Pastor Mike Impact Ministries

Now,the Gospel certainly must come to us in words. Romans 10:17 tells us, “Sothen faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Someone musttell us the wonderful story that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, came into thisworld, lived a perfect and sinless life, died on the cross for our sins, wasburied, and rose again on the third day. The Gospel has a message, and thatmessage must be proclaimed. The word“power” reminds us that the Gospel is not merely information to be considered;it is the power of God that transforms those who believe. Paul said in Romans1:16, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power ofGod unto salvation to every one that believes.” Thinkabout that. The Gospel can take a sinner and make him a saint. It can takesomeone who is spiritually dead and give him spiritual life. It can break thechains of sin, give hope to the hopeless, peace to the troubled heart, andcompletely change the direction of a person's life. I have seen that power overand over again through the years. Programs can help people. Education caninform people. Good advice can encourage people. But only the Gospel of JesusChrist can give a person a new heart and make him a new creation. SecondCorinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creation:old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” Butnotice where this power comes from. Paul says the Gospel came “in the HolyGhost.” Paul understood that he could preach the truth, but only the HolySpirit could take that truth and apply it to the human heart. Jesus said inJohn 16 that the Holy Spirit would convict the world of sin, righteousness, andjudgment. That should be a great encouragement to those of us who want to shareChrist with others. Sometimes we become concerned that we do not know exactlywhat to say. We worry that we will not have the right words or be able toanswer every question. But remember, we are not the ones who save people. Goddoes. Our responsibility is to faithfully share the Gospel. The Holy Spirittakes the Word of God and works in the heart. That is why prayer is soimportant when we witness. We should pray, “Lord, give me the words to say, andHoly Spirit, take those words and use them to touch this person's heart.” ThenPaul adds another phrase. The Gospel came “in much assurance.” There is a tremendous differencebetween speaking about something we merely know intellectually and speakingabout something that has become a reality in our own lives. Paul could preachChrist with assurance because Paul knew Christ personally. And theThessalonians could see that conviction in him. Noticethe final part of the verse: “As you know what manner of men we were amongyou for your sake.” Paul is reminding them, “You not only heard ourmessage—you watched our lives.” That is so important. The Gospel should notonly be heard from our lips; it should be seen in our lives. People arewatching us. Our family watches us. Our neighbors watch us. The people we workwith watch us. The people we go to church with watch us. They want to knowwhether the Gospel we talk about on Sunday makes a difference in the way welive on Monday. Paul could say, “You know what manner of men we were amongyou.” What a testimony!Hewas not saying that he and Silas were perfect. But their conduct was consistentwith the message they proclaimed.AndI believe this verse gives us a wonderful pattern for effective Christianwitness. We need the Word of God— “not in word only.” We need the powerof God— “but also in power.” We need the Spirit of God— “and in theHoly Ghost.” We need the assurance of God— “and in much assurance.” Andwe need a life that demonstrates the reality of the Gospel— “what manner ofmen we were among you.” My friend, the world does not simply need morereligious talk. The world needs to see the Gospel demonstrated by lives thathave been transformed by Jesus Christ.

Thinkabout that today. If you know Jesus Christ as your Savior, you are loved byGod! The Bible does not teach us that God loves us because we are good enough,religious enough, or deserving enough. God loves us because of Who He is. John3:16 reminds us, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begottenSon.” Romans 5:8 says, “But God commended His love toward us, in that,while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” God did not wait until wecleaned ourselves up before He loved us. He loved us while we were sinners, andHe demonstrated that love at the cross. ButPaul goes even further. He says, “Knowing, beloved brethren, your electionof God.” Now, the word “election” sometimes becomes the subject oftheological debates. Good and sincere Bible-believing Christians have disagreedover exactly how God's sovereignty and human responsibility work together. ButI think sometimes we can become so occupied with the questions surroundingelection that we miss the wonderful encouragement Paul intended these believersto receive from it. The word simply carries the idea of being chosen to loveand serve God and others. Paul was reminding these Thessalonian believers thattheir salvation was not an accident. God had a purpose for them. God had calledthem to Himself through the Gospel. Andnotice something very important. Paul said, “Knowing… your election of God.”How could Paul know? He could not look into the secret counsels of God ineternity. He could not see their names written in the Book of Life. But hecould see what had happened in their lives. And that becomes especially clearwhen we read the next verse. Verse 5 says: “For our gospel came not unto youin word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance.”Paul knew something genuine had happened because he had seen the evidence. Rememberwhat we learned yesterday. Their faith was working. Their love was laboring.Their hope was enduring. In other words, their changed lives gave evidence ofthe reality of their salvation. Jesus said in Matthew 7:20, “Wherefore bytheir fruits you shall know them.”  Weare not saved by our works, but when we are truly saved, there should be a workof God taking place in our lives. Ephesians 2:8-9 makes it very clear: “Forby grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is thegift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” But we sometimesstop there. Verse 10 continues: “For we are His workmanship, created inChrist Jesus unto good works.” We are not saved by good works, but we aresaved unto good works. That is exactly what Paul was seeing in Thessalonica. Thinkabout what had happened there. Paul had only been with these people for arelatively short period of time. He preached the Gospel to them. They receivedthe Word. They turned from idols to serve the living and true God. Then almostimmediately, persecution came. Yet they remained faithful. Paul could look atthem and say, in effect, “I know God has done something in your lives because Ican see the evidence of His grace.” AndI believe there is a very practical application for us today. What evidence isthere in my life that God is at work in me? Not, “Have I joined a church?” Not,“Have I been baptized?” Not even merely, “Did I pray a prayer sometime in thepast?” Those things may have their proper place, but the question is: Has JesusChrist changed my life? Is there a work of faith? Is there a labor of love? Isthere a patience of hope? Is there a growing desire for the Word of God? Isthere a desire to please the Lord? Is there a love for God's people? When Isin, does the Holy Spirit convict me and draw me back to fellowship with theLord? Do I desire to share Christ with the lost? These are evidences of thework of God within us. 

“Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and laborof love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God andour Father.” Years ago, I read two books by Dr. Gene Getz, The Measure of aMan and The Measure of a Church. I remember being impressed with the thoughtthat spiritual growth can be measured by looking at these three great qualitiesthat Paul mentions here: Faith. Love. Hope. Interestingly,when Paul writes his second letter to these same believers, he again mentionsthese qualities. In 2 Thessalonians 1:3–4, he tells them that their faith wasgrowing exceedingly, their love toward one another was increasing, and hecommends their patience and faith in their persecutions and tribulations. Inother words, these qualities could be observed and measured. So perhaps weshould ask ourselves today: How is my faith? How is my love? How is my hope? First,Paul remembers their “work of faith.” Notice he does not say that we aresaved by works. The Bible clearly teaches that salvation is by grace throughfaith, not of works. But genuine faith produces works. James reminds us thatfaith without works is dead. When we truly believe God, it affects the way welive. Noah believed God, so he built an ark. Abraham believed God, so he lefthis homeland. Peter believed Jesus, so he stepped out of the boat. Real faithmoves us to action. The question is not simply, “Do I say that I have faith?” Thequestion is, “What is my faith producing in my life?” ThenPaul mentions their “labor of love.” The word “labor” speaks ofstrenuous effort—working to the point of weariness. There is a differencebetween simply saying, “I love you,” and loving someone enough to sacrifice forthem. Real love costs something. Jesus demonstrated that kind of love for us. John3:16 says: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son.”Love gives. Love serves. Love sacrifices. Love keeps going even whenserving becomes inconvenient. Some of you know exactly what that means. Youhave cared for someone when you were tired. You have given when it was asacrifice. You have prayed for someone year after year. You have continuedloving someone even when that love was not returned. That is a labor of love. ThenPaul mentions their “patience of hope.” The word “patience” here carriesthe idea of steadfast endurance. Biblical hope isn't wishful thinking. Our hopeis a confident expectation based upon the promises of God. And notice wherethat hope is centered: “Hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.” The Thessalonianbelievers were experiencing tremendous persecution. Yet they kept going becausethey believed Jesus Christ was coming again. In fact, the return of Christbecomes one of the great themes of this entire letter. Their circumstances weredifficult, but their hope was greater than their circumstances. And that isstill true for us today. When life becomes difficult, hope says: God is stillon His throne. God is still faithful. God is still keeping His promises. AndJesus is coming again. That kind of hope gives us the strength to endure. Sohere is a simple spiritual examination for us today. Does my faith work? Doesmy love labor? Does my hope endure? Faith that never affects how we live needsto be examined. Love that never sacrifices is only words. Hope that disappearswhenever difficulties come is not the strong biblical hope Paul is describing. AndI love how Paul finishes the verse: “In the sight of God and our Father.” Ultimately,we are not trying to impress people. God sees our faith. God sees our labor. Godsees our perseverance. Others may never know about some of the things you dofor the Lord, but God sees them.  Maybetoday we should ask the Lord to increase these three great qualities in ourlives: A faith that works. A love that labors. And a hope that patientlyendures.

“We give thanks toGod always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers.” What abeautiful verse! In just a few words, Paul teaches us something aboutthankfulness, people, and prayer. First,notice that Paul says, “We give thanks to God.” Paul had many reasons tobe concerned about the believers in Thessalonica. Remember, this was a veryyoung church. Paul had only been with them for a short time before persecutionforced him to leave the city. You can read about this in Acts 17. Paul hadpreached in the synagogue, people had believed, and almost immediatelyopposition arose. A mob was formed, Jason's house was attacked, and Paul andSilas had to leave Thessalonica by night. Paul must have wondered, “How arethese new believers doing? Are they standing firm? Has the persecutiondiscouraged them? Are they remaining faithful to Christ?” Then Timothy returnedwith the wonderful news that they were continuing in the faith. SoPaul says, “We give thanks to God.” Notice that Paul didn't simply say,“We are proud of you.” He thanked God for them. Paul understood that whateverspiritual growth he saw in their lives was ultimately the work of God. That isa good reminder for us. When we see God working in our children, grandchildren,friends, church family, or someone we have influenced for Christ, we shouldencourage them—but we should also remember to thank God for what He is doing intheir lives. ThenPaul says: “We give thanks to God always for you all.” I love those twowords: “you all.” (Especially since I'm from the south.) Paul wasn't simplythankful for the prominent members of the church. He wasn't thankful only forthe people who were easy to get along with. He thanked God for all of them. Everyperson mattered.Sometimeswe become so accustomed to the people God has placed around us that we forgetwhat a gift they are. Maybe today we should stop and think about some of thepeople God has placed in our lives. Your husband or wife. Your children andgrandchildren. A faithful friend. Someone who prayed for you. Someone whoencouraged you when you were discouraged. Someone who helped you along yourspiritual journey.Haveyou thanked God for them lately? ButPaul doesn't stop with thanksgiving. He continues: “Making mention of you inour prayers.” Paul's gratitude became prayer. He didn't merely think aboutthese people. He prayed for them. And notice the expression, “making mentionof you.” I believe there is something important about mentioning peoplebefore God by name.ThroughoutPaul's letters, we discover that he had a remarkable prayer life. He traveledconstantly. He preached. He planted churches. He suffered persecution. Yetsomehow Paul continued carrying people in his heart before God. That challengesme. It is easy to tell someone, “I'll be praying for you.” But the realquestion is: Do we actually pray for them? Whensomeone comes to your mind today, perhaps instead of simply thinking aboutthem, turn that thought into a prayer. “Lord, bless them.” “Lord, encouragethem.” “Lord, give them wisdom.” “Lord, meet their need.” “Lord, draw themcloser to You.” It doesn't have to be a long prayer.  Paul says, “We give thanks to God always.” Prayerand thanksgiving were not occasional activities for Paul. They were a way oflife. That reminds us of something Paul will tell these same believers later inthis letter: “Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks: for this isthe will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” (1 Thessalonians 5:17–18).Interestingly, Paul practiced in chapter 1 what he preached in chapter 5. Hewas continually praying. He was continually giving thanks. Maybe that is ourchallenge for today. Think of someone. Thank God for them. Then mention theirname in prayer. And perhaps even take another step. Send them a message, make aphone call, or tell them: “I thanked God for you today.”Younever know how much that simple word might encourage someone who desperatelyneeds it.

Notice that he does not introduce himself here as “Paul, anapostle of Jesus Christ,” as he does in several of his other letters. Why? Probablybecause he did not need to defend his apostolic authority with these believers.They knew him. They loved him. Paul had personally brought the Gospel to them. Thenhe mentions two men who had served alongside him: “Paul, and Silvanus, andTimotheus.” Silvanus is the longer form of the name Silas. Silas hadtraveled with Paul on this second missionary journey. He had been there inPhilippi when Paul was beaten and thrown into prison. He was there at midnightwhen they prayed and sang praises to God. And now he had helped Paul establishthis church in Thessalonica. Timotheus, of course, is Timothy. Paul had metthis young man at Lystra and invited him to join the missionary team. Timothywould eventually become one of Paul's most trusted fellow workers. What awonderful picture of ministry. God'swork has always been about one generation passing the truth to anothergeneration. Butthen Paul says something especially important: “Unto the church of theThessalonians which is in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ.” Theword “church” comes from the Greek word ekklesia, which basically means acalled-out assembly. These people lived in Thessalonica, but spiritually theywere in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ. Think about that. Geographically,they were in Thessalonica. Spiritually, they were in Christ. Thessalonica was apagan city filled with idolatry and immorality. These new Christians weresurrounded by a culture that did not share their faith or their values. Theywere already experiencing opposition and persecution because they followedJesus. But their environment did not determine their identity. They were in Godthe Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ. Andthe same is true for us today. We live in a world that increasingly seems to bemoving farther away from God. We are surrounded by temptation. We hearphilosophies that contradict the Word of God. We see values changing around us.But the believer's identity is not determined by the world in which he lives. Weare in Christ. Paul uses that little expression again and again throughout hiswritings. Second Corinthians 5:17 says,“Thereforeif any man be in Christ, he is a new creature.” Romans 8:1 says, “Thereis therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus.” Oursecurity is not found in our circumstances. Our security is found in ourrelationship with Jesus Christ. You might say that these Thessalonian believershad two addresses. Their earthly address was Thessalonica. Their spiritualaddress was in Christ. And every believer has those same two addresses. We livesomewhere on this earth. We have a street address, a city, a state, and acountry. But if we have trusted Jesus Christ as our Savior, our most importantaddress is this: We are in Christ. ThenPaul gives them two wonderful words: “Grace be unto you, and peace.” Wejust finished our study of Philippians by noticing how often Paul begins andends his letters with grace. And here it is again. Grace. Then peace. Noticethe order. Grace comes before peace. We cannot experience the peace of Goduntil we have first experienced the grace of God. Grace is God giving us whatwe could never earn and could never deserve. Salvation is by grace. Forgivenessis by grace. Our relationship with God is by grace. Our strength for each dayis by grace. And when we experience God's grace, we can also experience God'speace. Grace and peace. Their circumstances might change.Their friends might turn against them. Persecution might increase. But theirposition in Christ was secure.  Andperhaps that is the great truth we should carry with us today. Our peace doesnot come from living in a peaceful world. Our peace comes from knowing that weare securely in Christ.

