement. Despite ourcircumstances, we can still be encouraged, and we can encourage others. Paulcould say, as you come to chapter 4: “I can do all things through Christ whostrengthens me.” He could also say: “I know that God will supply allyour need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” Iam telling you—and I want to remind you, and I may have said this before—wecannot truly say those things, that God will supply all our needs and that wecan do all things through Christ, unless, like Paul in chapter 1, we have asingle mind. Paul had a single mind toward the gospel of Jesus Christ. He had asingle focus on Jesus Christ Himself. Aswe look at these verses before us today, we also need to see how they connectto the previous verses. Remember, in verses 15–18, Paul had just talked aboutpeople preaching Christ with mixed motives—some sincerely, others out of envyand selfish ambition. Instead of becoming bitter, discouraged, or distracted,Paul made a conscious choice: he would rejoice that Christ is being preached. Nowin verses 19–21, we see why Paul could respond that way. Notice, his focus wasnot on people. His focus was not on circumstances. His focus was on Christbeing magnified, no matter what happened to him. Is that your focus—that Christwould be magnified as you go through difficult and trying times? Or do we findourselves complaining, calling others, or even posting things just to makepeople feel sorry for us? No, my friend. I am telling you, when Christ and HisHoly Spirit are working in us, we desire for Him to be magnified. It is notI, but Christ. “I must decrease, and He must increase”, as John the Baptistsaid (John 3:30). Paulsays in this passage: “I know that this will turn out for my deliverance.” Thisword “deliverance” carries the idea of ultimate vindication. Paul isconfident—not necessarily that he will be released from prison or escapesuffering—but that God will accomplish His purpose in him and through him. Noticehow this deliverance comes. He says: “Through your prayer and the supply ofthe Spirit of Jesus Christ.” Deliverance comes through the prayers of God'speople. Iknow how important it is to have people praying for us—to be part of afellowship, not living in isolation, but having friends who will pray for us aswe go through difficult times, and even when things are going well. My friend,I would not be sitting here before you today if it were not for the prayers ofmy mom and dad, and for the prayers of people who love me, care about me, andhave faithfully prayed for me. Yes,through the prayers of God's people and through the supply of the Spirit ofJesus Christ. We are sustained by the prayers of God's people and by the powerof the Holy Spirit working in us and through us. This connects beautifully withRomans 8:28: “And we know that all things work together for good to themthat love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” Yes,my friend, even opposition, even wrong motives in others, even imprisonment—Godcan use it all for His glory. So keep your eyes on Him today. Godbless and may you have a wonderful, wonderful day!

“But the latter, out of love, knowing that I am appointed for thedefense of the gospel, what then? Only that in every way, whether in pretenseor in truth, Christ is preached. In this I rejoice, and will rejoice.” Idon't know about you, but for me today—with the internet, all the social platforms, television programs and somany preachers coming to us in so many ways—there are many who presentthemselves as ministers of the gospel, yet some are doing it with wrong and doing it in ways thatwe may not feel comfortable with, iIt can be very difficult to discern what isright and what is wrong. So how do we deal with it? TheApostle Paul has just acknowledged that some were preaching Christ with wrongmotives—out of envy, strife, and selfish ambition. Now he adds that others werepreaching out of love and sincerity, understanding his calling to defend thegospel. So Paul asks this remarkable question: “What then?” In other words, howshould we respond to this mixture of motives and methods in ministry? Paul'sanswer is both simple and profound: “Christ is preached; and therein do Irejoice. Yea, and will rejoice.” Nowwe must be careful to understand that Paul is not saying wrong motives areacceptable. He is not approving insincere or self-serving preaching. He hasalready exposed those motives for what they are—insincere, selfish, and evenharmful. But at the same time, Paul refuses to lose sight of what matters most:that Christ is being proclaimed. This was the consistent focus of Paul'sministry throughout his life. In1 Corinthians 2:1–2, Paul writes: “And I, brethren, when I came to you, camenot with excellency of speech or of wisdom…For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.” Paul made adeliberate decision. His message, his focus, and his primary goal were topreach Jesus Christ and Him crucified. Then in 1 Corinthians 1:17–18, he wrote:“For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not withwisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect. Forthe preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto uswhich are saved it is the power of God.” Paulunderstood that the power of the gospel is not found in personality,presentation, or human wisdom. The power is in the cross of Jesus Christ. Wesee this again in Galatians 6:14: “But God forbid that I should glory, savein the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.” And in Colossians 1:28: “Whom wepreach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we maypresent every man perfect in Christ Jesus.” Do you see the pattern? TheApostle Paul's message was not about himself. It was not about his reputation.It was not about comparison with others. It was Jesus Christ—and always Christ. Sowhen Paul says in Philippians 1:18 that he rejoices, it is not because heagrees with wrong motives. It is because he rejoices that the true message ofthe gospel is still going forth. This gives us a very important balance for ourown lives today: We must not approve wrong motives in ministry. We must guardour own hearts before the Lord. But we must also keep our focus on Christ andthe gospel, not becoming distracted or discouraged by the failures of others. Myfriend, it is so easy—and you know it is—to become critical, cynical, or evensidetracked when we see people serving for the wrong reasons. But Paul remindsus here today: let's not lose sight of the mission. Lift up Christ. Preach thegospel. Stay faithful. Inthe end, it is not about personalities, preferences, or presentations. It isabout Jesus Christ and Him crucified. May God help us to keep our focus, ourpriorities, and our eyes on Jesus Christ—our message centered on the cross andour hearts pure before Him. And like Paul, may we rejoice whenever Christ ispreached, even as we walk humbly and sincerely before the Lord. Godbless and may you have a wonderful, wonderful day!

Todaywe are continuing in Philippians 1, and we are looking at verses 15 and 16.This is a very searching passage of Scripture where the Apostle Paul says: “Someindeed preach Christ even of envy and strife; and some also of good will. Theone preach Christ of contention, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction tomy bonds.” This is a sobering statement. The Apostle Paul is saying thatthere were some people actually preaching Christ, but doing it with the wrongmotives. Wecould have entitle our chat today: “What kind of motives do you have as youserve Christ?” Are we serving Christ with the right motives, or are we servingHim for the wrong reasons? Paul said, some were driven by envy, jealousy, andselfish ambition. He says they were not sincere. In fact, they were hoping tomake Paul's situation even more difficult while he was in prison. Thisreminds us of a very important truth: it is possible to do the right thing, butfor the wrong reasons or the wrong motives. As we understand, Paul even goes onto say that although some preach Christ for the wrong reasons, he stillrejoices that Christ is being preached. So yes, Paul rejoices that the gospelis going forth. But this does not mean that God ignores the motives of theheart. One day, every motive will be examined. In1 Corinthians 3:12–15, we are told that our works will be tested by fire: “Ifany man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall besaved; yet so as by fire.” This is not a judgment of whether or not we aresaved—that was settled at the cross when we trusted Christ. But it is a matterof our works and our motives. The fire will reveal what kind of work it reallywas. Thenin 1 Corinthians 4:5, Paul writes: “The Lord will bring to light the hiddenthings of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts.” Didyou catch that? Not only what we did, but why we did it will be revealed. Jesusspoke very plainly about this in Matthew chapter 6. He warned about giving,praying, and fasting just to be seen by others. And each time He said: “Theyhave their reward.” In other words, if the praise of people is what theywanted, then that is all the reward they will receive. There will be no rewardfrom our Father in heaven when we do things just to be praised by men. Thisbrings to light the words of Jesus in John 15:5: “Without Me, you can donothing.” That does not mean we cannot stay busy or accomplish thingsoutwardly. It means we can do nothing of eternal value apart from Him—nothingthat will count for eternity, nothing that will stand the test when it passesthrough the fire at the judgment seat of Christ. Sowe must continually ask ourselves the question: Why am I serving the Lord? Am Iserving Him out of love for Christ? Am I serving Him for His glory? Or is therea desire to be seen, to be recognized, or even to be compared to others? I knowsome people serve Christ out of what might be called “religious compensation”.They are trying to make up for the wrong they did before they were saved. Myfriend, we can never repay Christ for what He did for us on the cross. That isa wrong motive and a wrong reason to serve Him. InColossians 3:23–24, we read: “And whatsoever you do, do it heartily, as tothe Lord, and not unto men;Knowingthat of the Lord you shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for you servethe Lord Christ.” Wemust always remember that one day we will stand before the Lord Jesus Christ,and everything will be revealed. The things done for Him, through Him, and independence upon Him will remain—and they will be rewarded. But the things donein the flesh, for self, or for the praise of men, will be burned up. MayGod help us to serve the Lord with a pure heart, in full dependence uponChrist, and for His glory alone. For in the end, that is all that will matter. MayGod help us to do that today. Godbless and may you have a wonderful, wonderful day!

“I am in prison, but thesethings have happened to me for the furtherance of the gospel” (verse 12). Nowin verse 13-14, he writes, “So that it has become evident to the wholepalace guard, and to all the rest, that my chains are in Christ; and most ofthe brethren in the Lord, having become confident by my chains, are much morebold to speak the word without fear.” Paul is saying that everyone there inthe prison now clearly understands that he is there because of his testimony inJesus Christ. He is in chains because of his witness for Christ and hiscommitment to share the good news of Jesus Christ. As a result, he says thatothers, because of his boldness, have been encouraged to also share the gospelwith boldness. Paul'ssuffering did something very powerful—it gave others courage to speak up forJesus in their own chains, in their own situations. Possibly even the guards inthe prison who may have been afraid are now telling others about Christ becausethey saw his boldness, his faith, and his confidence in Christ. They werestrengthened. Myfriend, do not ever underestimate the influence you have in helping others dowhat they ought to do. When you remain faithful in difficulty, it encouragesothers to do the same. Your courage can spread. Never underestimate what Godcan do through you and your example when you stand with courage and boldnessfor Jesus Christ. Oneof the most powerful stories in the Old Testament—and one of my favorites—isfound in 1 Samuel chapters 13 and 14. The Philistines had surrounded the nationof Israel and the armies of Israel. Saul, who was king at that time, wasabsolutely afraid—trembling. The Scripture says in verses 5–7 of chapter 13: “ThePhilistines gathered together to fight with Israel: thirty thousand chariots,six thousand horsemen, and people as numerous as the sand on the seashore. Theycame and encamped at Michmash, to the east of Beth Aven. Whenthe men of Israel saw that they were in danger, for the people were distressed,they hid in caves, thickets, rocks, holes, and pits. Some of the Hebrews evencrossed over the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. As for Saul, he wasstill in Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling.” The people were in adesperate situation. They had no weapons. The Philistines had them surroundedand were preparing to attack. Butthen there is Jonathan in chapter 14, the son of Saul. He says to the young manwho bore his armor, in verse 6: “Come, let us go over to the garrison ofthese uncircumcised; it may be that the Lord will work for us. For nothingrestrains the Lord from saving by many or by few.” His armor bearer said tohim, “Do all that is in your heart. Go then; here I am with you, according toyour heart.” Hereis Jonathan saying, “We are going to take on these Philistines—just me andyou.” And his armor bearer says, “I am with you all the way.” God gave him oneperson to stand with him. As you read the story, they formed a plan andattacked the garrison of the Philistines. God caused the ground to tremble. ThePhilistines became terrified, began turning on one another, and startedfleeing. Just two men, with one sword between them, fighting a whole army—andthey began to win a great victory. Asthe story continues, you find that the people who had been hiding in caves,dens, and rocks—the ones who had deserted—came back into the battle. They cameout of hiding. They found courage to stand up and fight. Why? Because of thecourage of one young man, Jonathan, and his armor bearer as they fought againstthe Philistines. Myfriend, you never know how God will use you when you exhibit courage to sharethe gospel. Your courage may be the very thing that encourages someone else tostep forward and do the same. That is what Paul is talking about here. Thecourage God gave him spread to others, and now they are more bold to share thegood news of Jesus Christ.