Today we begin a brand-new journey through two wonderfulbooks of the New Testament—First and Second Thessalonians. We have justcompleted our study through Philippians, and now we are going to follow theApostle Paul a little farther down the road on his second missionary journey. Iwould like to give our new series this theme: "Living in Light of HisComing." You will understand why as we move through these two letters. Thereturn of Jesus Christ is one of their great themes. In fact, every chapter ofFirst Thessalonians ends with some reference to the coming of the Lord. ButPaul does not teach prophecy merely to satisfy our curiosity about the future. Heteaches us about the coming of Christ because what we believe about tomorrowshould change the way we live today. Sobefore we begin with First Thessalonians 1:1, let's go back to Acts 16 and 17and remember how this church was born. Paul was on his second missionaryjourney with Silas and Timothy. He had intended to preach in certain areas ofAsia Minor, but the Holy Spirit closed those doors.  After Paul heard the "Macedoniancall." Paul immediately recognized that God was directing them into Europeand went to Philippi. And we know what happened there. After the salvation ofLydia, a demonic girl, and the jailer's and his household, A church had beenborn. But Paul's journey continued. Acts 17:1 says, "Now when they hadpassed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where was asynagogue of the Jews." Thessalonicawas about one hundred miles from Philippi and was one of the great cities ofMacedonia. It was located on the Via Egnatia, one of the major highways of theRoman Empire. People, merchandise, soldiers, government officials, andtravelers continually passed through this important city. Paul understoodsomething very important about missions. If you can reach a strategic city withthe Gospel, the people in that city can carry the Gospel far beyond it. So Paulwent into the synagogue, as was his custom. Acts 17:2 tells us, "AndPaul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasonedwith them out of the scriptures." I love that expression: "Reasonedwith them out of the scriptures." Paul did not give them his opinions.He opened the Word of God. Verse3 says he was, "Opening and alleging, that Christ must needs havesuffered, and risen again from the dead." And then Paul declared, "ThisJesus, whom I preach unto you, is Christ." That was his message. Jesusdied. Jesus rose again. Jesus is the Christ. And people believed. Some Jewsbelieved, but Acts tells us that a great multitude of devout Greeks and anumber of prominent women also received the message. In a remarkably shortperiod of time, another church was born. But almost immediately, oppositioncame. Unbelieving Jews stirred up trouble. A mob attacked the house of a mannamed Jason, where Paul and his companions had apparently been staying. Whenthey could not find Paul, they dragged Jason and some of the other believersbefore the rulers of the city. Andlisten to the accusation they made in Acts 17:6: "These that haveturned the world upside down are come here also." What a testimony! Theseearly Christians were accused of turning the world upside down. Actually, theworld was already upside down because of sin. The Gospel was turning it rightside up! Because of the danger, the believers sent Paul and Silas away by nightto Berea. Imagine how Paul must have felt. He had only been with these newbelievers for a short time. They were young Christians living in a paganculture.Theywere already experiencing persecution. Paul loved them and was deeply concernedabout them. Eventually Timothy was sent back to see how they were doing. Later,when Timothy brought Paul the wonderful news that their faith was standingstrong, Paul wrote the letter that we call First Thessalonians. 

In Philippians 1:2he writes, "Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and fromthe Lord Jesus Christ." Now in the last verse he writes, "Thegrace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen." Grace is thebookends of this letter. Grace brought us into the family of God. Gracesustains us every day. And grace will carry us safely Home. We never outgrowour need for God's grace. Sometimes people think that grace is only forsalvation. They say, "I was saved by grace, but now I must live theChristian life on my own." Nothing could be farther from the truth. Thesame grace that saves us also strengthens us, teaches us, forgives us, restoresus, and keeps us until the day we see Christ face to face. Paulunderstood this. He wrote in 1 Corinthians 15:10, "But by the grace ofGod I am what I am." He did not say, "I used to need grace."He said, "Everything I am today is because of God's grace." When thethorn in the flesh was not removed, the Lord said to Paul in 2 Corinthians12:9, "My grace is sufficient for thee: for My strength is made perfectin weakness." Notice that Jesus did not promise to remove everyburden. He promised sufficient grace. Grace for every trial. Grace for everydisappointment. Grace for every temptation. Grace for every sorrow. Grace forevery opportunity to serve Him. That is why I have entitled today's chat, “Gracefor the Journey." Aswe have traveled through Philippians, we have discovered that the Christianlife is a journey. In chapter one we learned to have a single mind, living forChrist and the Gospel. In chapter two we learned to have a submissive mind,following the example of our humble Savior. In chapter three we learned to havea spiritual mind, pressing toward the prize and refusing to trust in the flesh.And in chapter four we learned to have a secure mind—rejoicing in the Lord,praying instead of worrying, thinking on the right things, being content inevery circumstance, and trusting God to supply every need. How do we live thatkind of life? Only by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Youmay remember what we have said several times throughout this study: theChristian life is not difficult—it is impossible apart from Christ. We cannotrejoice in every circumstance by our own strength. We cannot love our enemiesby our own strength. We cannot have peace that passes understanding by our ownstrength. We cannot overcome anxious thoughts by our own strength. We cannot becontent in every situation by our own strength. But what we cannot do, Hisgrace enables us to do. His grace is not merely God's favor toward us.Itis God's power working in us. It is Christ living His life through us. Perhapsthat is why Paul specifically says,“Thegrace of our Lord Jesus Christ…” Graceis not an abstract idea. Grace is found in a Person. Everything we need isfound in Jesus. John tells us in John 1:16, "And of His fulness haveall we received, and grace for grace." Every day we draw upon Hisfullness. As yesterday's grace is spent, today's grace is supplied. Tomorrow'sgrace will be there when tomorrow arrives. God never asks us to live today onyesterday's grace, nor does He expect us to borrow tomorrow's grace. He givesus exactly what we need for each day. I have often thought about Paul's ownlife.Hehad been beaten. He had been imprisoned. He had been shipwrecked. He hadsuffered hunger, loneliness, rejection, and persecution. Yet when he comes tothe end of this letter, he does not complain. He does not express regret. Hesimply points everyone back to the grace of Jesus Christ. That tells me thatgrace is enough. It was enough for Paul. It is enough for us. Aswe conclude our study of Philippians, I hope you will remember the greatlessons God has taught us. Remember to keep your eyes on Christ. Remember thatjoy is found in Him, not in your circumstances. Remember that peace comesthrough prayer. Remember that your thoughts shape your life.

At first glance,this may seem like little more than a closing greeting. But when we stop andthink about it, these words remind us that nothing can stop the Gospel of JesusChrist. Remember where Paul is as he writes these words. He is under housearrest in Rome. Humanly speaking, it appeared that his missionary ministry hadcome to an end. He could no longer travel from city to city planting churches.He was chained to Roman soldiers' day after day. Many people might have lookedat Paul's circumstances and concluded that Satan had won. ButGod had another plan. Back in Philippians 1:12 Paul wrote, "The thingswhich happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of thegospel." Instead of Paul traveling throughout the Roman Empire, Godbrought the Roman Empire to Paul. Day after day, soldiers from the PraetorianGuard were chained to him. One soldier after another listened as Paul prayed,taught the Scriptures, wrote letters, and shared the good news of Jesus Christ.Imagine being chained to the Apostle Paul for six or eight hours! The soldiercouldn't walk away. He couldn't change the subject. He couldn't turn off theconversation. Every shift brought another opportunity for Paul to tell someoneabout Christ. What looked like imprisonment was actually one of the greatestmissionary opportunities Paul ever had. Now,at the end of this letter, Paul lets us see the harvest. "All thesaints salute you, chiefly they that are of Caesar's household." Thisdoes not necessarily mean members of Caesar's immediate family had becomebelievers, although that is not impossible. The phrase "Caesar'shousehold" referred to the large number of servants, officials,administrators, soldiers, craftsmen, and slaves who worked throughout theimperial household. Among those people, God had raised up believers. Thinkabout that. The Gospel had entered the very heart of the Roman Empire. Theemperor himself claimed to be lord. People were expected to worship Caesar. Yetinside Caesar's own household there were now people confessing that JesusChrist is Lord! What an amazing victory of God's grace! Thisreminds us that no place is beyond the reach of God. Sometimes we look at aworkplace, a government office, a university campus, a military base, or even aprison and think, "No one there would ever become a Christian." ButGod specializes in reaching impossible places. No heart is too hard. No cultureis too hostile. No government is too powerful. No sinner is beyond the savinggrace of Jesus Christ. The Gospel has never depended on favorablecircumstances. It has always depended upon the power of God. Romans 1:16 says, "ForI am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God untosalvation to every one that believeth." Paul believed that. He livedthat. And now he is seeing it happen before his very eyes. There'sanother lesson here that speaks to all of us. Paul never viewed hiscircumstances as obstacles. He viewed them as opportunities. We often pray,"Lord, get me out of this difficult place." Perhaps we should alsopray, "Lord, while I am here, help me reach the people You have placedaround me." Every one of us has a mission field. It may be yourneighborhood. It may be your doctor's office. It may be your workplace. It maybe the rehabilitation center, the hospital, the military, the classroom, oreven your own family. God has placed people around you that no one else mayever reach. Paulcould not choose where he was chained, but he could choose how he responded. Insteadof complaining, he preached. Instead of becoming discouraged, he looked foropportunities. Instead of focusing on what he had lost, he focused on the doorsGod had opened. What a wonderful example for us today. Remember this: God never wastes our circumstances. If we are available, He canuse us wherever He places us. As someone wisely said, "The will of Godwill never place you where the grace of God cannot use you." 

Philippians 4:21: "Saluteevery saint in Christ Jesus. The brethren which are with me greet you." Thevery first word that catches my attention is the word "every." Pauldoes not simply say, "Greet the church," or "Greet theleaders." He says, "Salute every saint." That tells ussomething about the heart of this great apostle. Paul loved people. Throughoutthis letter we have seen his affection for the believers at Philippi. Inchapter 1 he called them his partners in the Gospel. He thanked God for themevery time he remembered them. He prayed for them with joy. In chapter 2 heencouraged them to be of one mind and to esteem others better than themselves.In chapter 4 he thanked them for their generous gift and their faithful supportof his ministry. Now, as he closes the letter, he wants every believer to knowthey are remembered.  Isn'tthat just like our Lord? Jesus never overlooked individuals. He stopped forblind Bartimaeus while others tried to silence him. He noticed Zacchaeussitting in a tree when everyone else saw only a tax collector. He spoke withthe woman at the well when others would have avoided her. He stopped to taketime for the lady that had an issue of blood who had touched the helm of Hisgarment from behind when a large crowd was pressing in on Him. His disciplessaw a crowd, but He saw one needy person. He welcomed little children when thedisciples thought they were unimportant. Our Savior never saw people asinterruptions. He saw them as souls. Paul had learned that same heart. Noticealso the word "saint." In our world, many people think a saintis someone who has lived an extraordinary life and is honored centuries afterdeath. But in the New Testament, every believer in Jesus Christ is called asaint. The word simply means "one who has been set apart for God." Itis not a title we earn. It is a position we receive when we trust Christ as ourSavior. That means if you know Jesus today, you are one of God's saints. Notbecause you are perfect. Not because you have never failed. But because youhave been made holy through the finished work of Jesus Christ. I have oftenreminded people that God does not see us merely as we were. He sees us inChrist. What a wonderful truth! ThenPaul writes, "The brethren which are with me greet you." Paulwas under house arrest in Rome. He was chained to a Roman soldier. He wasseparated by hundreds of miles from the believers in Philippi. Yet thefellowship of God's family could not be broken by prison walls or greatdistances. Other believers were serving beside Paul, and they wanted their loveconveyed to these Christians in Philippi. What a beautiful picture of thefamily of God. Most recently, our mission team experienced this againin Guatemala. Though we spoke different languages and came from differentcultures, we immediately recognized something we had in common. We belonged tothe same Savior. We were members of the same family. There is a bond amongGod's people that cannot be explained by nationality, language, or background.It is the fellowship we have in Jesus Christ. Do peopleknow that I care about them? Paul's concern for "every saint"challenges me. It reminds me to notice people who may otherwise be overlooked. Theelderly saint who faithfully attends church. The young believer who is justbeginning to grow. The widow who quietly serves. The missionary faithfullylaboring far from home. The pastor who faithfully preaches week after week. Everysaint matters because every saint matters to Christ. Perhapstoday the Lord is laying someone on your heart. Why not call them? Send them anote. Write them a text. Pray for them. Encourage them. You never know how mucha simple word of kindness may strengthen a fellow believer. After all, that isexactly what Paul is doing here. Even in the closing words of his letter, he isencouraging God's people.

Today we come to Philippians 4:20, a beautiful doxology thatconcludes Paul's teaching on giving and God's faithful provision. Paul writes: "Nowunto God and our Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen." What awonderful way to end this section! Paul has spoken about the Philippians'generosity. He has thanked them for their sacrificial gift. He has remindedthem that their offering was "an odor of a sweet smell, a sacrificeacceptable, well pleasing to God." Then he gave them one of the greatestpromises in all of Scripture: "But my God shall supply all your needaccording to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus." Now,before moving on to his final greetings, Paul lifts his eyes toward heaven andgives all the glory to God.Isn'tthat the way it should always be? Whenever God works, whenever He provides,whenever He answers prayer, whenever He blesses His people, the glory belongsto Him alone.  Noticehow Paul describes Him: "God and our Father." This is notmerely the Creator of the universe or the sovereign Ruler of all things,although He certainly is. Through Jesus Christ, He has become our Father. Jesustaught His disciples to pray, "Our Father which art in heaven."What a privilege! The God who created the stars, who spoke the universe intoexistence, who owns the cattle on a thousand hills, invites us to come to Himas beloved children.  BecauseHe is our Father, He knows our needs before we ask. Because He is our Father,He loves us with an everlasting love. Because He is our Father, He disciplinesus when necessary. Because He is our Father, He delights in providing for Hischildren. No wonder Paul had such confidence when he wrote, "My Godshall supply all your need." Then Paul says, "be glory forever and ever." The word glory speaks of honor, praise, majesty, andworship. It is the recognition of who God is and what He has done. Ourgreatest purpose in life is not simply to be successful, comfortable, orprosperous. Our greatest purpose is to glorify God. That is why we werecreated. That is why we were redeemed. That is why we have been left here onearth. Everything we do should point others to Him. AsI reflect on our recent mission trip to Guatemala, I cannot help but think ofthis verse. Yes, we are thankful for the many home visits, the public schoolprograms, the church services, the encouragement shared with pastors and churchleaders, the wonderful unity among our team, and the excellent partnership withour national brothers and sisters in Christ. But none of those things areultimately about us. They are about God.Heopened the doors. He gave the strength. He provided the opportunities. Heprotected us throughout our travels. He prepared hearts to receive His Word. Hedeserves all the glory. Thatis the attitude Paul demonstrates here. Even after receiving a generous giftfrom the Philippians, he does not magnify the givers. He magnifies God. Maythat always be true in our lives. When someone thanks us for serving, let usremember to give glory to God. When He answers prayer, let us give glory toGod. When He provides our needs, let us give glory to God. When He blesses ourfamilies, our churches, or our ministries, let us give glory to God. Finally,Paul concludes with one simple but powerful word: "Amen." Thatword means, "So be it." It is a declaration of confidence andagreement. Paul is saying, "This is true. This is certain. This is worthyof our wholehearted affirmation." As we finish this section ofPhilippians, let us remember the beautiful progression Paul has given us. God'speople give generously. God receives their gifts as an act of worship. Godfaithfully supplies every need according to His riches in glory by ChristJesus. And God alone receives all the glory forever and ever. That is theChristian life in its simplest form: we receive everything from His hand, weuse it for His kingdom, and we return all the praise to Him. 