Todaywe are continuing to look at Philippians 1:12.Icould not help but think yesterday, as we were finishing up the chat on thisverse, about the story of the Good Samaritan. You know that story in Lukechapter 10, where a man—a lawyer—asked Jesus, “Who is my neighbor?” TheLord had just spoken to him about the great commandment: “To love the Lordyour God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. Thenthe second commandment is of equal importance: to love your neighbor asyourself.” So the lawyer asked, “Who is my neighbor?” Then the Lord toldthe parable—the story of the Good Samaritan. Aman had gone down from Jerusalem to Jericho, to gamble or to pursue whateverworldly and ungodly desires drew him away from the holy city. He was going downto a place that was not good. Along the way, he was beaten by thieves, who tookeverything he had and left him on the side of the road half dead. You rememberhow a priest and a Levite came by, and in essence said, “What is mine is mine,and I am going to keep it. I am not going to share it with you.” But finally,this Good Samaritan came by, and he took what he had and helped the man. Youknow the story. Jesus said this man was the one who helped his neighbor. Jesuswas answering the question, “Who is my neighbor?” Here is the answer to thelawyer's question: Your neighbor is whoever is closest to you with a need. Nowthink about that—whoever is closest to you with a need. You may be thinking,“Everyone around me seems to have it all together.” But my friend, if thosearound you do not have Jesus Christ in their heart, they have the greatest needanyone could have in life. That is the need to know Jesus Christ, to hear thegospel, to be lifted out of a life of brokenness and sin and brought to asaving knowledge of Him. Yourneighbor is the closest person to you in need. Sometimes it might be the guardyou are chained to. He may be mistreating you, but he has needs in his life—andhe needs Jesus. My friend, I do not care what the circumstances may be or whereyou find yourself in life—who is the neighbor next door to you? I remember alady who had a neighbor next door, and they were constantly fighting overthings like who was mowing whose grass and other small matters. She finallywent to the preacher and said, “I just cannot take it anymore. I am trying tobe a good Christian. I have even tried to cut his grass, and it is just notworking out very well. I have used up all my Christianity praying for him. Icannot take anymore.” Myfriend, maybe you feel like that. But that may be the very opportunity God isgiving you to truly show the love of God to someone who is veryunlovable—someone who is very unkind. That person next to you, who may bedisplaying the worst attitudes, may actually be the one crying out for help theloudest. Weshould be like the Good Samaritan, who took that poor, broken man out of theditch, put him on his own donkey, took him to an inn, paid his bills, and said,“I will come back and pay the rest—just let me know what it costs.” That issomeone willing to give up time, resources, energy—whatever it takes—to helpthe person closest to them in need, even when they do not know them. But myfriend, you come to know them when you show them you care and tell them aboutJesus. SoI want to encourage you, be like the Good Samaritan. Look for the neighborclosest to you—anyone at work, at the grocery store, at the gas station,wherever it may be. In the most unlikely circumstances—even in prison—you mayfind that person who is waiting for you to tell them about Jesus. I trust that,as Paul said, this is happening for the furtherance of the gospel. And we needto understand that everything in our lives, God is using to guide our steps forthe furtherance of the gospel. May the Lord help us to be alert to that.

Philippians 1:12 Todaywe are continuing to look at Philippians 1:12. The Apostle Paul is writing backto the church of Philippi from prison in Rome. He is in chains, and he writes, “ButI want you to know, brethren, that the things which happened to me haveactually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel.” You can imagine hisfriends back at Philippi are concerned. Paul is in prison. He might be beaten,like he was when he was in jail in Philippi years ago when he founded thechurch there. Paul might be hungry. He might be terribly hurt. He might betortured. Maybe he is even facing death. They could have been so concerned. YetPaul writes to them this letter of encouragement. He says, “But I want you toknow, brethren, that the things that have happened to me have actually turnedout for the furtherance of the gospel.” Theymight have been thinking that Paul is such a great minister. He has otherchurches and cities to go to. He has churches to plant. He is a church builder.He is a church planter. Now he is in prison. How could God allow that tohappen? Yet Paul is saying, “No, no, that is just the opposite. God has me herefor a purpose.” Overthe years, I have talked about divine appointments. One of the most excitingthings in my life over the years—especially as we traveled, or even in everydaylife—is that I believe we should be looking for divine appointments. God hassomebody, somewhere in our path, that He wants us to tell about Jesus Christ.Sometimes it ends up being in the strangest places. Iwill never forget when I went to visit a man in the hospital. I had his name.He was a friend of mine, and I had known him for years. I looked up his name atthe hospital, found his room number, and went to that room. I looked in, and itwas not him. There was someone else in that bed. I went back down to thenurse's station and said, “Hey, listen, I am looking for so-and-so. I know heis here. Here is his name, and this is the room number.” They looked it up andsaid, “That is the man. He is in that bed. He is in that room.” I said, “No, heis not. I know him. He is not in there.” They said, “He is too. That is the manin that room.” Iwent back and looked, and sure enough, the man in the bed had the exact samename as the man I was wanting to visit—but he was a totally different person. Isat there and began talking to him and asked him where he went to church. Hesaid he did not go anywhere. I shocked him by saying, “That is great. That isreally good.” He said, “What? You are a pastor. You would expect me to go tochurch.” I said, “Oh no. One thing I do not have to worry about is that you arenot thinking going to church will get you to heaven.” I had the opportunity towitness to him, lead him to Christ, and later baptize him and his wife. Adivine appointment. I never would have expected it. I was not in the wrongroom—I was in the right place at the right time, on God's timing, in God'sdivine appointment.  Thereare so many opportunities that take place. Paul says, “I want you to know,brethren, that the things that have happened to me have actually turned out forthe furtherance of the gospel.” Doors open for us that would not have openedany other way. God places us in unexpected situations—not to stop us, but touse us. It might be the workplace. It might be a hospital room, as we said. Itmight be a difficult season in our life. Iremind you of Proverbs 16:9: “A man's heart plans his way, but the Lorddirects his steps.” Proverbs 20:24: “A man's steps are of the Lord; howthen can a man understand his own way?” And then Psalm 37:23: “The stepsof a good man are ordered by the Lord, and He delights in his way.”  

Todaywe are continuing to look at Philippians 1:12–18. Paul is talking about hiscircumstances here. Paul had other plans, no doubt, for what he thought Godwanted him to do. Yet the Holy Spirit of God had other plans for him. God hashim in prison for a purpose. We are talking about what happens when life doesnot go as we planned it. Yesterdaywe began telling the story about Joseph. Joseph was thrown into a pit by hisbrothers. Then he went to Potiphar's house in Egypt as a slave. Then he endedup in a prison in Egypt. But the next thing you know, God reveals and unveilsthe vision that Joseph had for himself. He becomes next to Pharaoh, ruler overall of Egypt, and saves not only the land of Egypt from a great famine but alsohis family. Nowwe are looking at Philippians 1:12, where Paul says, “But I want you toknow, brethren, that the things which happened to me have actually turned outfor the furtherance of the gospel.” Paul is in prison. He is in chains. Heis chained between guards, but there he has the opportunity to share the goodnews of Jesus Christ. So even in our setbacks, even in our disappointments,even in situations we never would choose, God is working. God can use it allfor His glory to bring about the furtherance of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Anothergreat story after the book of Genesis is in Exodus—the story of Moses. Moses,when he is 40 years old and has been trained in all the arts and military waysof the Egyptians, thinks he is going to deliver the people of Israel. Thishappens some 400 years, after Joseph and Moses now is going to deliver them. Hestarts that process and kills an Egyptian. Then he ends up running for hislife. For the next 40 years of his life he lives in a desert. He thought Godwas going to use him earlier. He had all the equipment. He had all theknowledge. He had all the background—everything. Yet God wanted to put him outthere in a desert, watching smelly sheep. Moses would have never planned that.But God had a plan in preparing Moses to become the great leader of the nationof Israel, to bring them out of bondage, to be their deliverer, to take them tothe promised land, and to lead them for the next 40 years through thewilderness. Ohmy friend, it is awesome how God works in our lives through the strangestsituations and circumstances that we would never choose. Thenyou think of David—little David, maybe 12 or 13 years old—out playing his harpon a hillside, praising God, worshiping, and getting to know Him. He is lookingat creation, watching God's sheep, and thinking, “Man, it is awesome takingcare of these sheep.” He begins to dream about what God might want to use himfor. He ends up being anointed king by Samuel when he was around 15 years old.He has no idea what that means, but wow, something good is happening. The nextthing you know, he kills Goliath, and everybody is excited about David. Butthen Saul gets jealous. For the next 12 to 15 years, David is fleeing for hislife—something he would never choose. But he gathers a band of men to followhim. He begins to learn how to trust God as his life is at risk every day. Godis preparing him to be the great King David of Israel for the next 40 yearsafter he becomes king at 30 years of age. Sometimesthings happen that we think are bad, but God is preparing us. God is working inour lives. So do not throw in the towel. Do not quit. Keep on keeping on. Godwill continue to do something that will amaze you. Paul says, “Here I am inprison, but it has turned out for the furtherance of the gospel.” We will talkmore about that in the next few days. Today,think about what God might be doing in your life today, despite yourcircumstances.