Today I want us to look at the last phrase of this verse, "accordingto His riches in glory by Christ Jesus." These few words reveal notonly that God provides for His children, but they tell us how He provides andwhere our provision comes from. Noticefirst that Paul says God supplies "according to His riches,"not merely "out of His riches." There is a tremendous difference. Supposea billionaire handed someone ten dollars. He gave out of his riches, butcertainly not according to his riches. The gift was only a tiny fraction ofwhat he possessed. But if he gave according to his riches, the gift wouldreflect the greatness of his wealth. That is exactly what Paul is saying aboutGod. Our Heavenly Father does not ration His grace. He does not measure Hismercy with a tiny spoon. He supplies according to the infinite abundance of Hisown riches. Howrich is God? He owns everything! Psalm 24:1 reminds us, "The earth isthe LORD'S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwelltherein." Haggai 2:8 says, "The silver is mine, and the goldis mine, saith the LORD of hosts." David declared in 1 Chronicles29:11, "Thine, O LORD, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory,and the victory, and the majesty... all that is in the heaven and in the earthis thine." God never faces a shortage. Heaven never experiencesinflation. The storehouses of His grace are never depleted. YetPaul is speaking about something even greater than material wealth. He says, "accordingto His riches in glory." Throughout Paul's letters, the word"riches" most often refers to the immeasurable wealth of God's grace,mercy, love, wisdom, and power. In Ephesians 1:7, Paul speaks of "theriches of His grace." In Ephesians 2:4, he writes of God being "richin mercy." Just a few verses later, in Ephesians 2:7, he tells usabout "the exceeding riches of His grace." In Romans 11:33, heexclaims, "O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledgeof God!" God's greatest riches are not found in streets of gold orgates of pearl. They are found in His glorious character—His grace, His mercy,His love, His faithfulness, His wisdom, and His power. That is the treasurefrom which He supplies His children. ThenPaul tells us that all of this comes "by Christ Jesus." JesusChrist is the channel through whom every blessing flows. Every spiritualblessing we possess comes because of Him. Every answered prayer comes throughHim. Every provision of grace comes through Him. Every promise of God finds itsfulfillment in Him. Without Christ, we would have no access to the Father. Butbecause of Christ, we have been welcomed into God's family and become heirs ofall that belongs to Him. No wonder Paul wrote in Romans 8:32, "He thatspared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not withhim also freely give us all things?" If God has already given us Hisgreatest gift—His own Son—we can trust Him to give us everything else we trulyneed. AsI think back over our recent mission trip to Guatemala, I am reminded againthat this is exactly how God works. He supplied every need according to Hisriches. He provided strength when we were tired, wisdom when decisions had tobe made, protection as we traveled, unity among our team, open doors forministry, and joyful fellowship with believers we had never met before.  Friend,perhaps today you are facing a need that seems overwhelming. It may befinancial. It may be physical. It may be emotional. It may be spiritual. Rememberthis promise. Your need may be great, but God's riches are infinitely greater. TheGod who created the universe, who redeemed you through His Son, and who hasnever broken a promise will supply every need according to His riches in gloryby Christ Jesus. So trust Him today. Rest in His faithfulness. Obey Himwholeheartedly. Serve Him joyfully. Give generously. And leave your needs inthe hands of the One whose resources are limitless. 

I first want toexpress my heartfelt thanks to each of you who prayed for our mission teamduring our trip to Guatemala this past week. I can honestly say that yourprayers were answered in wonderful ways. The trip could not have gone better.Ournational ministry partners were absolutely tremendous. Their servant spirit,faithful labor, and loving assistance blessed us every day. They repeatedlytold us that they, too, had been encouraged by our coming. . So, from the bottom of my heart, thank you for praying. Youhad a real part in everything God accomplished. I hope to share more about thetrip in the days ahead. Nowlet's return to our study in Philippians chapter 4. Last week, before we left,we looked at verse 18 where Paul wrote, "But I have all, and abound: Iam full..." The generous gift from the Philippian believers had methis present needs. Paul described their offering as "an odor of a sweetsmell, a sacrifice acceptable, well pleasing to God." Their gift was notmerely money given to a missionary. It was an act of worship offered to GodHimself. Thatbrings us to one of the most familiar promises in all of Scripture. Verse 19says, "But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches inglory by Christ Jesus." This verse has been quoted thousands of times,but sadly it is often quoted apart from its context. Notice first that thispromise begins with two wonderful words: "My God." Paul is notspeaking merely about God in a general sense. He is speaking about the God whomhe knew personally, trusted completely, and had depended upon throughout everycircumstance of life. This was the God who had met Paul's needs in prison, onmissionary journeys, through persecution, hunger, shipwrecks, and countlesshardships. Paulcould confidently say, "My God shall supply." Notice also thatPaul does not simply say God can supply our needs. He says God shall supply.This is a promise based on God's faithfulness, not our circumstances. But wemust remember who this promise was originally given to. Paul is speaking tobelievers who had sacrificially given to support the work of God. They hadinvested in the Gospel. They had shared in Paul's ministry. They had met hisneeds when few others had done so. In a sense, Paul is saying, "You havetaken care of God's servant. Now God will take care of you." Thatsame principle is found throughout Scripture. Jesus said in Luke 6:38, "Give,and it shall be given unto you." And in 2 Corinthians chapters 8 and9, Paul teaches that God blesses generous believers so they may continue toabound in every good work. Notice something else. Paul does not promise thatGod will supply all our greeds. He promises to supply all our needs. Ourheavenly Father knows the difference. Sometimes what we think we need is reallyonly something we desire. But God, in His infinite wisdom, always knows exactlywhat is best for His children. He never fails to provide what is necessary toaccomplish His will in our lives. ThenPaul tells us the measure of God's provision: "According to His richesin glory by Christ Jesus." He does not give out of His riches, asthough handing us a small portion. He gives according to His riches. Theresources of heaven are unlimited because our God is unlimited. Every blessingwe receive ultimately comes through one source—Jesus Christ. Every spiritualblessing, every answered prayer, every provision of grace, every daily need issupplied through our Savior. AsI reflect on our mission trip this past week, I am reminded again that Godtruly does supply every need. He supplied the people. He supplied the strength.He supplied the protection. He supplied the opportunities. He supplied theresources. Once again, He proved Himself faithful. And dear friend, He is justas faithful today in your life. If you belong to Him, you can trust Him. Walkwith Him. Serve Him. Be generous toward His work. Then leave your needs in Hiscapable hands.

Today is a very special day for me. Early this morning, byGod's grace, I will be leaving to go to Dulles Airport to meet with a team ofabout twenty people on a mission trip to Guatemala. For the next week we'llhave the privilege of partnering with local pastors and churches as weencourage believers, minister to families, meet practical needs, and mostimportantly, share the wonderful Gospel of Jesus Christ. BeforeI leave, I want to thank so many of you who have given donations and prayed forthis trip over the past several weeks. Your encouragement has meant so much tome. I would also ask that you continue praying for our entire team throughoutthis week. Please pray for safe travel, good health, strength for each day,unity among our team members, open doors for ministry, and most of all, thatmany people would come to know Jesus Christ as their personal Savior. AsI thought about this trip, I couldn't help but think of the verses we've beenstudying together in Philippians chapter 4. After thanking the believers atPhilippi for their faithful support, Paul writes in verse 18: "But Ihave all, and abound: I am full, having received of Epaphroditus the thingswhich were sent from you, an odor of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable,well pleasing to God." What a beautiful picture! The Philippians hadsent a financial gift to meet Paul's needs. Humanly speaking, Epaphrodituscarried that gift from Philippi all the way to Rome. But when it reached Paul,he didn't simply see money. He saw worship. He saw love. He saw sacrifice.Mostof all, he saw something that had risen all the way to Heaven as "asweet-smelling savor... well pleasing to God." Thatexpression takes us back to the Old Testament. When sacrifices were offered tothe Lord with sincere hearts and in obedience to His Word, the Bible often saysthey were "a sweet savor unto the Lord." It wasn't the aromaof the sacrifice itself that pleased God. It was the loving obedience and faithbehind it. The same principle is true today. Whenever we give ourselves toGod's work—whether through our prayers, our encouragement, our resources, orour service—God sees it as an act of worship. Thatreminds us that missions is never just about those who go. It is also aboutthose who pray. Those who encourage. Those who faithfully stand behind the workof God. Every believer has the privilege of participating in the GreatCommission. As our team travels to Guatemala today, we are not going alone. Weare going as representatives of our churches, our families, and so many friendswho have prayed faithfully for us. In a very real sense, you are sharing inthis ministry through your prayers before God's throne. Aswe said yesterday, perhaps you cannot travel across the world. Perhaps your ageor your health would not allow it. But every one of us can pray. Every one ofus can encourage someone serving Christ. Every one of us can participate inwhat God is doing around the world. Jesus said in Matthew 28:19–20, "Goyou therefore, and teach all nations... and, lo, I am with you always, evenunto the end of the world." Romans 10:14-15 reminds us that some arecalled to go. Others are called to send. Still others are called to pray. Buttogether, we all share in the privilege of making Christ known. Sotoday, I would simply ask you to remember our team in prayer each day thisweek. Pray that God would prepare hearts before we arrive. Pray that He wouldgive us wisdom, compassion, and strength. Pray that every conversation, everymessage, every act of kindness, and every opportunity to serve would bringhonor and glory to our Lord Jesus Christ. Ifthe Lord provides good internet service, I hope to send along a brief dailyupdate so you can rejoice with us in what God is doing and know how to praymore specifically. Thank you again for your love, your friendship, andespecially your faithful prayers.

Today we continue looking at what I believe is one of themost beautiful passages in all of Scripture on the grace of giving. Paul writesin Philippians 4:16–17: "For even in Thessalonica you sent once andagain unto my necessity. Not because I desire a gift: but I desire fruit thatmay abound to your account.” Aswe've seen, the church at Philippi was unique. Many churches appreciated Paul'sministry, but very few actually partnered with him financially.  Paulhad only been in Thessalonica for a short time. According to Acts 17, hisministry there lasted only a few weeks before persecution forced him to leave.Yet during that brief ministry, the believers at Philippi sent help more thanonce. That tells us something about their hearts. Generous people don't waituntil they become wealthy. They simply look for opportunities to meet needs.  Godisn't looking first at the size of the gift. He is looking at the faithfulnessof the giver. Throughout Scripture we see this pattern. When the children ofIsrael built the tabernacle, the people kept bringing offerings until Moses hadto tell them to stop because there was more than enough. The widow of Zarephathcontinued sharing her last meal with Elijah, and God continued supplying theoil and the meal. The poor widow whom Jesus observed in the Temple gave onlytwo mites, yet Jesus declared she had given more than all the wealthy becauseshe gave out of her poverty. Faithful giving has never been measured by theamount. It has always been measured by the heart. ThenPaul says something that surprises us in verse 17: "Not because Idesire a gift..." Paul wasn't manipulating anyone. He wasn't raisingmoney for himself. He wasn't trying to make people feel guilty. His concernwasn't his own comfort. His concern was their spiritual growth. That is why hecontinues: "But I desire fruit that may abound to your account." Whatan amazing statement! Paul says, in effect, "I'm more excited about whatGod is doing for you than what you're doing for me." He knew that everygift they gave in the name of Christ would become an eternal investment. Jesustaught this same truth in Matthew 6:19–20: "Lay not up for yourselvestreasures upon earth... But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven."Every dollar spent on ourselves eventually disappears. Every investment madefor Christ lasts forever. Paulpictures their generosity as fruit that is continually being credited to theirheavenly account. Imagine receiving a monthly bank statement and discoveringsomeone had been making deposits into your account all month long. Paul saysthat is exactly what happens spiritually when we invest in God's work. Godkeeps the records. God never forgets. Nothing given in His name is ever wasted.Sometimes we think only preachers, missionaries, or evangelists receive eternalrewards. But Paul reminds us that those who faithfully support God's servantsshare in those same eternal blessings. WhenWilliam Carey went to India as a missionary, his friend Andrew Fuller remainedin England to raise support and encourage churches to stand behind the work.Carey reportedly said, "I will go down into the pit if you will hold theropes." The man in the pit and the men holding the ropes shared the samemission. The same is true today. Some are called to go. Others are called tosend. Both are equally important in the work of the Gospel.  (Read Romans 10:14-15) When yousupport missionaries... When you help your local church... When you encouragethose serving Christ... You are producing fruit that will one day be rewardedin eternity. The wonderful truth is this: God is never indebted to anyone. Heremembers every act of generosity done for His glory. So today, ask yourself:Am I giving only occasionally? Or have I made generosity a way of life? Am Iinvesting only in things that will perish? Or am I laying up treasures thatwill last forever? 

Today we continue our study in Philippians chapter 4 as welook at verse 15. Paul writes: "Now you Philippians know also, that inthe beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no churchcommunicated with me as concerning giving and receiving, but you only." Yesterdaywe saw that Paul thanked the Philippians for caring enough to share in hisaffliction. Today he takes us one step further and reminds them that theirgenerosity was not something new. It had become a pattern of their lives fromthe very beginning of their Christian experience. NoticePaul's words: "In the beginning of the gospel." He isreferring to the days when the gospel first came to Philippi. Acts chapter 16tells that wonderful story. Paul arrived in Philippi with Silas after receivingthe Macedonian vision. There beside the river, Lydia trusted Christ. Soonafterward, the demon-possessed servant girl was delivered. Then Paul and Silaswere beaten, thrown into prison, sang praises at midnight, and the jailer andhis family came to know Christ. Out of those dramatic events, a church wasborn. Thatlittle congregation had not been saved very long before they began thinkingabout someone besides themselves. Isn't that remarkable? They were not awealthy church. In fact, Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians chapter 8 that thechurches of Macedonia—including Philippi—gave out of their deep poverty. Yettheir poverty did not stop their generosity because grace had changed theirhearts.  Paulsays, "No church communicated with me as concerning giving andreceiving, but you only." Yesterday we talked about this word, "communicate".Remember It comes from the same family of words as koinonia, meaningfellowship or partnership. Paul is not merely saying they sent him some money.He is saying they entered into a partnership with him in the work of theGospel. They understood something many Christians never fully grasp. When wegive to God's work, we become partners in that ministry. The missionary maypreach the sermon. The pastor may teach the Bible. The evangelist may leadsomeone to Christ. But the people who pray, encourage, and give become fellowlaborers in everything God accomplishes through that ministry. Years ago,someone wisely said, "Some go, some send, but all can share in thereward." That is exactly what Paul is teaching. Noticeanother interesting expression: "giving and receiving." Paul borrowslanguage from the world of business and accounting. It is as though he opens aheavenly ledger book. On one side is giving. On the other side is receiving. Mostpeople think giving means something leaves their account. God says giving meanssomething is being entered into another account. In just a few verses, Paulwill write in verse 17: "Not because I desire a gift: but I desirefruit that may abound to your account." Every gift given for the gloryof God is an eternal investment. Heaven keeps perfect records. God neverforgets even the smallest act of generosity done in His name. Jesus said inMatthew 10:42 that even a cup of cold water given in His name will not lose itsreward.  Sometimespeople wonder whether their gift matters. "It wasn't very much." "Iwish I could give more." "My offering seems so small." Friend,God is not measuring the amount nearly as much as He is measuring the heart. Godsees what no one else sees. The Philippians were not a famous church. They werenot a wealthy church. Yet Paul says they stood alone. "No church... butyou only." What a testimony! They had become known as a church thatinvested in the Gospel. I wonder what our churches are known for today. Beautifulbuildings? Excellent music? Wonderful programs? Or are we known as people whogladly invest our lives and our resources so others can hear about Jesus? Let'sask ourselves today: Am I merely attending church? Or am I actively investingin the work of Christ? There is an eternal difference. 

"Notwithstanding you have well done,that you did communicate with my affliction."  At first glance, this verse appears to besimply a "thank you" for a financial gift. But it is much more thanthat. Paul is introducing a wonderful truth that we might call the grace ofgiving. Noticewhat he says first: "You have done well." Paul commends thePhilippians. He isn't praising the amount of their gift. He is praising thelove that motivated it. God has always been more interested in the heart thanin the size of the gift. Jesus reminded us of that when He watched the poorwidow place her two mites into the Temple treasury. Others gave much more, butJesus said she had given the most because she gave out of her poverty whileothers gave out of their abundance. God measures giving differently than we do.He measures sacrifice. He measures love. He measures faith.  ThenPaul says something very interesting: "You did communicate with myaffliction." Today we usually think of the word"communicate" as talking or sending a message. But that is not whatPaul means. The Greek word is koinōneō. It means to share, to participate, orto have fellowship together. The Philippians were not merely sending money.They were sharing Paul's burden. They were entering into his suffering. Thoughthey were hundreds of miles away, they were saying, "Paul, you are notalone. We are standing with you." Isn't that what Christian fellowship isall about? Theword koinōnia, which is translated "fellowship," appears at the verybeginning of this letter. In Philippians 1:5 Paul thanked God for their"fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now." Now, at theclose of the letter, that same fellowship is still evident. Their partnershiphad not ended. It had continued through prayer... Through encouragement... Andnow through generous giving. True Christian fellowship is much more thanenjoying a meal together or shaking hands after church. It means sharing lifetogether. Romans 12:15 tells us, "Rejoice with them that do rejoice,and weep with them that weep." When one believer hurts, we all hurt.When one believer rejoices, we all rejoice. That is the family of God. ThePhilippians could not remove Paul's chains. They could not release him fromprison. But they could stand beside him by sharing what God had given them. Andthat made all the difference. The same is true today. Not everyone can become amissionary. Not everyone can preach. Not everyone can travel around the worldsharing the Gospel. But every believer can have a part in God's work bypraying, encouraging, and giving. When we support those who are taking theGospel to others, we become partners in that ministry. We share in the workthat God is doing through them. Ioften think about the people who faithfully pray for missionaries around theworld. Others give faithfully each week to support God's work. Some writeencouraging letters. Others quietly meet practical needs. None of those actsmay seem very spectacular. But God sees every one of them. Every act of love isan expression of His grace. That is why I like to call this section "TheGrace of Giving." Giving is not something God wants from us. It issomething His grace produces in us. ThePhilippians did not give because they were pressured. They gave because God'sgrace had filled their hearts. Theirgenerosity was evidence of God's grace at work in their lives. The same is truefor us. When Christ has our hearts, He also has our hands, our time, ourtalents, and yes, even our resources. Giving is never about losing something.It is about sharing in what God is doing. Perhapstoday God is giving you an opportunity to share in someone else's burden. Maybethrough prayer. Maybe through an encouraging word. Maybe through meeting apractical need. Remember, when we share the burdens of others, we arereflecting the heart of Jesus Christ Himself. Let's ask God to make us thatkind of believer.

Ibelieve one of the greatest mistakes we make is taking this verse out of itscontext. Remember, Paul did not write this verse by itself. It is theconclusion of everything he has been saying in verses 10 through 12. He hasbeen talking about contentment. He has been talking about learning to livewhether he had plenty or little. He has been talking about being full and beinghungry... Having abundance and suffering need. Then he says, "I can doall things through Christ which strengthens me." Whatare the "all things"? The context answers the question. Paulis saying, "I can live in poverty through Christ." "I can livein prosperity through Christ." "I can endure suffering throughChrist." "I can handle success through Christ." "I canremain faithful whether life is easy or difficult because Christ gives me thestrength."Thinkabout Paul's life. As he writes these words, he is not standing in a palace. Heis sitting in a Roman prison. He is chained to a Roman soldier. His future isuncertain. Yet instead of complaining, he is overflowing with joy. How? Notbecause he is naturally strong. Not because he has unusual determination. Butbecause Christ is strengthening him every day. Notice carefully what Paul says."I can..." Not, "I might." Not, "I hope." But,"I can." This is the confidence of faith.  Thennotice the next words. "...through Christ..." Paul'sconfidence was never in himself. Throughout this letter he has consistentlypointed us away from self and toward Christ. TheChristian life has never been about self-confidence. It is aboutChrist-confidence.  Noticethe final words. "...which strengthens me." The verb literallymeans, "to continually infuse with strength." Paul isn't sayingChrist gave him strength once many years ago. He is saying Christ keeps onstrengthening him. Every day. Every trial. Every hardship. Every opportunity. Thisreminds me of what Jesus said in John 15. "I am the vine, you are thebranches... for without Me you can do nothing." The branch does notstruggle to produce fruit. It simply abides in the vine. The life of the vineflows through the branch. In the same way, Christ's strength flows into thelife of the believer who depends upon Him. Perhapsthat is why Paul wrote in Galatians 2:20, "I am crucified with Christ:nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me." What awonderful truth! The Christian life is not difficult. It is impossible—apartfrom Christ. Only Christ can enable us to forgive when we've been hurt. OnlyChrist can enable us to rejoice in suffering. Only Christ can enable us to loveour enemies. Only Christ can enable us to remain content when circumstanceschange. That is exactly what Paul is saying here. Foryears I have observed that this verse, along with Philippians 4:19, is oftenquoted without reading the verses that come before it. As a result, sincereChristians sometimes become discouraged. They expect these promises to workalmost like magic formulas. But God's promises are always connected to God'spurposes.Paulcould say, "I can do all things through Christ," because hehad spent four chapters teaching us how to walk with Christ. He had learned thesingle mind of chapter one. The submissive mind of chapter two. The spiritualmind of chapter three. The secure mind of chapter four. He had learned torejoice... To pray... To trust... To think on the right things... To practiceGod's Word... To be content. Now,after years of walking with Christ, he can testify, "I can do allthings through Christ which strengthens me." Friend, whatever God asksyou to face today... whatever burden He allows you to carry...  Whatever trial He asks you to endure...Whatever opportunity He places before you... You do not have to face it alone.TheChrist who saved you will strengthen you. His grace is sufficient. His strengthis made perfect in weakness. And because He is enough, you can faithfully dowhatever He calls you to do. 

Today we continue ourstudy in Philippians chapter 4. Yesterday in verse 11, Paul told us one of thegreatest secrets of the Christian life: "I have learned, in whatsoeverstate I am, therewith to be content." Today in verse 12 he explainswhere that lesson was learned. "I know how to be abased, and I know howto abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and tobe hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.” Paulis describing a life that has experienced every extreme. He says, "Iknow..." That word is important. He doesn't say, "I've heardabout these things." He doesn't say, "I've read about them." Hesays, "I know." These are lessons learned through personalexperience. Paul had lived on both sides of life's circumstances.  Heknew how to be abased. The word means to be brought low, humbled, or to livewith very little. Paul knew what it was like to be hungry. He knew what it waslike to be cold. He knew what it was like to be beaten, imprisoned,misunderstood, and rejected. He had slept in prison cells and spent sleeplessnights at sea. He had experienced loneliness, pain, and persecution. ButPaul also knew how to abound. There were times when God supplied every needabundantly. There were seasons of fruitful ministry. Churches were planted.People were saved. Friends encouraged him. Believers generously supplied hisneeds, just as the Philippians were doing now. Paul understood something thatmany Christians never learn. It takes as much grace to handle prosperity as itdoes adversity. Some people fall apart when trouble comes. Others becomespiritually careless when blessings come. Adversity can make us bitter.Prosperity can make us proud. Both are dangerous if Christ is not the center ofour lives. NoticePaul says, "Everywhere and in all things..." Literally, inevery place and in every circumstance. Whether traveling across Asia Minor...Standing before governors... Preaching in synagogues... Working as atentmaker... Sitting in a Roman prison... God was teaching him the same lesson.Then he says something fascinating: "I am instructed..." Theexpression literally carries the thought of being initiated into a mystery.Paul is saying, "God has taught me a secret." What is that secret? Itis not that circumstances no longer matter. It is that circumstances no longercontrol him. There is a tremendous difference. Paulwas not living under his circumstances. He was living above them. Someone onceasked an elderly Christian, "How are you doing under yourcircumstances?" He smiled and replied, "What am I doing under them?God never intended me to live there!" That simple answer contains aprofound truth. As believers, we do not deny our circumstances. We do notpretend pain doesn't hurt. We do not ignore disappointments. But neither do weallow those circumstances to dictate our joy, our peace, or our confidence inGod. We live above them because Christ lives within us. Thecircumstances around us may change daily. But the Christ within us neverchanges. Hebrews 13:8 reminds us, "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, andtoday, and forever."  Perhapsthat is why the Apostle Paul could write in 2 Corinthians 4:17, "Forour light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far moreexceeding and eternal weight of glory." He wasn't minimizingsuffering. He was comparing it with eternity. When we focus only on today'scircumstances, life can become discouraging. When we remember that God isworking an eternal purpose, our perspective changes. Corrie ten Boom once said,"If you look at the world, you'll be distressed. If you look within,you'll be depressed. If you look at Christ, you'll be at rest." How true! TheChristian life is not about escaping difficult circumstances. It is aboutexperiencing the presence of Christ in the middle of them. And it is not aboutbecoming independent of circumstances. It is about becoming dependent uponChrist.

Philippians4:11: "Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned inwhatever state I am, to be content.” Immediately Paul wants the Philippiansto understand something. He is not thanking them because he was desperate formoney. He says, "Not that I speak in respect of want." Paulcertainly appreciated their generous gift, but his joy did not depend uponwhether he had plenty or little. His happiness was not tied to his bankaccount, his circumstances, or his physical comfort. Thenhe makes one of the most remarkable statements in Scripture: "For Ihave learned...".  Noticecarefully what Paul does not say. He does not say, "I was borncontent." He does not say, "I have always been content." He doesnot say, "Contentment came naturally to me." No. He says, "Ihave learned." That one word is full of encouragement. Contentment is nota personality trait. It is not something only optimistic people possess. It isnot the result of favorable circumstances. It is something that every believermust learn in the school of God. Justas a child learns to read one lesson at a time, so God patiently teaches Hischildren contentment one experience at a time. Each circumstancebecame another classroom where God taught Paul to trust Christ.  Godoften teaches us His greatest lessons in the classrooms we would never choosefor ourselves. None of us naturally enjoys trials. None of us asks forsuffering. Yet many of the deepest truths we know about God's faithfulnesscould never have been learned any other way. James tells us in James 1:2-3: “Mybrethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that thetesting of your faith produces patience.” Peter reminds us that the trialof our faith is more precious than gold in 1 Peter 1:6-7: “In this yougreatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have beengrieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much moreprecious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found topraise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” Godis never wasting our hardships. He is teaching us something that prosperityalone could never teach. Notice the next phrase. "...in whatsoeverstate I am..." Paul is not talking about geography. He is not speakingabout whether he is in Philippi, Ephesus, Corinth, or Rome, North Caolina orVirginia. He is talking about every circumstance of life. Whether life is easyor difficult. Whether his needs are met abundantly or barely. Whether he isfree or imprisoned. Whether he is applauded or criticized. In every situation,God had been teaching him. Thencomes the great lesson. "...therewith to be content." The word"content" carries the idea of being inwardly sufficient, satisfied,and at rest. For the Christian, however, our sufficiency is not found inourselves. Our sufficiency is found in Christ. As Paul wrote elsewhere in 2Corinthians 3:5, "Not that we are sufficient of ourselves... but oursufficiency is of God." The world says, "You will be content whenyou get more." God says, "You will be content when you discover thatChrist is enough." The world constantly tells us that happiness is justone purchase away. One promotion away. One new possession away. One bettercircumstance away. But once we obtain those things, we soon discover that theycannot satisfy the deepest needs of the heart. Only Christ can do that. Augustinewrote many centuries ago, "Our hearts are restless until they find theirrest in Thee." How true that is!Perhapstoday God has enrolled you in the school of contentment. Maybe your lessoninvolves waiting. Perhaps it involves illness. Financial pressure.Disappointment. Or unanswered questions. Do not despise the classroom. YourHeavenly Father is an excellent Teacher. Every lesson has a purpose. Everyassignment has eternal value. Every trial is designed to make you more like HisSon.

“But I rejoiced in the Lordgreatly that now at last your care for me has flourished again; though yousurely did care, but you lacked opportunity.” Rememberwhere Paul is as he writes these words. He is under house arrest in Rome. Hehas been separated from the Philippian believers for several years. During thattime they had desired to help him, but because of distance, persecution, andlimited means of communication, they simply had no opportunity. Then God openeda door. The church gathered an offering and sent one of their own members,Epaphroditus, on the long journey from Philippi to Rome. It was a dangeroustrip of nearly eight hundred miles. Along the way Epaphroditus became seriouslyill and nearly died, yet he faithfully completed the mission God had given him.Through this faithful servant, the Philippian believers sent not only financialhelp but also encouragement, love, and fellowship to Paul. NoticePaul's first response. "I rejoiced in the Lord greatly." Hedid not merely rejoice because money had arrived. He rejoiced because he sawGod's hand behind the gift. His joy was centered "in the Lord." Thatlittle phrase appears throughout Philippians. Paul teaches us again and againthat our joy is never to be rooted in circumstances but in Christ Himself. Paulunderstood that people may give the gift, but God is always the Provider. Jamesreminds us, "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, andcomes down from the Father of lights" (James 1:17). David declared inPsalm 23:1, "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want." Paulsaw every provision of life as coming from the loving hand of his HeavenlyFather. Noticeanother beautiful expression. "Your care of me has flourishedagain." The word "flourished" pictures a plant thatblooms again after winter. The Philippians' love for Paul had never died. Ithad simply lacked an opportunity to express itself. Now their concern hadblossomed into visible action once more. How encouraging that must have been! Sometimeswe wrongly conclude that people no longer care because we have not heard fromthem for a while. But circumstances often prevent people from expressing whatis really in their hearts. Paul quickly removes any misunderstanding by saying," though you surely did care, but you lacked opportunity.” In other words,"I know you have cared all along. You simply had no way to help."What grace! Paul refuses to criticize them. He refuses to question theirmotives. He gives them the benefit of the doubt. Wouldn't our relationships behealthier if we did the same? How many misunderstandings could be avoided if weassumed the best instead of the worst? Remember 1 Corinthians 13: Love "believesall things" and "hopes all things." Love looks forreasons to trust rather than reasons to doubt. Thereis another wonderful lesson here. God's timing is always perfect. The gift didnot arrive early. It did not arrive late. It arrived exactly when God knew Paulneeded it. Our Heavenly Father is never in a hurry, but He is never behindschedule. Abraham learned that on Mount Moriah when God provided the ram. Israellearned it in the wilderness when manna appeared every morning. Elijah learnedit beside the brook Cherith and later through the widow of Zarephath. Paul nowexperiences that same faithful provision in a Roman prison. Perhapstoday you are waiting on God. You have prayed. You have trusted Him. Yet theanswer has not yet come. Take courage. If God knows how to feed the sparrowsand clothe the lilies of the field, He certainly knows how to care for His ownchildren. Often God's delays are not God's denials. He is preparing both theprovision and the person who will receive it.  When our eyes are fixed on Christ, every blessing becomes anotherreminder of His faithfulness. When we recognize that every good thing comesfrom His loving hand, gratitude replaces anxiety, and joy replaces worry.