Todaywe are continuing in Philippians 1and we will be looking at verses 12–18 overthe next few days. Here in verse 12 we are talking about when life does notgo as planned—when your plans fall apart and it seems like nothing ishappening the way you dreamed or thought God intended for your life. You mayfind yourself wondering, “What is this all about?” TheApostle Paul could have asked that same question, but he looked at it in adifferent light. He begins talking about his circumstances here in verse 12. “But I want you to know, brethren, that thethings which happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of thegospel" Thinkabout it—Paul is in prison. He is in chains. He is restricted. His plans havebeen interrupted. If I remember correctly, he had even planned to go on toSpain, but now he is in a prison in Rome. He is writing to his beloved friendsthere at Philippi. Yet he says that what has happened to him, as he sits in aRoman prison, has actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel. It hashelped move the gospel forward. Youknow, my friend, life does not always go as we plan it. The truth is, God isstill on the throne. God is still at work. Even in our setbacks, even in ourdisappointments, even in situations we would never choose for ourselves, Godcan use it all. What looks like a detour to us is often part of God's designand God's plan. Oneof the best stories in the Bible that illustrates this is the story of Joseph.God had a plan for Joseph to save his family. Even as a child, he began to havevisions and dreams of how God was going to use him in a special way. One day,he went to check on his ten brothers. What he saw was not good. He returned andgave his father, Jacob, an honest report about them, but it was not a good one.As a result, his brothers—already envious of him because he seemed to be theirfather's favorite—grew to hate him. Later,when they had the opportunity at Dothan, they threw him into a pit. At first,they even considered killing him, but instead they sold him into slavery andmade money on him. Joseph ended up in Egypt. Now obviously things were notgoing according to Joseph's plans. He had seen visions and dreams ofgreatness—of the stars and even his family bowing before him. Yet now he was aslave in Potiphar's house. Fora time, things went well. But then Potiphar's wife tried to seduce him. Herefused, and she falsely accused him. As a result, he was thrown into prison.Again, things did not seem to be going well. Yet even there, the hand of theLord was with him, and he made the best of his situation. Eventually, as youknow, he was brought before Pharaoh. He interpreted Pharaoh's dreams and waselevated to a position of authority—second only to Pharaoh in all of Egypt.  Yearslater—about twenty-two years later—his brothers came to Egypt to buy foodduring the famine. Joseph recognized them, and instead of seeking revenge, hehelped them. He provided for them and eventually brought his entire family toEgypt. After their father Jacob died, his brothers feared that Joseph mightfinally take revenge. They came to him and pleaded for forgiveness. But Josephsaid, “No, no. You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good.”(Genesis 50:19-20) Myfriend, when your plans fall apart and life does not go as expected, rememberthis: God still has a plan. God is still at work. He can use you right whereyou are, no matter what your circumstances may be. As you think about thesethings today, be encouraged—God is still on the throne. Godbless and may you have a wonderful, wonderful day!

Todaywe are continuing to look at Philippians 1:9–11. This is the prayer of theApostle Paul for the saints there at Philippi. He concludes that prayer withthese words: “to the glory and praise of God.” Thatis why we were created—to praise and glorify the Lord. Everything we do—everydecision, every action, every attitude—is meant to bring glory to God. Notglory to ourselves, not recognition from others, but glory to Him. Now let meask you a question. When we talk about the glory of God, what comes to yourmind? What do you picture? AsI study the glory of God in the Bible, I am overwhelmed with the thought thatliterally the entire Bible—from Genesis 1 to the last verses of Revelation—isall about the glory of God. I used to say the Bible is the story of redemption.It is, no doubt, the story of redemption—God redeeming man from his sin andrestoring him to a right relationship with Himself. Yet behind all of that, andeven before all of that, it is about the glory of God. WhenI picture the glory of God, after studying both the Old and New Testaments, Ifind that the glory of God is the expressed presence of God Himself. In the OldTestament, when the glory of God came down on the tabernacle, the Shekinahglory cloud descended. It was the presence of God in the midst of His people.The glory of God rested over the cherubim—on the mercy seat, between thecherubim—in the Most Holy Place, where no one could enter except the highpriest once a year. There, he would encounter the manifest presence of God. Thenwe read in Psalm 8:1, “O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is Your name in allthe earth, who have set Your glory above the heavens.” And in Psalm 19:1, “Theheavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork.” Oh,my friend, do you realize that all creation cries out and declares the presenceand the glory of God—the One who created all things? Why? For His glory, tomanifest His presence. Creation is a display of God's handiwork.  Thatmeans when we glorify the Lord, we are magnifying His presence—we are makingHis presence known. As a matter of fact, Jesus Christ Himself came for thatvery purpose. Remember John 1:1 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Wordwas with God, and the Word was God.” Then verse 14: “And the Word becameflesh and dwelt among us.” John says this “flesh” is none other thanChrist—God Himself in our midst. John goes on to say: “And we beheld Hisglory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace andtruth.” Jesus was the manifest glory—the very presence of God—among thepeople. Joseph was told by the angel in Matthew 1:23; "Behold, thevirgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His nameImmanuel," which is translated, "God with us." Nowthe Bible teaches in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 that: “our bodies are the templeof God. Therefore, we are to glorify God in our body and in our spirit,which are God's”. In other words, everything we do—every word we speak,every attitude we display—ought to reflect who God is. God is in our lives. Godis in control of our lives. That is why the Holy Spirit was sent. If you readJohn chapters 14 through 16, the Holy Spirit was sent to glorify Jesus Christand to glorify the Father in us and through us. Read Revelation chapters 4 and5. All of creation and everyone in it one day will be declaring His glory! Myfriend, this changes everything about how we live. We do not serve to be seen.We do not give to be praised. We do not live for applause. We live for anaudience of One. Let me ask you today: Is your life pointing others to JesusChrist, or is your life pointing others to you? Which of the two, my friend? Itrust your life is reflecting the presence and glory of God to the people aroundyou. A life filled with the fruit of righteousness brings glory to God, becauseothers see God in us. That is what the world needs to see today in His people.

 God desires that our lives producefruit. Taketime to read the entire chapter of John 15. It is in this chapter that Jesus isin the upper room with His disciples, and one of the things He speaks of thereis abiding in Him. If you abide in Him, He says that you will bear fruit. Inverse 5, “I am the vine, and you are the branches. He who abides in Me, andI in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” Inverse 8, He goes on to say, “By this My Father is glorified, that you bearmuch fruit; so you will be My disciples.” Then verse 16: “You didnot choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bearfruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Fatherin My name He may give you.” Wefind that the desire of the Father, the desire of Jesus Christ, is that weabide in Him and live a life that bears fruit—not just activity. So many of usbecome so active doing things for the Lord that we try to produce fruit by whatwe do. Activity is not the same as fruitfulness. We get so busy that weactually forget to take time to abide in Christ, to fellowship with Him, and toremember that our strength, grace, and power come from Him alone. Thisis real spiritual fruit. Remember Galatians 5:22: “The fruit of the Spiritis love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, meekness, kindness, temperance,self-control.” All these things—these are the fruit of the Spirit. Thefruit of the Spirit is something God produces within us. When we yieldourselves, when we are filled with the Holy Spirit, when we are filled with theWord of God, then we begin to see the fruit of the Spirit being produced in ourlives. Whatis the outward evidence of this fruit in our lives? It flows from an inwardrelationship with Christ. It is Christlike character. It is godly attitudes. Itis righteous activity. I cannot help but think of Psalm 23: “The Lord is myshepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leadsme beside the still waters.” Notice next: “He leads me in paths ofrighteousness for His name's sake.” Whenwe are following Jesus—our Shepherd, our Good Shepherd, our Great Shepherd, ourears are attuned to what He wants us to do. We are on mission with Him. We donot have our own agenda; we are His servants. We follow Him. We do what Hecommands us—to love one another, to love our neighbors as ourselves, and toshare with the world around us the wonderful good news of Jesus Christ. Thesefruits of righteousness, as you see in verse 11, “which are by JesusChrist.” Literally, it is the life that Christ is living in and through us.That is why Paul would later write, “I am crucified with Christ;nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me. And the life which Inow live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me andgave Himself for me” (Galatians 2:20). Thatbrings me to James 3:13–15. We have been talking about the wisdom of God thatis in Christ and the knowledge of God to know Him. James asks the question, “Whois wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that hisworks are done in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter envy andself-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. Thiswisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, and demonic. Butwhere envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there.But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle,willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and withouthypocrisy. Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those whomake peace.” Myfriend, that is the wisdom that is from above. “If you lack wisdom”—James1:5—"let him ask of God”. It is yielding your life to Jesus Christand allowing His life to live through you, and you will live a life full of thefruits of righteousness. Help us, O God, to have that kind of life.

Todaywe're looking at Philippians 1:9–11. These verses teach us how to pray. Paulprayed these words for the believers at Philippi. This is a powerful prayer—aprayer that we can pray for each other. But I think it is also a prayer that weneed to understand can be applied even to ourselves.  Todaywe want to look at this phrase: “that you may be sincere and withoutoffense till the day of Christ”. Till the day of Christ—sincere andwithout offense. Of course, sincere carries the idea of being pure and genuine,without hidden motives. Did you realize that one day, when we are standing atthe judgment seat of Christ as believers, we will be judged? There we will bejudged for our works—not so much for what we did, but why we did what we did.What was the motive behind our work? (Read 1 Corinthians 3:9-15). Didwe go to church? Oh yes, we went to church. But why did we go to church? Did wego so people would see us and think, “Oh, you're a good Christian,” and we wantpeople to notice that we're trying to be a good Christian? No. The motive isnot to go to church to show others what kind of Christian we are. The motivemust be to glorify the Lord. Why did we tithe? Why did we teach Sunday School?Why did we go on the mission trip? We will be judged and rewarded not for whatwe did or didn't do, but for our motive behind the act of service or giving. That'swhy Paul ends this prayer by saying that “we are being filled with thefruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise ofGod”. Whatever we do, we are to do to the glory of God through JesusChrist. Remember, it is not so much what you do—it is who you are. That's whatJesus said in His first recorded message in the Gospels, in Matthew chapter 5.We call it the Beatitudes. I often say these are the attitudes that humanbeings ought to have—the attitude of Jesus Christ. Rememberwhat they were in Matthew chapter 5. He says, “Blessed are the poor in spirit,for theirs is the kingdom of God.” It is the spirit of humility, not of pride.That's the first thing that must be going on in our hearts. We are totally,absolutely dependent upon Jesus Christ. “Blessedare those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” We are broken over our sin.The first words we have recorded that Jesus preached in the Gospel of Matthew4:17. “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” We have anattitude of turning from our way to God's way. That's what it means to repent.Then we become sincere, and we are without offense in our motives—genuine, withno hidden motives. “Withoutoffense”means living in a way that does not cause others to stumble. We can say toothers, “Follow me as I follow Christ,” and we say it in humility. “Blessedare the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” The word meek means thatwe are totally, absolutely yielded to the Lord in every aspect of our lives.We've given up ownership of our lives. We've given up the right to ourselves toJesus Christ. He is Lord of our lives. Whenwe live in sincerity and without offense, it is “until the day of Christ”.Remember in verse 6, Paul used this same thought: “Now, being confident ofthis very thing that He who began a good work in you will perform it until theday of Christ.” One day, we're going to give an account for our works—notjust what we did, but what we were. Did we do them in the name of Jesus Christ?Remember John 15—Jesus said, “Without Me you can do nothing.” Asyou think about these things today, ask yourself, are you living a life that issincere and without offense till the day of Christ—that is honest,transparent, and consistent? And why? Is it all to the glory of God?Godbless and may you have a wonderful, wonderful day!

Todaywe are continuing to look at Philippians 1:9–11. This is a prayer that theApostle Paul prayed for the church at Philippi—for the believers there. He waspraying that God would help them be the best they could be for the glory ofGod. Oftentimes we ask the question: How do I pray for my family? How do I prayfor my friends? How do I pray for my pastor? My friend, there are severalprayers in the New Testament where the Apostle Paul prayed for believers indifferent churches. Take time to look those prayers up. Make them your prayers.Write them out. Maybe memorize them, and pray those very scriptural, biblicalprayers for those you want to see the Lord work in. In doing so, you are askingthe Lord to fill them with His Holy Spirit and to give them what they need tobe all that they should be for the glory of God. Asa matter of fact, that is exactly what Paul says in this prayer. Read itagain—Philippians 1:9–11:  Now,as we look at this prayer, we have already talked about how he first prayedthat their love would abound more and more. He prayed that they would have alife of knowledge—living in the understanding of who God is and dedicatingtheir lives to His glory. Then he prayed that they would have discernment. Howimportant it is to have spiritual discernment—to know what is right and what iswrong, what path you should go down, and which path you should avoid. Myfriend, that kind of discernment only comes from being in the Word of God andallowing the Word of God to be in you, guiding your life.  Nowtoday, we come to this next phrase: “that you may approve the things that areexcellent.” This takes discernment one step further. It is not just knowingwhat is right and wrong—it is choosing what is best. You see, there are manythings in life that are not necessarily wrong, but they are not the best use ofour time, our energy, our focus, or our resources. So Paul is praying thatthese believers would prioritize what truly matters in life. Some have calledthis living a life of significance. Too many of us today live on the level ofsuccess—we are always looking for something more or something better for ourselves,our families, and even our grandchildren. When instead, we should be asking,“What does God want for our lives?” Rememberwhat Jesus said: “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, andall these things shall be added to you” (Matthew 6:33). My friend, we areliving in a day of what could be called “weapons of mass distractions.” Ourtelephones, our emails, our text messages, our iPhones—all of these things canpull us away from what truly matters. Let me encourage you: do not think oflife as a list of priorities—God first, family second, church third, and so on.Instead, think of it as a circle. In the very center of that circle is God—theHoly Spirit, the Lordship of Jesus Christ. ReadRomans chapter 14, where it speaks of Christ being Lord of all. Is Jesus trulythe Lord of your life? Is He at the center of everything you do? This does notmean you simply rank one thing above another. It means that whatever you do,you do it for the glory of God, under the Lordship of Jesus Christ, and withHis blessing upon your life. That is what Paul is talking about here—“thatyou may approve the things that are excellent.” Choose carefully the thingsthat are best for your life. Youmight consider reading Charles Hummel's The Tyranny of the Urgent, which speaksabout how urgent things often crowd out what is truly important. They demandimmediate attention, and as a result, we neglect the important things thatmatter most. So I encourage you, my friend: read the Scriptures. The Bibletells us that these things are given to help us become men and women ofGod—complete and equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Let the HolySpirit of God take the Word of God and help you not only to do what is right,but to choose what is best. “Approvethe things that are excellent.”

Todaywe are looking at Philippians 1:9–11. Here we have a prayer that Paul prays forthe believers at Philippi. Remember Paul is in prison. He is in chains back inRome. Many people would think, “Wow, you must feel useless. You are in prison.What can you do?” My friend, you can pray. Paul prayed and he sent a letter tothese people—his friends, the church at Philippi—to encourage them. Thereis never a time in your life when you cannot pray. As long as you have breathin your body and your mind is working, you can call out to God in prayer. Youcan pray for others even when you are in dire straits like Paul. You can alwayspray. What did Paul pray? In these verses, he prayed several things. In verse9, he prayed that they would have a love that grows—a love that overflows. Heprayed that they would have a love with knowledge. He also prayed that theywould have a love with spiritual discernment. Howimportant that is—not only to say, “I love you,” but to have a love that isgrowing for someone, a love that is based on truth—the knowledge of God'sWord—and a love that has discernment to know how to give, how to pray, and howto do what needs to be done to encourage those we are praying for. Paul ispraying for these people to have that kind of love. Paulprays for them to have a love that grows in knowledge. As we were talking aboutknowledge yesterday and what that means, I could not help but think of a versein Psalm 9:10. It says this: “They that know Your name will put their trustin You. For You, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You.” To knowGod's name—Jehovah, Yahweh—to know His many names. We know Jehovah Jireh, theLord who provides, and the list goes on and on. We have given lessons aboutthat on Pastor's Chat. Whenyou know His name, and you know who God really is, and you experience Hisholiness—as Isaiah did in Isaiah chapter 6—he fell on his face. He confessedhis sin of having unclean lips. He was cleansed by an angel and the Word ofGod. Then he heard the voice saying, “Whom shall I send? Who will go for Me?”Isaiah responded, “Here I am, Lord. Send me.” Manypeople believe this love with knowledge means a love that dedicates itself tothe glory of God, to the purposes of God, and to the mission of God. It says,“Here I am, Lord. Send me.” That is knowledge. That is dedication. That isdoing what is right. This knowledge, though, must be accompanied bydiscernment. We find that in this verse as well. Discernmentis the ability to see things clearly—to know what is right and wrong and whattruly matters. We live in a world that is constantly blurring the lines betweentruth and error. Today more than ever, we need spiritual discernment. It helpsus make wise decisions, avoid deception, and stay aligned with God's will. Discernmentdoes not come automatically. It grows as we walk with God, as we study HisWord, and as we listen to His Holy Spirit. We do not need to ask God for moreinformation; most often, we need to ask for discernment. Becauseknowledge—knowing what is right—is good, but choosing what is best is evenbetter. Thatis what real discernment will give us. We will not only know what is right; wewill know what is best—and how to do what is best in the right way. How we needto pray for our friends, our family, our church members, our church leaders,and even our country's leaders to have discernment—so they will not only knowwhat is right but will choose what is best with what is right and do it theright way. MayGod help us to do that, even today. Godbless and may you have a wonderful, wonderful day!

Notice the next words: “in knowledge”—that their lovewould abound in knowledge. Nowthis is very important, because all love is not the same. Some people have whatwe might call an emotional love or emotional affection for someone. I amconvinced that this is what Peter had when he began following the Lord. He sawsome miracles and was excited about the external. As he began to follow theLord Jesus Christ, we find that even after three years, he had many failures.He was following externally. Butone day, something happened that changed him on the inside after a majorfailure. He realized that he needed the truth—that to know the truth would sethim free. That is what Jesus said: “You shall know the truth, and thetruth shall set you free.” You see, Paul is talking here about an informedlove—a love that is guided by truth, not by our feelings. In other words, themore you know God, the more you will love Him. That is why Paul would laterwrite, “That I might know Him and the power of His resurrection, and thefellowship of His sufferings.” That means to be intimately acquainted with whoGod is—who Jesus is. Thatis why, in Colossians chapter 2, Paul writes to the church there, saying: “thattheir hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, and attaining toall riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge ofthe mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ. In whom are hidden allthe treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” Jesus said, “You shall knowthe truth, and the truth shall set you free.” It begins with knowing the truth.Your knowledge must be based on truth, and your love must be founded onthe truth of God's Word. Godso loved you. His love will never change. Nothing can separate us from the loveof God that is in Christ Jesus. As we come to know the Word of God, we come toknow Him. That is why it is so important to have a love that is based on thetruth of God's Word—from Genesis 1:1 to the very end of the book of Revelation.As you study through the Word of God, you come to know God. Thatis why I love 2 Peter 1:2–8. Carefully read these verses, and look for the word“knowledge.” “Grace and peace be multiplied to you in theknowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. As His divine power has given to usall things that pertain to life and godliness through the knowledge of Himwho called us by His glory and virtue by which have been given to us exceedinggreat and precious promises that through these you may be partakers of thedivine nature having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.Now for this very reason give all diligence to add to your faith virtue and tovirtue knowledge and to knowledge self-control to self-controlperseverance to perseverance godliness to godliness brotherly kindness tobrotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound you willneither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”An amazing change has taken place in Peter. He now understood theimportance of loving in knowledge! Paul,go on to say in Philippians 3:8, “Yet indeed I count all things loss for theexcellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I havesuffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gainChrist.” I just want to encourage you today to make sure that your love isbased on knowledge—that you love in knowledge and that it abounds in theknowledge of Jesus Christ. Because, my friend, the more you know Him, the moreyou will love Him. Itis a love that is based and rooted in truth. It is strong. It is wise. It issteady. It comes because we are in God's Word and are thinking on His truthrather than simply listening to what our feelings are telling us. I trust todaythat your love will abound more and more in the knowledge of our Lord andSavior Jesus Christ. Godbless and may you have a wonderful, wonderful day!

Weare continuing to look at Philippians 1, and today we begin looking at verses9–11, where the Apostle Paul tells us how he prayed, and what he prayed for,when he prayed for the Philippian believers. Remember, he had already said thathe gave thanks for them in every prayer of his (v. 4). So Paul was someone whofaithfully prayed specific prayers for these dear people. What do we pray forwhen we pray for others? TheApostle Paul, in these verses, prayed that they would have abounding love withknowledge, that they would have spiritual discernment, that they would havesincerity and be without offense, that they would have the fruits ofrighteousness, and that they would live for God's glory. Wow—whata wonderful thing to pray for believers, that they might find real joy as theylive the kind of life this prayer would produce in them. We see in verse 9 alove that grows and overflows—a love that is joined with knowledge and guidedby spiritual discernment. “And this I pray, that your lovemay abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment…”   Now,my friend, I would encourage you—if you are thinking, “I don't know how to prayfor my wife. I don't know how to pray for my husband. I don't know how to prayfor my children. I don't know how to pray for other believers at church”—openyour Bible to Philippians 1, read verses 9–11 out loud, and make this yourprayer for your friends, your family, and fellow believers. Noticethe first thing Paul prayed for when he prayed for them. He did not pray thatthey would have more success. He did not pray that they would have morecomfort. He did not even begin by praying for knowledge itself. He first prayedfor their love. Now, this love he is speaking of here is agape love—God's love.It is God's love flowing through us. It is a love we do not naturally possess,but one that comes as we are filled with the Spirit. Remember Galatians 5:22—thefruit of the Spirit. The first aspect of the fruit of the Spirit is love. Thatmeans that God Himself is loving through us. It is Christ loving those aroundus through us. Jesussaid to His disciples, “By this all will know that you are My disciples, ifyou have love for one another” (John 13:34). What kind of love was that? Hetaught them to love one another as “I have loved you” (John 13:35). AsGod loves us, as Christ has loved us—remember He died for us. He gave Himselfon the cross. It was an unselfish love. It was an endless, limitless love. Ifyou want to read about the quality and characteristics this love, look in 1Corinthians 13. He gives a description of God's love:“Love suffers long and is kind; love does notenvy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely,does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice ininiquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things,hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.”Thatis the love of God. Herein verse 9, Paul is praying that their “love would abound still more andmore”. That word “abound” means it would grow—it would grow deeper andstronger. It would grow wider. It would grow more intimate. And that love forothers only grows as our love for Jesus Christ grows. Rememberwhat Jesus said to the church at Ephesus in Revelation 2:1-5: “You are a greatchurch. I know your works, your labor—everything is commendable—but I have thisagainst you: you have left your first love. Return to your first love.” Thatlove that is from the heart—that love that is intimate, genuine, sacrificial, andsincere. That is what Paul was praying for. Oh, my friend, let us pray that wewould abound in love—for Jesus and for one another.  Letme ask you: Are you growing in love? Are you more in love with Jesus today thanyou were yesterday—than you were last year? Godbless and may you have a wonderful, wonderful day!