Philippians 4:9:"Those things, which ye have both learned, andreceived, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be withyou."   Noticethe little command near the end of the verse: "Do." One simple word.Christianity was never intended to be merely something we know. It is somethingwe live. James reminds us of this in James 1:22, "But be you doers ofthe word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves."  Knowledge without obedience only producesdeception. The goal of Bible study is never simply information. It istransformation. Paulreminds the Philippians of four ways they had received God's truth. First, theyhad learned it. That speaks of careful instruction. For several years Paul hadtaught these believers the Word of God. Second, they had received it. Thatmeans they welcomed it and accepted it as God's truth. Hearing truth is onething. Receiving truth is another. Third, they had heard it. Again and againthey listened as Paul preached Christ. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing bythe Word of God. Butthen Paul adds something remarkable. They had seen it in him. Paul wasn'tasking them to imitate a perfect man. He was asking them to follow a faithfulexample. He had already written in chapter 3:17, "Brethren, befollowers together of me." Not because Paul was perfect. In fact, hehad just admitted in chapter 3 that he had not already attained. But he wassincerely following Christ. Someonehas wisely said, "People may doubt what you say, but they usually believewhat you do." Augustine said, “Preach the Gospel, preach the Gospel, andif necessary use words”. Our lives either reinforce our message or contradictit. Paul could boldly say, "You've heard me preach it, and you've watchedme live it."Whata challenge for every Christian. Our children are watching us. Ourgrandchildren are watching us. Our neighbors are watching us. The people wework beside are watching us. Our lives become living sermons every single day. Paulthen gives this simple command: "Do." Put it into practice. Practicewhat you have learned. Practice what you believe. Practice what God has shownyou. Someone once said that the distance between heaven and earth is only abouteighteen inches—the distance from the head to the heart. But I might add thereis another distance—from the heart to the hands and feet. God wants His truthto move from our minds, to our hearts, and finally into our daily lives. TheChristian life is learned one step of obedience at a time. Thennotice the wonderful promise. Paul does not simply say that the peace of Godwill guard you. He now says, "The God of peace shall be with you."Back in verse 7, Paul promised the peace of God. Now he promises thepresence of the God of peace. What could be better than that? When we walk injoyful obedience, we enjoy the fellowship of God's presence in a very real way.The greatest blessing of obedience is not merely answered prayer, or even innerpeace. The greatest blessing is that we experience the nearness of God Himself.Jesus said in John 14:21, "He that has my commandments, and keeps them,he it is that loves me... and I will love him, and will manifest myself tohim." May each of us not merely know God's Word. May we live God'sWord. Asthe old hymn reminds us, "Trust and obey, for there's no other way to behappy in Jesus, but to trust and obey."Let'spray.  Heavenly Father, thank You forgiving us Your precious Word. Help us not to be hearers only, but doers of YourWord. May the truths we learn each day shape the way we live, the way we speak,and the way we love others. Help us to be examples of faithful followers ofChrist so that others will see Jesus in us. Thank You for the wonderful promisethat as we walk in obedience, the God of peace will be with us. May we enjoyYour presence every day of our lives. We ask this in the precious name of Jesus.Amen.

Over the past several days, we have been looking at one ofthe most important subjects in the Christian life, and that is the battle forthe mind. Today, we want to conclude our thoughts on Philippians 4:4–8 andbegin looking at verse 9. Paul has written in verse 8, “Finally, brethren,whatever things are true, whatever things are honest, whatever things are just,whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are ofgood report, if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on thesethings.” Paulhas reminded us over and over again that our thoughts matter. Today, we want toleave you with one simple statement that I trust you will always remember: Youcannot consistently live above the level of your thinking. Aswe have walked through Philippians together from chapter 1 all the way to thispoint, I've become increasingly aware that Paul is building a carefullyconnected argument. Sometimes we preach verses individually, and rightly so.But when you follow Paul's flow of thought verse by verse, you see thebeautiful progression that the Holy Spirit has inspired. Notice in Philippians4:4–9 how they fit together:Verse4—a joyful spirit: “Rejoice in the Lord always.”Verse5—a gentle spirit: “Let your moderation be known unto all men.”Verse6—a prayerful spirit: “Be careful for nothing.”Verse7—a peaceful heart: “The peace of God... shall keep your hearts and minds.”Verse8—a disciplined mind: “Think on these things.”Then,in verse 9, we'll see an obedient life: “Those things... do.” It'sreally like a staircase. Joy leads to gentleness. Gentleness leads to prayer.Prayer leads to peace. Peace prepares the mind. The renewed mind producesobedient thinking and living. The obedient life results in what we see verse 9promises—a continued fellowship with the God of peace. Idon't think it's incidental that the Apostle Paul changes expressions. In verse7, he promises the peace of God. In verse 9, he promises the God of peace.There's a subtle but profound difference in these two. When we pray, the peaceof God guards us. When we obey, the God of peace walks with us. That may becomeone of the key thoughts of this entire chapter.  Anotherobservation that has stayed with me all week is the progression throughout thewhole book of Philippians that we mentioned earlier in our study.Chapter1—the single mind: Christ first.Chapter2—the submissive mind: the mind of Christ in humility.Chapter3—the spiritual mind: pressing toward Christ instead of trusting the flesh.Thenchapter 4—the settled mind, or the secured mind: free from worry because it'sfilled with prayer, peace, and right living. Oh, what a beautiful progression! Now,one final thought before we finish our study on verses 4–8 and begin looking atverse 9. In verse 9, Paul gives us five verbs: “Those things, which ye haveboth learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do.” We see here thecomplete process of discipleship. You learn truth. You receive truth.You hear truth repeatedly. You see truth lived in someone else'slife. Then you do the truth yourself. Overmy 50 years of ministry, that's what we've attempted to do—to hear this truth,to receive it, to let it live in us as we meditate on it, and then to live itout before others around us. Paul said, “You have seen in me.”Paul set an example, and so should we. Let'spray. Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for Your Word and for reminding us howimportant our thoughts are. Forgive us for the times we've allowed fear andworry and bitterness and impurity and discouragement to control our thinking. Helpus to bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Jesus Christ.Renew our minds through Your Word. Help us to think on those things that aretrue, honest, just, pure, lovely, and of good report. May our right thinkinglead to right living. May our lives bring honor and glory to You always. Wepray this in Jesus' name. Amen. 

Welcometo Pastor's Chat. Today we conclude our study of Philippians 4:8. For the pastseveral days we have carefully walked through this remarkable verse. Paul hasgiven us a divine pattern for guarding our minds. He has taught us to think onthings that are True... Honorable... Just... Pure... Lovely... Of Good Report...Full of Virtue... And Worthy of Praise. But before we leave this verse, I wantus to step back and see the big picture. Paulis not merely giving us a list. He is describing the mind of Christ. Earlier inthis letter, in Philippians 2:5, Paul wrote, "Let this mind be in you,which was also in Christ Jesus." Now, in chapter 4, he shows us whatthat mind looks like. Everything on this list perfectly describes our LordJesus Christ. He is Truth. Everything about Him is honorable. Everything Hedoes is just. He is absolutely pure. His life is altogether lovely. EverythingHe says is of good report. He is the very definition of virtue. He alone isworthy of all praise. The more we think about Christ... The more we become likeChrist. Paulunderstood something we often forget. Our lives move in the direction of ourthoughts. That is why verse 8 comes before verse 9. First comes right thinking.Then comes right living. Listen to the opening words of verse 9: "Thosethings, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me,do..."Noticethe progression. Think... Then do. Meditate... Then practice. Truth believedbecomes truth lived. Foryears I have been reminded that the Christian life is much like building ahouse. Our thoughts are the foundation. Our words become the framework. Ouractions build the walls. Our habits put on the roof. Our character becomes thefinished house. Everything begins with the foundation. No wonder Solomon wrote,"For as a man thinks in his heart, so is he." (Proverbs 23:7) Thebattle for the Christian life is truly the battle for the mind. That battle isbeing fought every day. It is fought by what we watch. What we read. What welisten to. What we meditate upon. What we allow to remain in our thoughts. Thewonderful news is that God has not left us defenseless. He has given us HisHoly Spirit. He has given us His Word. He has given us the privilege of prayer. Inverse 7 He promises the peace of God to guard our hearts.Inverse 8 He gives us the truth of God to guard our minds.Tomorrow,in verse 9, He gives us the God of peace to guide our lives. Whata beautiful progression! The peace of God guards our hearts. The truth of Godguards our minds. The God of peace guides our lives. Friend,this week, why not memorize Philippians 4:8? Write it on a card. Read it everymorning. Pray through each phrase. Use it as a filter for every thought thatenters your mind. As you do, you'll discover that God is not merely changingwhat you think. He is changing who you are. And when our minds become more likeChrist, our lives will become more like Christ. That is the goal of theChristian life. Tomorrowwe'll begin looking at verse 9 and discover that God's truth is never meantmerely to be admired. It is meant to be practiced. Let'sPray: Heavenly Father, thank You for this wonderful passage that teaches us howto guard our minds. Thank You for giving us the perfect example of the LordJesus Christ. May His mind increasingly become our mind. Help us to think Yourthoughts, love what You love, reject what dishonors You, and faithfullypractice what You teach us. May our lives point others to our wonderful Savior.In His precious name we pray. Amen. Godbless and may you have a wonderful wonderful day!

"The Pursuit ofMoral Excellence"Philippians 4:8 Welcometo Pastor's Chat. Today we come to the final two descriptions in Paul'swonderful list found in Philippians 4:8. "Finally, brethren, whateverthings are true, whatever things are honest, whatever things are just, whateverthings are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of goodreport; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on thesethings." Notice how Paul begins to summarize everything he has justwritten. "If there be any virtue, and if there be any praise."  Theword virtue speaks of moral excellence. It describes the highest qualities ofChristian character. It is the kind of life that reflects the excellence ofJesus Christ Himself. Peter uses this same word in 2 Peter 1:3 when he tells usthat God has called us "to glory and virtue." Then in verse 5he challenges us, "Giving all diligence, add to your faithvirtue..." God never saved us simply to escape hell. He saved us sothat our lives would increasingly reflect the character of His Son. That is whyPaul tells us to fill our minds with whatever is morally excellent. Thesecond phrase is, "If there be any praise..." This is notspeaking primarily about receiving praise from people. It speaks of whatever isworthy of approval before God. We should ask ourselves this question: "IfJesus were sitting beside me, would He approve of what I am thinking aboutright now?" That one question can become a powerful guide for dailyliving. Aswe have studied this verse together, Paul has given us a wonderful checklistfor every thought that enters our minds. Is it true? Is it honorable? Is itjust? Is it pure? Is it lovely? Is it of good report? Does it demonstrate moralexcellence? Would it receive God's approval? If the answer is yes... Paul says,"Think on these things."Thewords “think on” mean much more than having a passing thought. They meanto continually dwell upon these things. To weigh them carefully. Tointentionally fill your mind with them. Godmade us in such a way that our minds cannot think two thoughts at the sametime. If we are thinking what we should be thinking, we cannot be thinking whatwe shouldn't be thinking. Our minds are never neutral. If we do notdeliberately fill them with God's truth, the world will gladly fill them withits own values. Thatis why daily time in God's Word is not optional. It is essential. The psalmistwrote, "Blessed is the man... whose delight is in the law of the LORD;and in His law doth he meditate day and night." (Psalm 1:1-2). Noticethe word meditate. God never intended His Word to be merely read. He intendedit to be pondered. Turned over in our minds. Applied to our lives. As wemeditate on God's truth, the Holy Spirit gradually transforms our thinking. Themore we think like Christ... The more we live like Christ. Yearsago, someone wisely observed, "You are today where your thoughts havebrought you. You will be tomorrow where your thoughts take you." There ismuch truth in that statement. Our thoughts shape our choices. Our choices shapeour habits. Our habits shape our character. Our character shapes our influence.Thatis why the battle for the Christian life is first won or lost in the mind. Today,determine to make Philippians 4:8 your daily filter. Before you entertain athought, run it through Paul's checklist. If it passes...Think on it. If itfails... Replace it with the truth of God's Word. Let'sPray: Heavenly Father, thank You for calling us to lives of moral excellence.Help us to measure every thought by Your holy Word. Renew our minds day by dayuntil our thinking reflects the mind of Christ. May our lives become worthy ofYour approval and useful for Your glory. In Jesus' precious name, Amen. Godbless and may you have a wonderful wonderful day!

"Whatever things are lovely...""Whatever things are of good report..." The word lovely means that which is pleasing, gracious, winsome,and worthy of love. It describes whatever draws us toward God's goodnessinstead of pulling us toward sin. Thephrase "of good report" speaks of that which is admirable,commendable, reputable, and worthy of being spoken well of. Together thesewords teach us an important lesson. The Christian life is not merely aboutavoiding evil. It is also about delighting in what is beautiful. Sometimesbelievers become so focused on everything that is wrong with the world thatthey forget to enjoy everything that God has made right. Think about thebeautiful gifts God has placed all around us.  Thebeauty of His creation. A sunrise that reminds us of His faithfulness. Thesound of children laughing. A godly marriage that reflects Christ's love. Afaithful church family. The testimony of a missionary. The faithfulness of anelderly saint who has walked with God for decades. The joy of seeing someonetrust Christ as Savior. These are the kinds of things Paul says should occupyour minds. Davidoften filled his heart by meditating on God's works. Psalm 19 begins, "Theheavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handywork." Creationitself points us to the greatness of our Creator. Every beautiful flower. Everymountain. Every ocean wave. Every star in the night sky reminds us that our Godis both powerful and good. No wonder David could say in Psalm 27:4,"One thing have I desired of the LORD... that I may behold the beauty ofthe LORD."  Thinkabout that phrase. The beauty of the Lord. The loveliest person in all theuniverse is the Lord Jesus Christ. Everything about Him is beautiful. Hiscompassion. His humility. His holiness. His mercy. His grace. His truth. Hislove. The more we meditate on Christ, the more our own lives begin to reflectHis beauty. This also affects the way we listen to others and speak aboutothers. Paulsays to think on things that are of good report. Our world thrives on bad news.Every day the headlines remind us of crime, disasters, conflict, corruption,and tragedy. Social media often magnifies criticism, arguments, gossip, andoutrage. If we're not careful, we can become so absorbed with everything thatis wrong that we forget all that God is doing that is right. That doesn't meanwe ignore reality. It means we refuse to let negativity become the atmospherein which our minds continually live. Paulis teaching us to intentionally notice God's grace. Notice answered prayer.Notice faithful servants. Notice transformed lives. Notice opportunities toencourage someone. Notice evidences of God's goodness. Hebrews 10:24 says, "Andlet us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works."We should become students of encouragement. Instead of looking for reasons tocriticize, look for reasons to give thanks. Instead of dwelling on failures,rejoice in God's victories. Instead of repeating gossip, repeat God'sfaithfulness.  Someoneonce said, "The bee can find nectar while the fly can only findgarbage." Both live in the same world. They simply look for differentthings. The same is true spiritually. We can spend our lives looking foreverything that is wrong. Or we can train our minds to recognize thefingerprints of God's grace all around us. That doesn't mean life is alwayseasy. Remember where Paul was when he wrote these words. He was in prison. Yethis mind was not imprisoned. His circumstances did not determine his outlookbecause his thoughts were centered on Christ. Today,ask the Lord to help you see His goodness. Notice His blessings. Meditate onHis beauty. Encourage someone with words that build them up instead of tearthem down. When we fill our minds with what is lovely and of good report, wediscover that joy begins to replace bitterness, gratitude replaces complaining,and peace replaces discouragement.

Saturday July 11“Whatever things are pure." Thisword speaks of that which is morally clean, undefiled, innocent, and holy. Itdescribes a life that has not been contaminated by the pollution of sin. Welive in a world that has almost lost the meaning of purity. Every day we aresurrounded by images, conversations, advertisements, movies, televisionprograms, websites, and social media that appeal to the lust of the flesh, thelust of the eyes, and the pride of life. Impurity has become so common thatmany people no longer blush at what once brought shame. ButGod has never lowered His standard. Jesus said in Matthew 5:8, "Blessedare the pure in heart: for they shall see God." Notice He did notsimply say, "Blessed are the pure in conduct." He said, "Blessedare the pure in heart." God is always interested in the condition of theheart because the heart determines the conduct of the life. That is why Paul istalking about our thinking. Long before sin becomes an action, it usuallybegins as a thought that has been entertained. Someonehas wisely said, "Sow a thought, and you reap an action. Sow an action,and you reap a habit. Sow a habit, and you reap a character. Sow a character,and you reap a destiny." Everything begins with what we allow our minds todwell upon. Job understood this battle. In Job 31:1 he declared, "Imade a covenant with mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid?"Job recognized that what entered through his eyes could influence what remainedin his mind. How much more important is that principle today? Neverbefore in history have people carried around in their pockets devices that caninstantly expose them to almost every form of impurity imaginable. That is whywe must be more intentional than ever about guarding our minds. David prayed inPsalm 101:3, "I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes." Whata wonderful commitment! Imagine how different our lives would be if everybeliever prayed that prayer each morning. Paulgives similar instruction in Romans 13:14, "But put ye on the LordJesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the luststhereof." Notice he doesn't simply say, "Don't sin." Hesays, "Don't make provision for it." Don't feed it. Don't encourageit. Don't place yourself where temptation is invited to stay. Instead, fillyour mind with Christ. The wonderful truth is this: The more room God's Wordoccupies in your mind, the less room sinful thoughts have to remain. Lightalways drives out darkness. Truth always exposes lies. Purity always overcomescorruption. This does not mean that believers will never experience temptation.Even our Lord was tempted. But temptation is not sin. Sin begins when we chooseto entertain what God tells us to reject. Every time an impure thought entersyour mind, immediately bring it before the Lord. Replace it with Scripture.Turn your attention to Christ. Sing a hymn. Quote a Bible verse. Begin thankingGod for His goodness. The battle is won not merely by resisting evil but byfilling our minds with something far better. Perhapsthe greatest motivation for purity is not fear. It is love. When we truly lovethe Lord Jesus Christ, we want our thoughts to be pleasing to Him. David prayedin Psalm 19:14, "Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of myheart, be acceptable in Thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer." Whata wonderful prayer for each of us. May the meditation of our hearts bring joyto the heart of our Savior. Today, ask yourself this question: "Would I becomfortable if the Lord Jesus could visibly read every thought that passesthrough my mind today?" The wonderful news is that He already does. Andyet He loves us enough to forgive us, cleanse us, and transform us. As we yieldour minds to Him, He continues making us more like Himself. Remember, God'sdesire is not merely clean hands. He desires clean hearts, pure minds, and holylives.

"Whatever things are just..."Each of these qualities is anotherfilter through which every thought should pass before it is allowed to remainin our minds. First, we asked, "Is it true?" Then we asked, "Isit honorable?" TodayPaul asks another important question: "Is it just?" The word justmeans righteous, upright, and in harmony with God's holy standards. It speaksof what is fair, right, and pleasing in His sight. Our world no longer agreeson what is right. People often say, "Do whatever feels right." Otherssay, "You have your truth, and I have mine." But God has neverchanged His standard. Malachi 3:6 says, "For I am the LORD, I changenot." Because God never changes, His standards of righteousness neverchange. Psalm119:172 declares, "All Thy commandments are righteousness." EverythingGod commands is right. Everything He forbids is for our good. Everything Heteaches reflects His perfect character. That means when we examine ourthoughts, we should ask, "Would this thought be approved by God? Does itagree with His Word? Does it reflect His righteousness?" That questionalone can save us from countless sins. Manytemptations begin long before an action is ever taken. They begin with athought. James tells us in James 1:14-15, "But every man is tempted,when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hathconceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forthdeath." Notice the progression. The thought comes first. Then desiregrows. Then comes the action. Then come the consequences. If we learn to rejectsinful thoughts at the beginning, we prevent sinful actions later. Yearsago someone wisely said, "You can't stop a bird from flying over yourhead, but you can stop it from building a nest in your hair." Temptingthoughts may come unexpectedly. Even our Lord was tempted by Satan in thewilderness. But Jesus never entertained those temptations. Instead, Heimmediately answered each one with the Word of God. Three times He declared, "Itis written..." Our greatest weapon against wrong thinking is the truthof God's Word. Davidunderstood this battle. In Psalm 19:14 he prayed, "Let the words of mymouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in Thy sight, O LORD, mystrength, and my redeemer." Did you notice that? Not only the words ofmy mouth... But the meditation of my heart. David realized that God examineswhat no one else can see. People see our actions. God sees our thoughts. Thattruth should both humble us and encourage us. It humbles us because we realizehow desperately we need God's grace. But it also encourages us because the HolySpirit is able to transform us from the inside out. Asbelievers, we should never be satisfied merely with doing the right thing outwardly.God wants us to delight in what is right inwardly. He wants our minds to loverighteousness. When we read Scripture, meditate on God's character, rememberHis promises, and walk with Him daily, our thinking gradually begins to change.Webegin to love what He loves. We begin to hate what He hates. Our values becomeHis values. Our desires become more like His desires. That is the work ofspiritual maturity. Sotoday, whenever a thought enters your mind, pause for just a moment and askyourself, "Is this thought righteous? Would the Lord Jesus dwell on thisthought?" If the answer is yes, continue thinking on it. If the answer isno, surrender it immediately to Christ and replace it with the truth of HisWord. Remember, the Christian life is not simply avoiding wrong actions. It iscultivating a mind that delights in God's righteousness. Tomorrowwe'll come to one of my favorite words in this verse: "Whatever thingsare pure." In a world filled with moral confusion and impurity, Godstill calls His children to think pure thoughts.

Theword honest in our King James Bible means much more than simply telling thetruth. It carries the idea of whatever is honorable, noble, dignified, worthyof respect, and deserving of reverence. It describes that which lifts our mindsupward instead of dragging them downward. Paul uses this same Greek word inspeaking about the qualifications of deacons in 1 Timothy 3:8, where they areto be "grave," or dignified. Titus 2:2 uses the same idea to describeolder men who are to be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, love, andpatience. The Christian should have a mind that delights in things that arenoble. Thatraises an important question.  Whatoccupies our thoughts? Much of the entertainment in our world today feeds theopposite of what Paul is describing. We are surrounded by mockery instead ofrespect, vulgarity instead of purity, violence instead of kindness, andfoolishness instead of wisdom. It seems that many people today laugh at whatGod calls sacred and celebrate what God calls sinful. As believers, we must becareful about what we continually allow into our minds. Remember, whateverfills the mind eventually shapes the life. Solomonwisely wrote in Proverbs 4:23, "Keep thy heart with all diligence; forout of it are the issues of life." The word keep again means to guard.We guard our homes by locking the doors. We guard our valuables by placing themin a safe. Should we not be even more careful to guard our minds? Someone oncesaid, "You become like what you admire." There is a great deal oftruth in that statement. If we continually admire what is worldly, our thinkingwill become worldly. If we continually admire what is holy, our thinking willbecome holy. Oneof the greatest examples of honorable thinking is found in the Lord JesusChrist Himself. Every conversation He had was marked by dignity. Every actionreflected the holiness of His Father. Even when He rebuked sin, He did so withperfect righteousness and perfect love. Peter tells us, "Christ alsosuffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow His steps."(1 Peter 2:21) If Christ is our example, then our thoughts should increasinglyreflect His character. Thisalso affects the conversations we enjoy. Have you noticed that people usuallytalk about what they think about? If our minds are filled with things that aretrivial, foolish, or corrupt, our speech will reveal it. Jesus said,"For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks." (Matthew12:34) What fills the heart eventually comes out through the lips. Perhaps onepractical application today is this: Ask yourself, "Does what I amwatching, reading, listening to, or thinking about encourage dignity,reverence, and respect for God? Does it help me become more like Christ?" Ifthe answer is no, then it probably does not belong in the mind of a believer. TheChristian mind should never be captivated by what is cheap when it has beeninvited to dwell upon what is noble. Paul is reminding us that our minds shouldcontinually rise above the gutter of this world to the greatness of our God. Themore we fill our minds with Christ, His Word, His works, and His glory, theless attractive the things of this world become. That is why the greatestsafeguard for the Christian mind is not merely saying "no" to thewrong things. It is saying "yes" to the better things. Fill your mindwith Scripture. Fill your mind with the character of Christ. Fill your mindwith the greatness of God. Then you will discover that honorable thoughtsproduce honorable living. Tomorrowwe'll look at the next filter Paul gives us: "Whatever things arejust." We'll discover that God not only wants us to think nobly, butHe also wants us to think righteously.

Yesterday we learned that if we are goingto enjoy the peace of God guarding our hearts, then we must also guard ourminds.  TodayPaul gives us the first test for every thought that enters our minds: "Whateverthings are true." Everything begins with truth. We live in a worldwhere truth is often questioned, ignored, or even rejected. We hear people say,"Well, that's your truth," or "This is my truth." But theBible teaches that truth is not something we invent—it is something God reveals.Jesus declared in John 14:6, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: noman cometh unto the Father, but by Me." Later, as He prayed to theFather, Jesus said in John 17:17: “Sanctify them through Thy truth: Thy wordis truth." God'sWord is the absolute standard of truth. If we are going to think correctly, wemust think Biblically. Why does Paul begin here? Because Satan's greatestweapon has always been deception. In the Garden of Eden, the serpent did notbegin by denying God. He began by questioning God's Word. "Yea, hathGod said...?" (Genesis 3:1) Then he contradicted God. "Youshall not surely die." (Genesis 3:4) A lie believed always leads tobondage. But the truth believed always leads to freedom. Jesus said in John8:31-32: "If you continue in My word, then are you My disciples indeed;and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." Thinkabout how many lies Satan tries to whisper into our minds. He says, "Goddoesn't really love you." The Bible says, "The LORD hath appearedof old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love."(Jeremiah 31:3) Satan says, "God has abandoned you." God says, "Iwill never leave thee, nor forsake thee." (Hebrews 13:5) Satan says,"Your failures define you." God says, "If any man be inChrist, he is a new creature." (2 Corinthians 5:17) Satan says,"There is no hope." God says, "Blessed be... the God of allcomfort." (2 Corinthians 1:3) Yousee, every temptation begins with believing a lie, and every victory beginswith believing God's truth. That is why we must continually fill our minds withScripture. Someone once compared the mind to a garden. If you do notintentionally plant flowers, weeds will naturally grow. The same is true of ourminds. If we neglect God's Word, the weeds of fear, doubt, bitterness, lust,pride, and anxiety will quickly take over. David understood this. He wrote in Psalm 119:11, "Thy word haveI hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against Thee." Noticehe didn't simply read God's Word. He hid it in his heart. He stored it there sothat when temptation came, truth was already available. That is exactly how ourLord defeated Satan during His temptation in the wilderness. Every time Satantempted Him, Jesus answered with the same words: "It iswritten..." He responded to every lie with the truth of God's Word.Ephesians 6:13-14 says: “Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that youmay be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Standtherefore, having girded your waist with truth…” Friend,one of the greatest habits you can develop is to begin every day reading,meditating on, and memorizing Scripture. Throughout the day, ask yourself,"Is what I'm thinking true according to God's Word?" If it isn't,reject it and replace it with what God has said.  Remember, God's peace guards our hearts, butGod's truth guards our minds. Today,determine that your mind will be anchored—not in your feelings, not in theopinions of the world, and not in the changing circumstances of life—but in theunchanging truth of God's Word. Godbless and may you have a wonderful wonderful day!

Thinkfor a moment about how many thoughts enter your mind every day. Researchersestimate that thousands of thoughts pass through our minds daily. Some arehelpful, many are harmless, but others can be destructive. Satan knows that ifhe can capture your mind, he can influence your emotions, your decisions, youractions, and eventually your character. That is why the battle for theChristian life is largely the battle for the mind. Noticethe connection with the previous verses. In verse 6 Paul tells us to prayinstead of worrying. “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayerand supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God”. Thenin verse 7 he gives us God's wonderful promise: “And the peace of God, whichsurpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through ChristJesus”. The word guard is a military term. It means to guard or stand watchover. God's peace stands like a soldier around our hearts and minds. Butnow Paul tells us something else. While God guards our hearts with His peace,we have the responsibility to guard our minds with His truth. God neverintended for our minds to remain empty. An empty mind quickly becomes occupiedby fear, temptation, discouragement, resentment, lust, pride, or worry. Theanswer is not merely to stop thinking wrong thoughts. The answer is to replacethem with right thoughts. This is a principle found throughout Scripture. InProverbs 23:7 we read, "For as a man thinks in his heart, so ishe." Ourthoughts eventually become our character. The Lord Jesus emphasized the sametruth. In Matthew 15:19 He said, "For out of the heart proceed evilthoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness,blasphemies." Everything begins on the inside before it ever appearson the outside. Paul also wrote in Romans 12:2, "And be not conformedto this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind." Noticethat transformation comes through the renewing of the mind. Theworld says, "Follow your heart." God says, "Renew yourmind." The world fills our minds with fear, anger, impurity, selfishness,and confusion. God fills our minds with truth, hope, purity, love, and peace. Someonehas wisely said, "You cannot keep the birds from flying over your head,but you can keep them from building a nest in your hair." We cannot alwayscontrol the thoughts that suddenly enter our minds, but we can choose whetherwe dwell on them. A temptation may come, but we do not have to invite it tostay. Paulends this verse with a command: "Think on these things." Thephrase means to deliberately dwell on them, to continually consider them, tocarefully evaluate them, and to let them shape your thinking. The Christianlife is not lived by accident. It is lived by intentionally filling our mindswith God's truth.  Overthe next several days we are going to examine each of these wonderful qualitiesPaul lists. They provide a divine filter for every thought that enters ourminds. Before we allow a thought to remain, we should ask, "Is it true? Isit honest? Is it just? Is it pure? Is it lovely? Is it of good report? Does itdisplay virtue? Is it worthy of praise?" If the answer is yes, dwell onit. If not, replace it with God's Word. Remember, if you want to enjoy thepeace of God in your heart, you must also guard your mind with the truth ofGod. Let's ask the Lord today to help us win the battle for our minds. Let'sPray: Heavenly Father, thank You for giving us Your Word to guide our thinking.Forgive us for allowing worry, fear, bitterness, impurity, and worldlyinfluences to occupy our minds. Help us, by the power of Your Holy Spirit, tothink on the things that honor You. Guard our hearts with Your peace, renew ourminds with Your truth, and transform our lives for Your glory. In Jesus' name,Amen. Godbless and may you have a wonderful wonderful day!