Todaywe are moving on to verse 8 of Philippians 1. The Apostle Paul has already toldthem in verse 7, “Inasmuch as both in my chains and in the defense andconfirmation of the gospel, you are partakers with me of grace.” We havebeen talking about being partakers with him of grace. We are partners togetherin the grace of God as we serve the Lord Jesus Christ wherever we are. TheApostle Paul is in prison. He is in chains. So in verse 8, he goes on to say, “ForGod is my witness, how greatly I long for you all with the affection of JesusChrist.” Thisis powerful for us to understand because here the Apostle Paul says that hislove for them is not just human affection, but it is the affection of JesusChrist. In the original language of this passage, where he talks about“affection,” the word there comes from the idea of the bowels—deep within mybowels, deep within my inner being. There is a love that overflows for you. Whatlove is that? It is not human love. It is supernatural love. It is the love ofJesus Christ. When we become a follower of Jesus Christ and accept Him as ourLord and Savior, and we begin to deny self, take up the cross, and follow Him,something supernatural takes place. There is a love in our heart for others—Imean everyone around us. Nowsometimes it seems impossible to like certain people because of their attitudesand their actions. But no matter whether we can live peaceably with them or not, we are to lovethem. We are to have an affection for them. NowI have always pictured this as understanding that God Himself is love. “God islove” (1 John 4:8 &16). I am, by nature, selfish. I am looking out for me.But God is love. When I now have a relationship with God through Jesus Christ,I have available to me the reservoir of God's endless, limitless love. TheBible teaches us in Romans 5:1-8: “Therefore, having been justified byfaith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” So it allbegins with salvation and justification. Verse 2: “Through whom also we haveaccess by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of theglory of God. And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowingthat tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; andcharacter, hope. Now hope does not disappoint.” Nowhere it is: “Because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts bythe Holy Spirit who was given to us. For when we were still without strength,in due time Christ died for the ungodly” (v.5-6). Now Paul puts thistogether, I believe, helping us understand that as we go through trials—rememberPaul is in prison, he is in chains, he is going through a time ofsuffering—when we go through those difficult times, the tendency is to focus onourselves: our pain, our hurt, our suffering. But Paul says that when all thisreally happens, it should cause us to focus on God and His strength—His greatreservoir of love that is available to us. And the Holy Spirit supernaturallynow pours out that love. SoI picture it this way: I reach up into that reservoir of God's love, and I takeHis love—and whether I feel it or not—I give His love, His grace, His kindness,His gentleness, His affection, His compassion. I give it to the person whoneeds it closest to me. Who is my neighbor? It is the person closest to me whoneeds God and needs to experience His love. What kind of love is that? Here itis: “While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8). Thatis how much He loved us. He gave His own Son. That is the love we nowgive—supernaturally. Not our love, but God's love to those around us. Thatis why Paul said, “I have God as my witness. That is the kind of loveand affection I have for you.” And that is the kind of love and affectionwe should have for those around us as we gather together—even with otherbelievers who are sometimes hard to love.

Ihave good news. They have finally scheduled the surgery for May 7th. On top ofthat, it will be an in-and-out procedure. It is not highly invasive. They willperform the surgery, and when I wake up and begin to feel a little better, Iwill be able to get in the car and come home. Please continue to pray that everything goes well. Now,we are looking at Philippians 1:7. In the previous verses the Apostle Paul hastold the church at Philippi and how thankful he is for them, how he prays forthem with joy, and is confident that God will complete the good work He hasbegun in them. Now Paul says in verse 7, “Just as it is right for me tothink this of you all, because I have you in my heart, inasmuch as both in mychains and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakerswith me of grace.” Today,I want to talk about what Paul means when he says, “in the defense andconfirmation of the gospel.” The Apostle Paul saw his mission in life asproclaiming Jesus Christ and Christ alone. That meant he defended and confirmedthe gospel. What does that mean for you and me today? He says, “You arepartakers with me in this mission of defending and confirming the gospel.”  Todefend, of course, means to stand up for the truth. The Apostle Peter, in 1Peter 3:13-17 addresses this same subject: “And who is he who will harm youif you become followers of what is good?” He is talking about suffering. “Buteven if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you are blessed. And do notbe afraid of their threats, nor be troubled. But sanctify the Lord God in yourhearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reasonfor the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; having a good conscience,that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct inChrist may be ashamed. For it is better, if it is the will of God, to sufferfor doing good than for doing evil. For Christ also suffered for our sins.” Basically,what he is saying is that suffering gives us the opportunity to stand up andproclaim the gospel. It confirms the gospel. And we need to always be ready togive a defense of the gospel because they will be amazed at the hope that youhave and they will ask, “How do you still have joy and peace when you aresuffering wrong?” Ialso like what Jude wrote in the book of Jude, verse 3: “Beloved, while Iwas very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found itnecessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faithwhich was once for all delivered to the saints.” Why? Because certain ungodlymen had come in and were trying to undermine the deity of Jesus Christ (v. 4).  Now,my friend, in this world today that mocks and derides the Christian faith, youand I have the opportunity to defend and confirm the truth of the gospel. In 2Corinthians 5:17 we are told if we are in Christ Jesus, everything has changed.We are new creations. In 2 Corinthians 4 our conduct should reflect the “lifeof Christ in our mortal flesh” in the midst of our suffering. We have thistreasure in earthen vessels. It is often through suffering that the goodness ofGod, the grace of God, and the mercy of God are most clearly seen—and thatgives us an opportunity to contend for the faith. Not to be contentious for thefaith, but to contend—to speak up for it, to defend it, and to live it out soothers can see Christ in us. Thisis so important. People are watching. What do they want to know? They want toknow if what you have is real. It is real when you have Jesus, and He is livingHis life through you in the midst of difficult times. That is what Paul isspeaking of in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. “You arepartakers with me.” Let us be partakers with Christ and with the ApostlePaul, even today, in a world that desperately needs the reality of JesusChrist.

Myfriend, I am convinced that this is the day that Psalm 118:24 propheticallypoints to—that day, the first day of the week when Jesus Christ came out of thegrave victorious over death, sin, the devil, and hell itself. Jesus rose fromthe dead, alive, never to die again, eternally living because He is the eternalGod. Thisis the day that the Lord has made. That very special day 2,000 years ago, whenJesus came out of the grave, changed everything. If Jesus had only died and wehad been told that He died for our sins, we could say that is good. But whatbrings authenticity, effectiveness, and justification to that truth is the factthat He rose from the dead. Romans 4:23-25: “Now it was not written for his sakealone that it was imputed to him, but also for us. It shall be imputed to uswho believe in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, who wasdelivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification.” Theearly disciples, when they preached, referred to the resurrection of JesusChrist again and again in every message. My friend, until the disciplesexperienced the resurrection of Christ, they did not have the courage theydisplayed afterward. Before that, they were fearful. They were hiding. Theywere in fear for their lives. But when they encountered the resurrected Saviorduring those 40 days before He ascended into heaven, something changed. Whatchanged was that, after waiting those 10 days in the upper room, the HolySpirit of God came upon them. The Holy Spirit is the One who made the truth ofthe resurrection of Jesus Christ personal. He made that truth come alive intheir souls, and they were willing to be martyred for the cause of Christ. Allbut one of those disciples were martyred. John is the only one who survivedmartyrdom and died a natural death. My friend, that is the difference theresurrection makes. Thatis, in a sense, what Paul is speaking of in Philippians 1:7 when he tells thechurch at Philippi, “Just as it is right for me to think this of you all,because I have you in my heart, inasmuch as both in my chains and in thedefense and confirmation of the gospel”—remember the gospel is the death,burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ ( Corinthians 15:1-11)  Paul is in chains. He is suffering. He has been through much. Hedoes not know exactly what the future holds while he is in those chains. But hehas grace in the midst of his struggles and his problems. He is talking aboutgrace—grace that gives him everything he needs to be all that he should be,with the peace of God, the joy of God, and the completeness of Jesus Christliving in him and through him.  John1:1-14 tells us, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God,and the Word was God… and the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us, and webeheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full ofgrace and truth.” Jesus is grace personified. When you have Jesus, and youenter into the fellowship of His sufferings, you recognize that He suffersalongside you.  Rememberwhen Paul was saved on the road to Damascus and he said, “Lord, who are You?”Jesus said, “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting.” Jesus goes through oursuffering with us. He weeps with us. He cares for us. We are partakers of Hisgrace. This is not just grace that helps us get through a tough time—it isJesus Himself who is present with us, helping us through every difficulty. Evenwhen we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, the psalmist said,“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear noevil.” Why? “For Thou art with me.” Oh, my friend, through the ministry, work,and power of the Holy Spirit in our lives, we can experience the grace of Jesusevery moment of our lives if we will simply believe and trust Him. We arepartakers of His grace, and I trust you will know that today. Hallelujah—He isrisen! He is risen indeed!

Thisweekend, at Easter time, we have been considering the suffering of our LordJesus Christ on the cross of Calvary. He endured a horrendous, terrible crucifixion foryou and for me. He died in our place for our sins. TheScripture teaches that just as Christ suffered, we also are going to suffer.That is what Philippians 1:7 hints at, I believe, as the Apostle Paul tells thechurch at Philippi, “I have you in my heart.” But then he goes on to say, “inasmuchas both in my chains and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you allare partakers with me of grace.” You are all partakers with me in thisgrace that God gives us in the midst of our suffering. That is what we want totalk about for a few minutes today: partakers of grace together. TheApostle Paul is talking about what it means to share together in what God isdoing in our lives. As we face suffering, God gives us grace for thatsuffering. He mentions that the church at Philippi was a group of people whoshared in his ministry. They shared in his suffering. They shared in hismission. Even while Paul was in prison, and as he says here, “in my chains,”they were still connected to him, even though they were miles away. My friend,grace is not something we receive only individually. It is something weexperience together. We share in the work of God. We share in the struggles wego through, and we share in the victories. Iam thinking of Hebrews 13:1-3, where the Apostle Paul—I say the Apostle Paulbecause I feel he probably wrote the book—says, “Let brotherly lovecontinue. Do not forget to entertain strangers, for in so doing some haveunwittingly entertained angels.” Then in verse 3, “Remember theprisoners as if chained with them—those who are mistreated—since you yourselvesare in the body also.” The Bible teaches us that we are to consider thatwhile other believers are suffering, we are to enter into their suffering as ifit were our own. We feel with them their suffering with compassion and empathy,and we pray and intercede on their behalf. TheApostle Paul also spoke about the sufferings of Christ in Philippians 3:10:“that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship ofHis sufferings.” There we see that we are partakers of the suffering ofChrist, and God gives us grace for that. Also in Romans chapter 8:16-17, weread, “The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are childrenof God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ.”Now listen: “if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorifiedtogether.” Then in verse 18 he says, “For I consider that the sufferingsof this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shallbe revealed in us.” How wonderful is that. One day it will be worth itall!!!! In1 Peter 5:10 we read: “But may the God of all grace, who called us to Hiseternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect,establish, strengthen, and settle you. To Him be glory and dominion forever andever. Amen.” As we read the passage of Scripture in Philippians 1:7, Paulis thinking, speaking, and emphasizing that you are partakers of this gracewith him in his suffering—as if chained with him. My friend, God does give usthe grace we need when we face suffering—when we go through pain, problems,difficulties, and challenges. Andwhen we join in that suffering with fellow believers—by interceding for them,showing compassion, letting them know we are praying for them and thinkingabout them—that is exactly what Paul is saying: “I am thinking about you. Ihave you in my heart. And understand, you are partakers with me in mysuffering, in my chains.” That is how we encourage one another, and that is howwe help each other become better saints for the glory of God and for His honor. Oh,my friend, these are things we should think about: partakers of grace together.We need each other in His grace.