Today we come to one of the most amazing promises in all ofScripture as we look at Philippians 4:7. After Paul tells us to pray abouteverything, he now tells us what God gives us in return. Verse 7 says: “Andthe peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall keep your heartsand minds through Christ Jesus.” Noticethat Paul does not promise that every problem will immediately disappear.Instead, he promises something even greater. God will give us peace—a peace inthe midst of the trials, the challenges, the problems, the disturbances, andeven the tragedies that come into our lives. This is not merely peace with God,which we receive when we trust Jesus Christ as our Savior. Romans 5:1 says: “Therefore,being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord JesusChrist.” No, this is the peace of God—the very peace that fills Hisown heart. Rememberwhat Jesus said to His disciples on the night before His crucifixion. Theirhearts were deeply troubled as they gathered with Him in the Upper Room. Jesussaid to them in John 14:1: “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe inGod, believe also in Me.” Then, in verse 27 of that same chapter, He said: “PeaceI leave with you.” Remember Jesus was about to leave them, yet He said, “Ileave My peace with you.” Why? Because He had just promised them the HolySpirit, who would come and dwell within them. The peace that comes from theHoly Spirit—the fruit of the Spirit—is the peace of Christ abiding in ourhearts. Jesus continued: “My peace I give unto you: not as the worldgiveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it beafraid.” Oh,what a wonderful peace God gives us! It is a calm assurance that He is incontrol. Paul says this peace passes all understanding. The world cannotexplain it. It simply does not make sense from a human perspective. How can wehave peace when we are facing cancer? How can we sing while sitting beside ahospital bed? How could Paul and Silas sing in prison after they had beenbeaten and their backs were bleeding? It is because our peace does not comefrom our circumstances. Our peace comes from God. Pauluses a military term when he says God will keep our hearts. The word literallymeans "guard." It pictures a soldier standing watch over a city or anarmy. Paul was writing this letter from a Roman prison, undoubtedly seeingRoman guards every day. He says that God's peace stands guard over our heartsand minds. It protects us from fear. It protects us from despair. It protectsus from becoming overwhelmed. And He does it all through our Lord Jesus Christ.He is the source of our peace.  Isaiah26:3 gives us this wonderful promise: “You will keep him in perfect peace,whose mind is stayed on Thee, because he trusts in Thee.” My friend, whenyou put your trust in God, you are trusting the One who is in complete controlof all things. You yield everything to Him—your possessions, your health, yourfuture, your family—everything. When we cling too tightly to the things of thisworld or become consumed with material gain, it often reveals that we have notfully surrendered those areas of our lives to the Lord. Andwhen anxiety begins to fill our hearts, remember the words of Psalm 37: “Fretnot thyself because of evildoers.” When we find ourselves fretting, it isoften an indication that we are not trusting the Lord as fully as we should.But when we know Him—when we truly know His character and trust His promises—wediscover that He will guide us, keep us, and fill our hearts with His peace. Oh,what a wonderful, wonderful peace! Todaywe may not know what tomorrow holds, but we know the One who holds tomorrow. God bless!

Today we discover God's replacement for worry—whatwe are to do instead. Paul continues: "But in everything by prayer andsupplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God."Notice the contrast. Don't worry about anything. Instead, pray abouteverything. Paulnow mentions four beautiful words that describe our conversation and communionwith God.  First is the word prayer. Thisspeaks of our general fellowship with God. Before we ask for anything, wesimply come into His presence and worship Him as our loving heavenly Father.Remember, Jesus taught us to pray in Matthew chapter 6: "Our Father whoart in heaven, hallowed be Thy name." Holy is Your name. Our Father. WhenJesus says, "Our Father," in teaching us to pray, we are not onlypraying corporately with other believers, even though sometimes we are. We areactually praying alongside Jesus Christ. He is praying with us. He isinterceding for us. He is helping us as we pray. We pray with Him. We haveaccess to the Father because of who Jesus is. That is why we say, "OurFather." Prayeris our connection to God. It is our communion with Him. It connects us toheaven itself and all the resources of heaven. Prayer is vitally important inour walk with God as we learn more about Him, discover His will, and fulfillHis purposes for our lives. We need to learn how to pray. The disciples neversaid, "Lord, teach us to preach," or, "Teach us to teach."But they did say, "Lord, teach us to pray." That should be our prayertoday. Second,we see the word supplication. This refers to earnest, heartfelt petitions. Itbrings our specific needs before the Lord with humility and dependence. It isrecognizing our need. In James chapter 1, we are told that if anyone lackswisdom, let him ask of God. We need wisdom. In James chapter 4, we learn not toask for things to satisfy our own lusts or selfish desires, but to ask for thethings that please Him. James writes: "Cleanse your hands, you sinners,and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Draw nigh to God, and He will drawnigh to you." That happens as we find cleansing through the blood ofChrist.  Then,in James 5:16, we read: "Confess your trespasses one to another, andpray for one another, that you may be healed." Notice the next words: "Theeffective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much." That iswhat supplication is—earnestly praying, both for ourselves and on behalf ofothers, as we fervently seek God's face and His resources. Third,we see the word thanksgiving. How important this word is! Nothing drives awayworry like a thankful heart. When we remember God's past faithfulness, we findconfidence for today's problems. Perhaps before asking God for something new,we should first thank Him for all He has already done. Thankfulness. How weneed to cultivate hearts of gratitude for the wonderful blessings we enjoyevery day. Thenfinally, Paul says: "Let your requests be made known unto God." Remember,Jesus taught us to pray: "Give us this day our daily bread." Dailywe can pray: Father, protect us. Guide us. Provide for us. Help us. Empower us.Fill us. God invites us to tell Him exactly what is on our hearts. Not becauseHe does not already know—He knows before we ask—but because He desires arelationship with His children. He delights in our coming to Him with our needsand bringing every concern before Him. Thinkabout that. The Creator of the universe invites you to bring every concern toHim. Nothing is too small, and nothing is too great. If it matters to you, itmatters to your heavenly Father. What a privilege, my friend! When anxietycomes, do not rehearse the problem over and over in your mind. Turn it intoprayer. Every worry can become an invitation to draw closer to God. Tomorrow wewill look at God's wonderful promise to everyone who does just that.

Today, I first want to say, Happy Fourth of July! I pray thatas you celebrate our country's history—250 years of God's blessing upon thisnation—you will remember the tremendous price that has been paid by so manypeople to give us the freedoms and opportunities that we enjoy in this greatcountry. I have traveled to many countries all over the world, and I want totell you that, despite all the problems, difficulties, and challenges ourcountry faces today, I would still rather live here than anywhere else in theworld. So would most of the rest of the world. Doyou realize that throughout most of human history, only a small percentage ofpeople have ever enjoyed the freedom and opportunity that we have experiencedin America? We truly are a blessed people. Those blessings did not come withouta tremendous price. Generations of brave men and women sacrificed so that wecould enjoy these liberties, and above all, we should thank God, whoseprovidence has so graciously blessed this nation. Now,that brings us to a great verse as we face many difficult times and challengesin our nation and throughout our world. It is Philippians 4:6, one of the mostbeloved passages in all the Bible, where Paul writes: "Be careful fornothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving letyour requests be made known unto God." Today we are going to focus onthose opening words: "Be careful for nothing." Whenwe read that verse today, the word "careful" does not mean beingcautious or thoughtful. It means to be anxious, worried, or filled with care.Paul is literally saying, "Don't be anxious about anything." Nowthink about who is writing these words. Paul is sitting in a Roman prison. Hedoes not know whether he will be released or executed. He is chained to a Romansoldier, yet at the same time he tells us not to worry. How could he say that? Iam convinced it is because Paul had learned that worry never solves theproblem. It only steals today's strength. Someone has wisely said, "Worryis like a rocking chair. It'll give you something to do, but it won't take youanywhere." Jesus addressed this very issue in Matthew chapter 6. Threetimes He said, "Take no thought." In other words, "Don'tbe anxious." He then points us to the birds of the air and the liliesof the field. He reminds us that if our Heavenly Father faithfully feeds thebirds and beautifully clothes the flowers, how much more will He care for Hisown children? Yousee, worry is really a faith issue. It assumes that God may not take care ofus. It questions His wisdom. It doubts His love. It forgets His promises. Now,that does not mean we ignore our problems or pretend they do not exist. Itmeans that we choose to trust the God who is greater than every problem orchallenge we will ever face. Petergives us a perfect companion verse in 1 Peter 5:7 when he says: "Castingall your care upon Him; for He cares for you." What a wonderfulexchange! We give Him our cares, and He gives us His care. Perhaps today youare carrying a burden that no one else knows about—financial pressures, healthconcerns, family struggles, a wayward child, or an uncertain future. My friend,the Lord knows, and He cares. He invites you to bring every burden to Him. Everytime anxiety knocks at the door of your heart, let it become an alarm remindingyou that you are not trusting the Lord as you should. Let that alarm turn yourheart back toward Him so that you can trust Him with everything you are facingright now and every challenge that lies ahead. As you do that day by day, I amtelling you, you will experience a life filled with greater peace, joy, andtrue happiness. Father, forgive us for the times we have allowed worry to control ourhearts instead of trusting You. Thank You that You know every burden we carryand that You care for us more than we could ever imagine. Help us to cast everycare upon You. We pray this in Jesus' name.Amen. 

Welcometo Pastor's Chat. Today we come to Philippians 4:5. This verse followsnaturally after Paul's command to rejoice in the Lord always. A joyful heartshould be seen in the way we treat other people. Paul writes: "Let yourmoderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand." At firstglance, the word "moderation" might sound like it refers to simplyavoiding extremes. But the word Paul uses has a much richer meaning. Itdescribes a gentle, gracious, patient, and forbearing spirit. It is theattitude of someone who does not insist on his own rights. It speaks ofkindness, humility, and a willingness to yield for the good of others. Itis the very spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ. Think about our Savior. When Hewas falsely accused, He did not retaliate. When He was reviled, He did notrevile again. When He suffered, He committed Himself to the Father who judgesrighteously. Jesus demonstrated perfect gentleness. No wonder He said inMatthew 11:29, "Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meekand lowly in heart." Thatsame spirit should characterize every believer. Paul says, "Let yourmoderation be known unto all men." In other words, this gentle spiritshould be obvious to everyone. Our family should see it.    Our neighbors should see it. Our coworkers should see it. Thosewho disagree with us should see it. Even those who oppose us should recognizethat we respond differently because Christ lives within us. Sadly,our world is becoming increasingly angry. People are quick to argue. Quick tocriticize. Quick to demand their own way. But Christians are called to displaya different spirit. Proverbs 15:1 reminds us, "A soft answer turns awaywrath: but grievous words stir up anger." Gentleness is not weakness.It is strength under control.Ittakes far more strength to respond with grace than it does to react in anger. ThenPaul gives the reason: "The Lord is at hand." This shortphrase carries a wonderful truth. First, it reminds us that the Lord is near. Heis always with us. He sees every circumstance. He hears every conversation. Heknows every burden we carry. When we remember His presence, it becomes mucheasier to respond with patience and grace. But I also believe Paul is remindingus that the Lord's return is near. Throughout the New Testament, believers wereencouraged to live in the light of Christ's soon return.  IfJesus could come today, how should that affect the way we treat one another? Wouldwe hold on to bitterness? Would we continue an argument? Would we refuse toforgive? Or would we seek to live in peace, showing the gentleness of Christ? Knowingthat the Lord is at hand changes our perspective. It reminds us that many ofthe things we become upset about are really not worth losing our testimonyover. Someone once said, "Live each day as though Jesus died yesterday,rose this morning, and is coming back this afternoon." There is greatwisdom in that thought. Myfriend, ask yourself today: When people see me, do they see a gracious andgentle spirit? Do my words reflect the kindness of Christ? Do I respond todifficult people the way Jesus would? May the Holy Spirit help us todemonstrate the gentleness of our Savior in every relationship, rememberingthat the Lord is at hand. This only happens when we yield our hearts and livesto the control of the Holy Spirit and we experience the fruit of the Spiritbeing produced daily (Galatians 5:22-23). Let'spray. Heavenly Father, thank You for the wonderful example of gentleness thatwe see in the Lord Jesus Christ. Help us to display that same gracious spiritin our homes, our churches, and wherever You place us. Guard us from anger,impatience, and selfishness. May our moderation be known unto all men, and mayour lives reflect the beauty of Christ as we live in expectation of His soonreturn. We pray this in Jesus' precious name. Amen. Godbless and may you have a wonderful wonderful day!

Welcometo Pastor's Chat. Today we come to one of the best-known verses in the entirebook of Philippians. In many ways, this verse captures the heartbeat of thewhole letter. Paul writes: "Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say,Rejoice." Think about who is writing these words. Paul is not sittingin a comfortable home enjoying the blessings of retirement. He is under housearrest in Rome. He is chained to a Roman soldier. He is awaiting trial beforeCaesar. Humanly speaking, he has every reason to complain. Yet instead ofcomplaining, he commands us to rejoice.  Thatis one of the great lessons of Philippians. Joy is not determined by ourcircumstances. Joy is determined by our relationship with Jesus Christ. Noticecarefully what Paul says. He does not say, "Rejoice in yourcircumstances." He does not say, "Rejoice because everything is goingwell." He says, "Rejoice in the Lord." Our circumstancesconstantly change. Our health changes. Our finances change. Our emotionschange. People disappoint us. Plans fall apart. But the Lord never changes. Hebrews13:8 reminds us, "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, andforever." Because He never changes, our joy can remain constant evenwhen life is uncertain. Noticealso the little word "alway." That means at all times. When life isgood, rejoice in the Lord. When life is difficult, rejoice in the Lord. Whenprayers are answered, rejoice in the Lord. When you are still waiting for theanswer, rejoice in the Lord. This is not a command to ignore sorrow or pretendthat pain doesn't exist. Paul himself wept. He suffered. He knewdisappointment, persecution, imprisonment, and hardship. Yet beneath all ofthose experiences was a deep confidence that God was in control and that Christwas enough. That is biblical joy. It is possible to have tears in your eyes andjoy in your heart at the same time. ThenPaul adds, "And again I say, Rejoice." Why does he repeathimself? Because we are prone to forget. Throughout this letter Paul hasreturned again and again to this theme. In chapter 1 he rejoiced that Christwas being preached. In chapter 2 he rejoiced in serving Christ alongsideothers. In chapter 3 he told us, "Rejoice in the Lord." Now,as he nears the end of the letter, he repeats the command once more. Apparently,joy is something we all need to hear about again and again. Theword "rejoice" is not merely a suggestion. It is a command. God istelling us that joy is not just an emotion we wait to feel. It is a choice wemake as we focus our hearts on the Lord. How do we cultivate that joy? Werejoice by remembering who Christ is. We rejoice by remembering what He hasdone. We rejoice because our sins are forgiven. We rejoice because our namesare written in heaven. We rejoice because He has promised never to leave us norforsake us. We rejoice because He is coming again.          We rejoice because nothing can separate us from His love. Myfriend, if your joy has begun to fade, don't spend all your time looking atyour circumstances. Lift your eyes to the Lord. The closer we draw to Christ,the deeper our joy becomes. A joyful Christian is not someone who has noproblems; it is someone who has learned that Jesus Christ is greater than everyproblem. Today, no matter what you may be facing, hear Paul's words as thoughhe were speaking them directly to you: "Rejoice in the Lord alway: andagain I say, Rejoice." Let'spray. Heavenly Father, thank You that our joy is not rooted in changingcircumstances but in our unchanging Savior. Forgive us for the times we allowour problems to rob us of the joy that is ours in Christ. Help us to keep oureyes fixed on Jesus and to rejoice in You at all times. May our joy become atestimony to those around us that You are faithful, good, and worthy of ourtrust. We pray this in the precious name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. Godbless and may you have a wonderful wonderful day!