Todaywe are focusing on verse 7, where we see a pastor's heart: “Just asit is right for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart,inasmuch as both in my chains and in the defense and confirmation of thegospel, you all are partakers with me of grace.” TheApostle Paul was once a persecutor—a zealous persecutor—of the church. You readabout this in Acts chapters 7-8. He was standing there when Stephen was beingstoned to death, holding the garments of those who carried it out. My friend,Paul hated Christians. At that time, he was known as Saul. But somethinghappened on the road to Damascus when he met Jesus, and everything changed. Rememberwhen Jesus met him on that road. When Saul asked, “Who are You?” Jesusanswered, “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting.” So Saul was not justpersecuting believers—he was persecuting Jesus Himself. Later,when Paul gave his testimony before Agrippa in Acts 26. In verse 10 he said, “ThisI also did in Jerusalem: and many of the saints I shut up in prison, havingreceived authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, Icast my vote against them.” Then notice verse 11: “And I punished themoften in every synagogue and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedinglyenraged against them, I persecuted them even to foreign cities.” Paul oncehated Christians, but everything changed when he met Jesus, and his heart wastransformed. Afterhis conversion, Paul became a Bible teacher in the church at Antioch of Syria.From there, he was sent out as a missionary. He became a church planter. Butmost of all, he was a pastor—and he had a pastor's heart. That is what heexpresses here: “It is right for me to think this of you all, because I haveyou in my heart.” What a beautiful expression. Paul is not just writingtheology—he is expressing love. This is the heart of a pastor speaking topeople he deeply cares about: “Just as it is right for me to think this ofyou all, because I have you in my heart”. Remember,Paul is sitting in prison, in chains, possibly facing execution, and yet he isthinking of others. That is what he means when he says, “I have you in myheart.” This is what real spiritual leadership looks like. It is notdistant. It is not cold. It is not merely instructional. Because people do notcare what you say to them until they know that you care about them. Itis sad, over the years, when I hear people say, “My pastor does not even knowmy name. My pastor does not really care about me. He knows nothing about myfamily or my life. My pastor never really shows up. He is a good teacher, agood preacher—he does all these good things—but he has no idea what is going onin my life.” You see, being a pastor is relational. Paul did not just preach tothese people—he loved them. And this works both ways. A real pastor loves hispeople, and a real church loves their pastor. That is what makes for a healthychurch. Ilive here in Sneads Ferry, where I meet with pastors from various churchesevery Tuesday morning for prayer. I can tell you one thing about these pastorshere in Sneads Ferry: they love their people. They pray for their people. Theyserve their people. They go out of their way and make sacrifices for them. Itis a wonderful thing to watch and be a part of.  Bythe way, we are having a Easter Sunrise service at Onslow County Beach Access #2, on North Topsail Beach this Sunday morning at 6:30. If you live in the area,we would love for you to attend this beautiful sunrise service with us.  Godbless and may you have a wonderful, wonderful day!

AsI have been thinking about this, I want us to finish with the thought todaythat our confidence is not in ourselves. Paul's confidence was not in himselfor even in the Philippians. His confidence was in God. That is so important. Ifyour confidence is in yourself, you will always struggle with doubt, becauseyou know your weaknesses and you know your failures. But when your confidenceis in God, it changes everything. Godis not limited by our weaknesses. He is not surprised by our struggles. He isnot discouraged by our failures. He knew everything about us before He savedus. Yet He still saved us, and He will keep us. I could not help but thinkabout the prayers of the Bible, both Old Testament and New Testament. Thesaints often began their prayers referring to the fact that God createdeverything.. For example, Psalm 121 says: “I will lift up my eyes to thehills. Where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, who madeheaven and earth. He will not allow your foot to be moved. He who keeps youwill not slumber.” Howpowerful is that? God spoke the world—the universe—into existence by the powerof His Word. If He could do that, do you not know He knows who you are? Heknows every molecule, every atom in your body. He will take care of you, and Hewill keep you. Psalm 124 says almost the same thing in verse 8: “Our help isin the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.” The saints, as theyprayed, knowing they needed help, referred to God as the Maker of heaven andearth. Why? Not because God needed to be told He made the heavens and theearth—He already knew that. I am convinced they said that because they werereminding themselves that their confidence was in a God who is so awesome, sopowerful, who is the Creator.  NoticePsalm 146:5–6: “Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help, whosehope is in the Lord his God, who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all thatis in them; who keeps truth forever, who executes justice for the oppressed,who gives food to the hungry. The Lord gives freedom to the prisoners.” Again,the person praying expressed his or her confidence in a creator God who isalways working to take care of the needs of His creation. Evenin the New Testament, when the Apostle Peter and others were being persecutedby the Pharisees and the Sadducees and the religious rulers, they gatheredtogether with their church group in the upper room and prayed. Acts 4:24 saysthat they began their prayer with acknowledging God's awesome power in creation:“So when they heard that, they raised their voice to God with one accord andsaid, ‘Lord, You are God, who made heaven and earth and the sea, and all thatis in them.'” And then they went on to make their request for boldness andprotection. Their confidence was in the God who made everything. Myfriend, your hope should not be in your ability to hold on to God. Your hope isin His ability to hold on to you. When we have this kind of confidence, itgives us something every believer needs, and that is assurance. When we areconfident that He who began a good work will complete it until the day of JesusChrist, we do not have to live in constant fear or uncertainty about ourrelationship with God. ReadRomans chapter 8:31-39. What can separate us from the love of God that is inChrist Jesus our Lord? There is nothing that can separate us. Our salvation isnot fragile—it is secure because it rests in the hands of a faithful God. Letus live with confidence—not in ourselves, but in God. That confidence produces anassurance that brings peace. It brings stability. It brings joy. Youcan rest in this truth today: God is not finished with you yet, and He neverwill be. Be assured, have confidence, and keep your eyes on God. Godbless and may you have a wonderful, wonderful day!

Welcometo Pastor's Chat. Today we are continuing to look at Philippians 1: 6, wherethe Apostle Paul writes, “Being confident of this very thing, that He, God,who has begun a good work in you, He will perform it until the day of JesusChrist.” So far we have talked about “being confident”.We also talked yesterday about a “good work”—the good workof salvation, the good work of transformation, the good work of sanctification.The work that God has begun, He will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.He will complete it. Todaywe want to talk about the word “until”. This reminds us that Godis not finished with us yet. Sometimes we get discouraged because we are notwhere we want to be spiritually. But we need to focus on the fact that God iscontinuously doing a work in us, “both to will and to do of His goodpleasure”. Sometimes the road gets rough. Sometimes we get discouraged.Sometimes we want to quit. I have always thought it is good to want to quit,because that simply means at least you are doing something to quit from. So, myfriend, be encouraged today as we think about this word “until the day ofJesus Christ”. This work of salvation, this work of God in our lives,continues until we see Jesus face to face. Itreminds me of several verses in Hebrews 12:1-2. “Since we are surrounded bya great cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which soeasily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set beforeus.” How do we do it? “Looking unto Jesus, the author and the finisherof our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross,despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Lookingunto Jesus, the Author—the beginner—and the finisher of our faith. Alwaysremember these wonderful verses. Thenin 1 Peter 1:3-9: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hopethrough the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” What is thisliving hope? It is “to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and thatdoes not fade away, reserved in heaven for you.” Verse 5—a verse Imemorized as a new Christian when I got discouraged and wondered if I couldmake it—here it is: “Who are kept by the power of God through faith forsalvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” Thereit is again, like Philippians 1:6. Until the day of Jesus Christ, we are keptby the power of God—not by our own power, not by our own reasoning, our ownstrength, but by the power of God. Peter goes on to write: “In this yougreatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you are grieved byvarious trials.” But, my friend, “as you go through these trials, youare like gold that is being tested by fire, and it is found unto praise andhonor and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen, youlove. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joyinexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith—the salvationof your soul.” God keeps us to the end. Then,of course, 1 John 3:2 says, “Beloved, now we are children of God; and it hasnot yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed,we will be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.” Is that not wonderful?We have not yet reached the finish line. God's work continues until we seeJesus face to face, and we will be like Him. Weare in process right now. We have not arrived. None of us is complete. God isstill at work. My friend, instead of focusing on how far we still have to go,remember: we are not what we used to be, and we are not yet what we are goingto be. God is still at work. Sodo not give up. Do not lose heart. The story of your life is not finished yet,because we are promised “until the day of Jesus Christ.” Godbless and may you have a wonderful, wonderful day!

Today, we are talkingabout the good work that God is doing. We areconfident, and we can have full assurance that God, who began the work in us,will complete it until Jesus Christ comes. We can live a confident, joyful lifedespite our circumstances because it is God who began that good work. We areconfident of that very thing. Iwant us to think about that phrase, “a good work”. What is that work?First, I could not help but think about the “good work” of creation in Genesis1. For each of the six days, God made something, and God was pleased with whatHe had made and said it was good. Then in verse 31, “God saw everything thatHe had made, and indeed it was very good. The evening and the morning were thesixth day”.  Thennotice in Genesis 2:1-3, at least three times we read the word “work.” “Thusthe heavens and the earth, and all the host of them, were finished. “Andon the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He restedon the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessedthe seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His workwhich God had created and made.” Colossians1:16-17 tells us that, “For by Him all things were created that are inheaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones ordominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him andfor Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.” Thisis the work of creation that God began, and God is sustaining that creationthrough Jesus Christ! Thereis also the good work of salvation. The good work of salvation is firstseen in the Old Testament when God promised Adam and Eve in Genesis 3:15 thatthe seed of the woman would bruise the head of the serpent. Actually, the good workof salvation began in eternity past. We are told in Revelation 13:8: “Allwho dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written inthe Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world”.  This“good work” of salvation was being completed when Jesus came. Hesaid in John 4:34, “My food is to do the will of the Father and to finishHis work.” Then in John 17:4, just before He goes to the cross, Jesus says,“I have finished the work which You have given Me to do.” Then on thecross, in John 19:30, Jesus said, “It is finished.” On the cross, Hefinished that work. What is the good work of God? The good work of God is thework of salvation.  Thegood work of God is also the work of transformation and sanctification.In 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 we read: “Now may the God of peace Himselfsanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preservedblameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is He who calls you,who also will do it.” Going back to Philippians 2:13, the apostle Paulwrites to the church at Philippi, “For it is God who works in you both towill and to do of His good pleasure.” This means everything in yourlife—your circumstances, your trials, your victories, your struggles—is a partof that “good work”. It is God Who is working in you and throughyou, even in the hard times. Sometimeswe think that God is only working when life is going well. But sometimes Goddoes His deepest work through times of difficulty. That is when we claim Romans8:28: “For we know that all things work together for good to those who loveGod.” God is shaping our character. He is strengthening our faith. He isteaching us to trust Him. My friend, there is nothing wasted in your life ifyou belong to Jesus Christ. It is all a part of the “good work”that God is doing in you today. And because of it, we can “be confident”! Asyou think about this “good work” that God is doing in you and for you today,I trust that you will be encouraged! Godbless and may you have a wonderful, wonderful day!

We are back in the book of Philippians, chapter 1. Aswe study through these verses, we are trusting that God will encourage you andhelp you learn how to have that joy that never goes away—that joy that Jesussaid, “I give unto you.” His very joy that we can enjoy every day. Butthere are some things we need to know and some things we need to practicebefore we can say Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christwhich strengthens me.” Often, I have heard people quote that verse, andthen when they face tough situations, they wonder why they can't do all thingsthrough Christ. “I am struggling. I am ready to quit.” And some of them dothrow in the towel. Why is that? It is because they do not practice Philippianschapters 1, 2, and 3. When you practice those three chapters, then you can alsosay with confidence, “My God shall supply all my needs according to Hisriches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19). Weare looking at some things we need to know and practice if we are going to havethat life of joy and complete what God has begun in our hearts and lives. Todaywe are looking at verse 6. Verse 6 is my life's verse. I heard Dr. JerryFalwell say, in my very first weeks at Liberty University—back then LynchburgBaptist College—that his life verse was Philippians 1:6. He used that verse,his life verse, whenever he signed his name in a Bible for someone. When he signedmy Bible for me, he wrote Philippians 1:6 under it. I thought, “Goodness, thatis good enough for him, that is good enough for me.” I am so glad I wasencouraged to take that verse as a life verse. For these past 55 years thisverse has given me encouragement to “keep on, keeping on”, despite mycircumstances or challenges that might be greatly discouraging me and making mewant to quit! Bythe way, my life chapter is 2 Corinthians 4, just in case you are wondering.You can read that, and maybe we will look at it one day. But today, Philippians1:6. Our thought is this: God finishes what He starts. This has to beone of the most encouraging verses in all of Scripture. Let us read it again: “Beingconfident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you willcomplete it until the day of Jesus Christ.” What a great promise. NowPaul has just talked, in verses 3, 4, and 5, about praying for them andremembering them with great joy. He spoke of their fellowship—their partnershipin the gospel—from the first day he met them until now. It was somethingcontinuous, something still ongoing. Then he says, “being confident”—nothoping, not wishing, but absolutely certain of this truth. And what is thattruth? That God always finishes what He starts. Oneof the verses I love to go back to in the Old Testament is Psalm 138:8. Itsays, “The LORD will perfect that which concerns me; Your mercy, O LORD,endures forever; Do not forsake the works of Your hands”. God will perfectthat which concerns me. Now think about how this applies personally. When youtrusted Christ, God began a work in your life. It was not your idea—it was His.It was not your power—it was His grace. This is the good news. God does notabandon His work halfway through. We start projects and leave them unfinished.I am ashamed of how many times that has been true in my own life. We makecommitments, and sometimes we follow through—but sometimes we do not. But,my friend, God is not like us. The God who began a work in us will continuethat work. Even when you do not feel like you are growing, even when you arestruggling, even when you feel like you have taken five steps backward and arenot getting anywhere in your Christian life—God is still at work. You see, myfriend, your spiritual growth is not based on your perfection. It is based onGod's faithfulness. I once heard a great preacher this statement: “Don'tdespair. But if you do despair, work on in despair.” Why? Not because you feellike it, but because God is faithful, and He always will be faithful.

Letus look at Philippians 1:3–5. The reason we are looking at these versestogether is that they form one continuous sentence from verse 3 all the waythrough verse 7. Today, we are just going to read through verse 5. Paul writesin verse 3, “I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, always in everyprayer of mine making requests for you with joy.” Then in verse 5—and thisis what we are focusing on today—“for your fellowship in the gospel from thefirst day until now.” Paulis thanking God for these dear believers and for the joy he has experiencedwith them. He is remembering Lydia, the demon possessed girl and no doubt thePhilippian jailer and his family, and all those who also became followers ofChrist. (“from the first day till now”). Here, he is speaking of theirfellowship in the gospel. He is making requests concerning their fellowship inthe gospel in his prayers, and he is thanking God as he remembers theirfellowship in the gospel. Thisfellowship in the gospel is more than simply being together. Paul is in prisonin Rome, while these believers are in Philippi in northern Greece. Yet thePhilippian believers were not just spectators—they were participants in thework of the gospel, and that is very important. The word “fellowship,”koinonia, in the New Testament has to do with working together and sharing in acommon purpose. Someone has described it as “four fellows in the same ship.”When you are in that kind of fellowship, you are close—doing the same work,moving in the same direction, and serving the same purpose. Paulis thankful for their fellowship in the gospel. He may be thinking especially,as he later writes in Philippians chapter 4, of how they partnered with himthrough giving. They gave of their substance. They gave financially. They alsogave encouragement through Epaphroditus, who came from Philippi to visit Paulin prison. They supported him in the ministry. Even when he was in otherplaces, they sent gifts to encourage him and help him carry out the work Godhad called him to do. In this way, they were truly fellowshipping with him. Godhas called all of us into the fellowship of the gospel—the gospel of JesusChrist. If you want real joy in your life, you must be a participant in thatfellowship, joining with others who share the same purposes and goals. You wantto be part of a church where people do more than just gather, talk, or enjoytime together. You want to be among those who are committed to taking thegospel to the far reaches of the world. Jesus told His disciples, “Go intoall the world and preach the gospel to every creature.” We are to teachthem, baptize them, and disciple them to follow Jesus Christ so that they, inturn, can reach others. That is the fellowship of the gospel. Whenyou are working together with others—participating in evangelism, giving,sharing, encouraging one another, helping each other grow, and holding oneanother accountable—you are experiencing true fellowship. We fellowship in thegrace of God. We fellowship in worship as we gather together on Sundaymornings. We are united. We are participating together with other believers tofulfill what God has called us to do. That is what Paul is so thankful forhere. And we should be thankful and encourage one another in the same way. Letme ask you today: Are you just a believer in the gospel, or are you a partnerin it? Thankyou for your prayers over these next few days. We will be in touch, and we willsee you on Monday morning.  Godbless you, and may you have a wonderful, wonderful day.

Todaywe are continuing to look at Philippians 1:3- 4. In verse 3, Paul made thestatement, “I thank my God upon every remembrance of you.” Then hecontinues in verse 4, “always in every prayer of mine, making requests foryou all with joy.” The apostle Paul makes it very clear that he prayed forpeople, and he prayed with joy. This is a very important detail. Sometimes whenwe pray, we can feel heavy. We pray about burdens and struggles and needs. ButPaul's prayers for these believers were filled with joy. Whydid he pray that way? Because he knew that God was at work in their lives. Asyou read on through the book of Philippians, especially chapter 1, you see thathe remembered their faith, their growth, and their partnership in the gospel.These memories filled his prayers with joy. Noticesomething else that Paul said: he prayed for them always. Prayer was not anoccasional activity in Paul's life; it was a constant habit. Imagine what ourchurches and our fellowships of believers would be like if we all prayed foreach other like that—praying regularly, praying joyfully, praying in faith thatGod is working in their lives. Iam convinced that one of the greatest gifts you can give someone is to pray forthem. I thank God for all the financial support people have given me as apastor over the years, and for all the wonderful gifts and kind things theyhave done. But, my friend, the best thing I tell them is this: when you prayfor me, I feel it. I know I am being strengthened. My faith is growing. I amable to stand against the evil that comes into my life. Your prayers make adifference in my life. I thank you for those prayers more than anything else.That is what Paul gave to others. That is the greatest gift you can give toothers. Bythe way, remember: Jesus said, “Do unto others as you would have them dounto you.” Pray for them, because you need prayer yourself. When you prayfor others, God blesses you with people who will pray for you. You might not beable to solve all the problems of your friends and family, but you can bringtheir needs before God. When we pray, according to Scripture and our own experiencesin life, something happens. God strengthens them, and He softens hearts aswell. Today,we need to learn to follow the apostle Paul's example. I also want to remindyou that Jesus prays for us. He set the ultimate example. The New Testamenthighlights both Jesus' personal prayers on earth for His followers and Hiscontinued intercession for those who would believe. In John chapter 17, in Hishigh priestly prayer before the cross, Jesus said, “I pray for them.” Heis praying to His Father: “I am not praying for the world, but for those Youhave given Me, for they are Yours.” Jesus says, “I am praying for them.”In verse 20, “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those whowill believe in Me through their message.” Iget so excited about that, because there Jesus was not just praying for thosedisciples—He was praying for me as well in that moment. The entire chapter ofJohn 17 is Jesus' extended prayer for His disciples and for all who would laterbelieve. In it, He asked the Father to protect them, to keep them unified, tosanctify them with truth, to fill them with joy, and to bring them to be withHim where He is. Read John 17, and you will see how Jesus prayed for you. Jesusalso had a specific prayer for Peter when Peter was facing a difficult momentconcerning Jesus going to the cross. He said to Peter, “Satan would sift youas wheat, but I have prayed for you, that you would turn again andstrengthen your brethren.”  InRomans 8:34, we are told that Jesus is at the right hand of God and is alsointerceding for us. In Hebrews 7:25, we read that Jesus “is able to savecompletely those who come to God through Him, because He always lives tomake intercession for them.”  

First,let me say to my Facebook and media friends, thank you. Thank you for yoursupport over these past five years as we have been in a state of retirementfrom more than 50 years as a senior pastor. I just wanted to give you a specialshout-out. You have been such a blessing and such an encouragement. Yourprayers and your support have helped me through difficult times and inspired meto keep on keeping on as we serve the Lord here in Sneads Ferry, NorthCarolina. Thankyou for your prayers during our times of illness, and even recently with thesciatic nerve pain that you helped pray us through. I wanted you to know that Ihave been so blessed, because of your prayers, that the pain has subsided. Butwe found out that the MRI definitely shows that I will need surgery. I met witha surgeon this past week, and we will be scheduling surgery probably the firstof May. It is noninvasive surgery—they will put me to sleep in a clinic andperform the procedure. It is in and out. Hopefully, that problem around L2/ L3,will be taken care of. At the same time, they did an MRI on my rightshoulder that has be very painful for several years, and we found out that thereare so many tears in the muscles there, they are talking about total reverse shoulderreplacement. We will be praying about having that done later on this year.  Iwas thinking back over the 50 years of being a senior pastor and the churcheswe had the privilege of pastoring. I thank God for the very first church in WinchesterVA, Shenandoah Valley Baptist Church, where I spent 15 years. The first twoyears was as an associate while we were still in school at Lynchburg BaptistCollege. I think of the many friends and the wonderful things the Lord didthere. I thank the Lord for my associates, Bob Quinn, Eric Farel, and RonCombs, who were always there beside me, and the deacons of the fellowship.There were difficult times, no doubt, but you prayed for me. You were therewith me. You stood with me in the tough times. Thank you. Upon everyremembrance of you, I thank God for you. Thenwe went to Holland, Michigan, for eight years at Calvary Baptist Church. Therewe had a very wonderful and exciting ministry with the church and the school.Again, I think of the deacons, the leadership of the church, and the friendshipsthat developed there. I think of how Rick Flowers came alongside us for six ofthose years—a young man who gave his heart to the Lord at Shenandoah, went intothe ministry, and is still a dear friend. So many people stood with us, besideus, encouraging us and helping us. I will not name all the names, but thankyou. Upon every remembrance of you, I thank God. Thenin 1996 we moved to Troutville, Virginia, to Rainbow Forest Baptist Church wherewe were for 25 years, from 1996 until 2021. My friend, how blessed we werethere. I often feel like I am the most blessed man in the world for thechurches we had the privilege of pastoring—the leadership of those churches,the deacons, the staff members who worked alongside us, encouraged us, prayedfor us, and helped us through the tough times. The very last church we had theprivilege of pastoring was Burgaw Friendly Community Church here in NorthCarolina, for two years. Wow—how greatly I was blessed to meet so manywonderful believers, to see people baptized, and to see lives changed. Theneven in my own neighborhood, meeting people who are encouraging me and blessingme. Ofcourse, I am so thankful for a wife and children who have stood with us, andbeen such a blessing and encouragement. Upon every remembrance of my family, myfriends, and all who have been a part of our ministry and our lives over thesepast 54 years as a Christian, I thank God for you. I have been so blessed. Ijust want to encourage you to take time to remember those who have blessed you. Uponevery remembrance of all of you, I thank God. I am so blessed. I just wanted to taketime to do that today. 

WhenPaul thought about the believers in Philippi, his heart was filled withgratitude. Think about that for a moment. How often do we think about peopleand immediately feel grateful and thankful? Too often, our thoughts go in theopposite direction. We remember disagreements, frustrations, disappointment,hurt, and pain—people stabbing us in the back, if we are not careful. But whenPaul remembered the church at Philippi, he remembered people with gratitude.Why? I am convinced it is because he looked at them through the lens of God'swork in their lives. Sooften, as we minister in the name of Jesus to people around us, the devil willattack us with the smallest things. We can literally conquer mountains, yetstumble over molehills. There is a tremendous temptation to dwell on the hurtsand the pains rather than on what God has done—even in the past. Asyou read about the people of Israel in Egypt, you'll remember that God, by Hismighty and awesome power, delivered them. He delivered them as they crossed theRed Sea, with the armies of Pharaoh destroyed behind them. But no sooner hadthey entered the wilderness than they lacked a few things they thought they hadto have. They did not believe. They did not trust God. They were not thankful.They forgot God and His mercies. Immediately, they began to complain and murmurand backbite, speaking against their leaders and saying, “Why did you do thisto us?”  Myfriend, if we are not careful, we will look at the world—and at people—throughour own lens of pain and hurt, rather than remembering how God has wonderfullyused people to help us, such as Moses and Aaron in the case of Israel. God usespeople in our lives, and we need to be thankful. Gratitude changes how we seepeople. Instead of focusing on flaws, we begin to notice God's grace at work. Insteadof remembering offenses, we remember blessings. Today, try something simple. Thinkabout someone in your life who has encouraged your faith. Maybe a pastor, afriend, a parent, or a believer who prayed for you. Now thank God for them. Ioften think back to February 21, 1971, when Dr. Harold Rawlings allowed me tocome to his house on a Sunday afternoon. He sat down with me and prayed withme, and I left his house that day a new creature in Christ Jesus. He is stillalive. I still send him notes from time to time. Romans1:21 should warn us of what happens when we are not thankful: “Because,although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, butbecame futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Theyprofessed themselves to be wise, and they became fools…”.  My friend, we must cultivate grateful hearts.Think about how God has used others in your life, and even how God has used youin the past—just like the Apostle Paul. Can you imagine who Paul was thinkingabout when he wrote: “I thank my God upon every remembrance of you.”  Maybe Lydia, who was saved by theriverside. Possibly the Philippian jailer and the young girl who was deliveredfrom a demon. And the many others who believed, who became followers of JesusChrist. They formed a church that truly appreciated the Apostle Paul. They senthim supplies. They sent him money to support him along the way. And when Paulthought about them, he thought good thoughts. He had a grateful heart, and hethanked God. Weneed to remember that our joy is not determined by our circumstances. Joy growsin a heart that remembers God's goodness—especially through people. I want toencourage you today: keep your focus on God at work in the lives of others, andremember how God has used you in the past. You might feel like you are in adormant season. It might be sickness or illness, and you are sitting therewondering, “Oh, I miss those days when I could interact with people and talkwith them.” Paul was in prison, yet he thought of those people and wasgrateful. That is why he had a heart overflowing with joy.  

“Grace to you and peace from God ourFather and the Lord Jesus Christ.” Paul uses this same greeting in all 13of his epistles in some form or another, mentioning both God's grace and God'speace that we can experience when we come to know the Lord Jesus Christ. Itis interesting that all of Paul's epistles also end with at least the mentionof grace, because everything in the Christian life begins with God's grace andends with God's grace. We need God's grace. When Paul first mentions “grace toyou” in all his epistles, he is reminding us of what we read in Ephesians2:8–9: “For by grace are you saved through faith, and that not ofyourselves. It is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast.” Salvationcomes because of God's grace being given to us. We do not deserve God'sunmerited favor—His mercy—but He gives it to us when we humble ourselves andrecognize that we are sinners and cannot save ourselves. We are bound one dayto face a holy God in judgment. If we do not experience His grace andsalvation, we are in terrible trouble. Myfriend, the grace of God comes first in our life. But we must also understandthat we can only live the Christians life by the grace of God. I like what theapostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians 15:10: “But by the grace of God, I amwhat I am. His grace toward me was not in vain, but I labored more abundantlythan they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.” Paulattributes everything that he accomplished in his Christian life and ministryto the grace of God. And in 2 Corinthians 9:8, he reminds all of us, “God isable to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having allsufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.” Myfriend, how we need the grace of God. But it only comes when we submitourselves to God. James 4:6–7 tells us that when we humble ourselves, God givesgrace to the humble, but He resists the proud. When we try to do things in ourown strength, in our own way, without taking time to make sure we are in aright relationship and fellowship with the Lord, we are going to struggle. Paulthen adds, “grace to you and peace.” Peace is one of the greatestblessings of salvation. Before we knew Christ, the Bible teaches that we wereenemies of God. But through Jesus Christ, we have been reconciled to God.Romans 5:1 says, “Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace withGod through our Lord Jesus Christ.” I will never forget February 21, 1971,after I invited Christ to come into my heart—the peace of God and theforgiveness of sins that followed, and the assurance of knowing that I had aright standing before a holy God, filled my soul. There is no peace like thepeace that comes into our life when we are reconciled to God through His bloodon the cross (Colossians 1:20, 22). Myfriend, this peace is not only peace with God; it is the peace of God. It isthe peace of God that comes in the middle of our uncertainty. It is the peacethat quiets us in the midst of trouble. Grace and peace always come from Godour Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. In other words, this grace and peace arenot found in circumstances. They are not found in success. They are not foundin possessions. Grace and peace flow from a relationship with God through ourLord Jesus Christ. Whenwe receive His grace, His peace settles in our hearts. We must be careful notto reject or “fail” the grace of God that He gives us for every circumstance inlife (Hebrews 12:14-17). Grace is available to us every day. By the grace ofGod, Paul said, “I am what I am.” His grace is sufficient. His grace isavailable. God will give you today what you need if you will, by faith, humbleyourself before Him and trust Him. WhereHis grace flows, my friend, His peace always follows. That is why Paul beginsevery epistle with “grace to you and peace.” And where does it comefrom? It comes “from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ”.

Welcometo Pastor's Chat today. I'm very excited about today's chat because we're goingto be talking about what I believe to be the real key to joy in the Christianlife—the true joy in life itself. I believe we find the clue in the very firstverse, where the apostle Paul, in his introduction to the letter he wrote tothe Philippians, said, “Paul and Timothy.” He is referring to bothhimself and his son in the faith, who were ministering there at Philippi whenthe church was founded. He says, “bondservants of Jesus Christ, toall the saints in Christ who are in Philippi, with the bishops and deacons.” Sothe very first word he mentions is bondservants—bondservants of JesusChrist. A slave to Jesus Christ. That is so important, because as you studythrough the Scripture, you find that every great leader was a servant leader.He did not put himself on a pedestal and say, “Look at me. God has made mespecial—more special than you—and you better listen to what I say or you're introuble.” Moses did have some conflict with people questioning his authority.But when God spoke about Moses, He would always say, “My servant Moses.” Youread this in Numbers 12:7–8 and other passages in the Pentateuch. Also,when God spoke of Abraham, the father of the Israelite nation—the father of ourfaith—we find in Genesis 26:24 that God referred to him as “My servantAbraham.” When God talked about Caleb in Numbers 14:24, He said, “Myservant Caleb.” When speaking of King David, God would refer to him as “Myservant David”. This is really important, because you find it mentioned somany times in the books of 2 Samuel, 1 and 2 Kings and the Chronicles. David isreferred to by God in this way some 13 times in the historical books. Itis also interesting to note that the apostle Peter, when he was speaking of theLord Jesus Christ in prayer, called Him “Your holy servant Jesus.” Thatreminds me of what Jesus Himself said in Mark 10:44–45: “Whoever of youdesires to be first shall be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not cometo be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” Jesussaid, “I didn't come to be served.” Remember, He is the Son of God. Heis God in the flesh. He is the Creator of the heavens and the earth. He is theOne who sustains you and gives you the breath of life every second. Yet Hesays, “I didn't come to be served, but I came to serve and to give My life aransom.” TheBible tells us in the book of 1 Peter 2:21, that Jesus set an example for us, andthat we should follow in His steps. The great example He gives us is found evenhere in the book of Philippians, where the apostle Paul wrote in Philippianschapter 2:5-7, “Let this mind be in you which is also in Christ Jesus, who,being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, butmade Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming inthe likeness of men.” Jesusin some of His last words to His disciples in the Gospel of John, said, “Asthe Father has sent Me, even so I also send you” (John 20:21). God did notsend us to be big-shot preachers or big-shot people. He sent us to beservants—servants like His Son, Jesus Christ. “Let this mind be in you whichis also in Christ Jesus.” One of the major issues we have today is thatpeople think they're entitled. They believe they have a right to a certainsalary or a certain position because they worked for it. But I love what itsays about Jesus in 2 Corinthians 8:9: “Though He was rich, yet for yoursakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.” Thatis the way we should live—a life focused on being a servant of Jesus Christ,and a servant to others, serving them. That is servant leadership, and itbrings tremendous joy into your life as you serve and have the mind of Christ. Itrust we will take these words to heart today and live as the Lord would haveus to live. Today,do you have the heart of a “servant leader”?