Welcometo Pastor's Chat. Yesterday we heard Paul's loving appeal: "Stand fastin the Lord." Today Paul shows us one of the greatest ways we standfirm as believers—by maintaining unity with one another.Listento his words in Philippians 4:2-3: "I beseech Euodias, and beseechSyntyche, that they be of the same mind in the Lord. And I intreat thee also,true yokefellow, help those women which labored with me in the gospel, withClement also, and with other my fellow laborers, whose names are in the book oflife." Atfirst glance, these verses may seem like a brief personal note tucked away inPaul's letter. But the Holy Spirit preserved them for a reason. Even in one ofthe healthiest churches in the New Testament, there were misunderstandingsbetween believers. Paul names two faithful women—Euodias and Syntyche. We arenot told what their disagreement was, and I believe there is wisdom in that.The issue itself was not nearly as important as the need for reconciliation. Noticesomething else. Paul does not take sides. He doesn't say one woman was rightand the other was wrong. Instead, he lovingly urges both of them, "Beof the same mind in the Lord." That phrase should sound familiar.Throughout Philippians, Paul has emphasized unity that grows out of humility.In chapter 2 he wrote, "Let nothing be done through strife orvainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better thanthemselves." Then he pointed us to the greatest example of unity andhumility—the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. Thesolution to most conflicts among believers is not that one person wins and theother loses. The solution is that both become more like Christ. When our eyesare fixed on Him, many of the things that divide us begin to lose theirimportance. Paul then asks a "true yokefellow" (a truecompanion) to help these women. A yoke joins two oxen together so they can pullthe same load. Paul calls upon a trusted believer to come alongside them andhelp restore fellowship. Thereis a wonderful lesson here. Sometimes mature Christians can help bring healingwhere relationships have become strained. Galatians 6:1 reminds us, "Brethren,if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an onein the spirit of meekness." Notice also how Paul speaks of thesewomen. He says they "labored with me in the gospel." Thesewere not troublemakers. They were faithful servants. They had worked besidePaul in sharing the Gospel. Isn't it encouraging to know that even faithfulChristians can sometimes disagree? Remember Paul and Barnabas in Acts 15. Thechurch has never been made up of perfect people. It has always been made up offorgiven people who are learning to walk together in the grace of God. Paulalso mentions Clement and "other my fellow laborers, whose names are inthe book of life." What a beautiful reminder! Our names are written inthe same book. We are all members of the same family. We are serving the sameSavior. We are going to spend eternity together. That ought to encourage us toseek peace with one another now. Thedevil delights in division. Christ delights in unity. Psalm 133 begins, "Behold,how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!" Myfriend, is there someone with whom you need to be reconciled? Is there amisunderstanding that needs to be settled? Is there forgiveness that needs tobe extended? Don't let small disagreements become large divisions.  RememberPaul's appeal: "Be of the same mind in the Lord." When wehumble ourselves before Christ, love one another, and keep the Gospel first,God strengthens His church, and the world sees the reality of His love.

Today we come to the first verse of Philippians chapter 4. Itis much more than a transition verse. In many ways, it is the conclusion ofeverything Paul has been teaching throughout this wonderful letter. Listen towhat he writes:  "Therefore, mybrethren dearly beloved and longed for, my joy and crown, so stand fast in theLord, my dearly beloved." The very first word is "Therefore."Whenever we see that word in Scripture, we should always ask, "What isit there for?" Paulis pointing us back to everything he has just written, especially the closingverses of chapter 3. Because our citizenship is in heaven... because we arelooking for the return of our Savior... because one day He will transform ourvile, lowly bodies to be like His glorious body... therefore, stand fast in theLord. Our future hope should determine our present faithfulness. Paulthen opens his heart to these believers with a series of beautiful expressionsof love. He calls them "my brethren dearly beloved." Paulloved these people with the love of Christ. Then he says they are "longedfor."Thoughseparated by hundreds of miles and imprisoned in Rome, Paul deeply desired tosee them again. Distance could not diminish his love for them. Next he callsthem "my joy." What a statement! Paul's joy was not found inpossessions or circumstances. It was found in people whose lives had beenchanged by the Gospel. Nothing brings greater joy to a pastor than seeingpeople growing in Christ, standing firm in the faith, and faithfully servingthe Lord. John expressed that same truth when he wrote in 3 John 4, "Ihave no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth." ThenPaul calls them "my crown." The word "crown"here refers to the victor's crown that was placed upon the head of an athletewho had won the race. The Philippian believers were evidence that Paul's laborhad not been in vain. They were his spiritual reward. Every soul that comes toChrist... every believer who grows in grace... every life transformed by theGospel... will be an eternal reward for those who faithfully serve the Lord. ThenPaul comes to the central command of the verse: "So stand fast inthe Lord." The words "stand fast" mean to standfirm, to remain steadfast, to refuse to be moved. Paul has already used thisexpression back in Philippians 1:27: "Stand fast in one spirit, withone mind striving together for the faith of the gospel." The Christianlife is not only a race to run; it is also a battle to fight. The worldconstantly pressures us to compromise. The flesh tempts us to give up. Satanseeks to discourage and deceive us. Yet Paul says, "Stand fast in theLord." Noticehe does not simply say, "Stand fast." He says, "Standfast in the Lord." That makes all the difference. We do not stand inour own strength. We stand in His strength. We do not rely on our owndetermination. We depend upon His grace. Paul would later write in Ephesians6:10, "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power ofhis might." The only way we can stand against the pressures of thisworld is by abiding in Christ every day. Ilove how Paul closes this verse just as he began it: "My dearlybeloved." His command is wrapped in love. He is not speaking as aharsh authority demanding obedience. He is speaking as a loving spiritualfather encouraging his children to remain faithful. My friend, that is God'smessage to each of us today. Stand fast. Stand when culture changes. Stand when others compromise. Stand when trialscome. Stand when your faith is tested. Stand when you feel weary. Stand—not inyour own strength—but in the Lord. One day our Savior will return, and it willbe worth it all. Godbless and may you have a wonderful wonderful day!

The Secure MindPhilippians 4 Welcometo Pastor's Chat. Today we begin our study of the fourth and final chapter ofPaul's wonderful letter to the Philippians. As we begin this last chapter, I'dlike to remind you of the great theme that has run throughout this book.Philippians is often called "The Epistle of Joy." In these four shortchapters, Paul mentions joy or rejoicing at least sixteen times. What isamazing is that he wrote this letter while he was under house arrest in Rome,chained to a Roman soldier and awaiting trial before Caesar. Howcould Paul have such joy in the midst of such difficult circumstances? Theanswer is found in having the mind of Christ. In Philippians 2:5 Paul tells us,"Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus." Aswe have walked through this letter together, we have discovered that eachchapter reveals another aspect of the mind of Christ that produces a joyfulheart. Inchapter one, we learned about the single mind. Paul's heart and life werecentered on one great purpose—to know Christ and make Him known through theGospel. Whether in prison or free, whether living or dying, his passion neverchanged. That is why he could say, "For to me to live is Christ, and todie is gain." A joyful heart begins with a single mind that is fixedon Jesus Christ and His Gospel. Then,in chapter two, we learned about the submissive mind. Paul pointed us to thegreatest example of humility the world has ever seen—the Lord Jesus Christ, whohumbled Himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. ThenPaul gave us three living examples of that same servant spirit: himself,Timothy, and Epaphroditus. They each considered others before themselves andwillingly sacrificed for the sake of Christ. A joyful heart is found in humbleservice. Inchapter three, we discovered the spiritual mind. Paul reminded us to place noconfidence in the flesh—not in our achievements, our religion, or our ownrighteousness. Instead, we are to count all things but loss for the excellencyof the knowledge of Christ Jesus our Lord. Like Paul, we should have one greatdesire: "That I may know him." The spiritual mind is always growing,always pressing forward, and always pursuing a deeper relationship with JesusChrist. Nowwe come to chapter four, where we will discover the secure mind. This chapterteaches us how to stand fast in the Lord when life becomes difficult. Itteaches us to rejoice in the Lord always, to bring every care to God in prayer,and to experience "the peace of God, which passes allunderstanding." It teaches us to discipline our thoughts by thinkingon things that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, and of good report. Itteaches us the secret of contentment in every circumstance. Andit brings us to two of the most beloved promises in all of Scripture. In verse13 Paul declares, "I can do all things through Christ which strengthensme." Then, in verse 19, he assures us, "But my God shallsupply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus." Whatwonderful promises! As we study this final chapter together, I pray that Godwill give each of us a secure mind—a mind that stands firm in Christ, rejoicesin every circumstance, prays about everything, thinks on the right things,rests in God's peace, and trusts completely in His unfailing provision. Myfriend, that kind of mind produces a joyful heart. Let'spray. Heavenly Father, thank You for the wonderful truths You have taught usthroughout the book of Philippians. As we begin this final chapter, help us todevelop a secure mind that is anchored in Christ. Teach us to rejoice always,to pray about everything, to think on those things that honor You, and to trustYou completely for every need. May we truly experience the peace and joy thatonly You can give. In Jesus' precious name we pray. Amen. Godbless and may you have a wonderful wonderful day!

"Forour conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, theLord Jesus Christ: Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashionedlike unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able evento subdue all things unto himself." What a contrast to verse 19! TherePaul described those whose minds are fixed on earthly things. But in verse 20he says, "Our conversation is in heaven." Theword "conversation" here does not refer to our speech. Itmeans our citizenship or our commonwealth—where we really belong. ThePhilippian believers immediately understood this illustration. Philippi was aRoman colony. Although it was located hundreds of miles from Rome, its citizensenjoyed all the rights and privileges of Roman citizenship. They lived inMacedonia, but they belonged to Rome. They dressed like Romans, followed Romanlaws, and were proud to be Roman citizens. Paul says that is exactly howChristians should live. We live on earth, but we belong to heaven. This worldis not our home.  Petercalls us "strangers and pilgrims" in this world. We are simplypassing through. Our names have been written in heaven. Our King is in heaven. Ourtreasure is in heaven. And one day, we are going to heaven.Thatis why our values should be different. Our priorities should be different. Ourconduct should be different. As citizens of heaven, we should represent theKing of heaven here on earth.  Paulgoes on to say that from heaven "we look for the Saviour, the LordJesus Christ." The word "look" means to wait eagerlywith expectation. The early Christians lived every day believing that JesusChrist could return at any moment. Oh, my friend, this same hope should fillour hearts today. Titus 2:13 calls it, "Looking for that blessed hope,and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ."The return of Christ is not merely a doctrine to debate. It is a promise toencourage us, comfort us, and motivate us to holy living. John also wrote in 1John 3:2-3: "Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yetappear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall belike him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope inhim purified himself, even as he is pure." Jesus Himself said, "If I go away, I will come again."(John 14:3).  ThenPaul goes on to tell us that Christ, "shall change our vile body, thatit may be fashioned like unto his glorious body." The word "vile"here does not mean sinful. It refers to our lowly, humble, earthly body. Thisbody grows tired. It grows old. It becomes weak. It experiences sickness, pain,and sorrow. One day, unless the Lord returns first, it will die. But when JesusChrist returns, He will transform these mortal bodies into glorified bodieslike His own resurrection body. No more sickness. No more pain. No moreweakness. No more death. No more tears. What a glorious hope we have! We willbe like Jesus. Howwill He accomplish this? Paul says, "According to the working wherebyhe is able even to subdue all things unto himself." Now listen—this ispowerful. The same Lord who spoke the universe into existence...Thesame Lord who calmed the storm... The same Lord who conquered death and walkedout of the tomb... The same Lord who reigns over every king and everykingdom... has all power to complete His work in us. My friend, nothing is toohard for Him. Aswe conclude Philippians chapter 3, remember the great contrasts Paul has givenus. Do not put your confidence in the flesh—put your confidence in Christ. Donot look backward—press forward. Do not follow worldly examples—follow thosewho follow Christ. Do not set your mind on earthly things—remember that yourconversation, your citizenship, is in heaven. And do not lose hope. Jesus iscoming again. May we live today as faithful citizens of heaven while we eagerlywait for our Lord Jesus Christ to return. He could come at any moment.

Yesterday we learned from verse 17 that God has given usgodly examples to follow. Paul challenged us to imitate believers whose livesconsistently point us to Jesus Christ. But today, in verses 18 and 19, Paulgives the other side of that truth. He warns us that there are also people wemust not follow. Listen to what he writes: "For many walk, of whom Ihave told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemiesof the cross of Christ: whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, andwhose glory is in their shame--who set their mind on earthly things.” Oneword in this passage immediately captures my attention. It is the word"weeping." Paul doesn't write these words with anger. He doesn'tspeak with bitterness or hatred. He writes with tears. This reminds us of theheart of Jesus. As He approached Jerusalem, Luke 19:41 tells us, "And whenhe was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it." Jesus looked uponpeople who had rejected Him, and His heart was broken. The Apostle Paul hadthat same heart.  Hehad warned the Philippians about these people before. In fact, he says, "Ihave told you often." This wasn't a new warning. It was a repeatedwarning because the danger was so great. False teaching has always been one ofSatan's greatest weapons against the church. Who were these people? Paul callsthem "the enemies of the cross of Christ." Most Bible studentsbelieve Paul is still referring to the Judaizers that he warned about earlierin this chapter. They were religious people who insisted that faith in Christwas not enough. They taught that a person also had to keep the Law of Moses andbe circumcised in order to be saved.  Wheneveranyone adds human works to God's grace, they become an enemy of the cross. Why?Because the cross declares that Jesus paid the full price for our salvation.When our Lord cried, "It is finished," the work of redemption wascomplete. Salvation is not Christ plus our works. It is Christ alone.  Paulthen gives four characteristics of these false teachers. First, "whoseend is destruction." No matter how sincere they may appear, everyonewho rejects the true Gospel is headed for eternal separation from God. Religionwithout Christ has never saved anyone. Second,"whose God is their belly." In other words, their appetitescontrolled their lives. They lived to satisfy themselves rather than to pleaseGod. Whether it was pride, greed, popularity, comfort, or personal gain, selfhad become their god. That sounds very much like our culture today. We areconstantly told to satisfy ourselves, indulge ourselves, and put ourselvesfirst. But Jesus taught the very opposite. He said, "If any man will comeafter me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and followme." Third,"whose glory is in their shame." What a tragic statement! Theyboasted about the very things that should have brought them shame andrepentance. Isn't that exactly what we see in our world today? Things that Godcalls sin are often celebrated and applauded. Isaiah warned, "Woe untothem that call evil good, and good evil." Finally,Paul says they "mind earthly things." Their thoughts,ambitions, and priorities are fixed on this world instead of eternity. That isalways the difference between a believer and an unbeliever. The believer asks,"How can I please Christ?" The unbeliever asks, "How can Iplease myself?" The believer lives for eternity. The unbeliever lives onlyfor today. As believers, we must be careful not to let the spirit of this worldshape our thinking. Romans 12:2 reminds us, "And be not conformed tothis world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind." Today,Paul's tears remind us: That truth matters. The Gospel matters. People'seternal destiny matters. May God give us hearts that love people enough to tellthem the truth with compassion and grace, just as Paul did.

Today we move on to the last section of Philippians chapter3. As we close this chapter, we want to focus specifically on verse 17, wherePaul writes: “Brethren, join in following my example, and note those who sowalk, as you have us for a pattern.” NowPaul says, "Brethren, be followers together of me." At first,this might sound surprising. It almost sounds like Paul is being proud. But wehave just been reminded of what Paul said earlier: "Not as though I hadalready attained, either were already perfect." Paul knew he was stillgrowing. He was not asking believers to follow a perfect man. He was invitingthem to follow someone who was faithfully following Jesus Christ. Notice hesaid the same thing in 1 Corinthians 11:1: "Be ye followers of me, evenas I also am of Christ." In other words, Paul is saying, "Walkthe same path I am walking because I am following Jesus." Everyone of us needs godly examples. God never intended for us to grow in isolation.He places mature believers in our lives to encourage us, teach us, and show uswhat it looks like to live for Christ day by day. So Paul goes on to say,"And note those who so walk, as you have us for a pattern.” Theword “note” (sometimes translated "mark") means toobserve carefully or to keep your eye on. We get our English word scope fromthe same Greek root. It means to fix your attention on someone. NoticePaul doesn't say to mark those who merely talk about Christ. He says to markthose who walk with Christ. Anyone can say the right words. Anyone can quoteBible verses. Anyone can appear spiritual for an hour on Sunday morning. Butthe true test of Christianity is a consistent walk with God. Our daily conductshould match our profession, and our character should support our testimony.Our lives should point people to Jesus. Oh,I am so thankful when I look back over the years of my life for the faithfulbelievers God placed in my path. There were pastors who preached God's Wordwith conviction. There were missionaries who sacrificed everything to take theGospel to the nations. There were schoolteachers who were dedicated to thecause of Jesus Christ every day. There were humble church members who quietlyserved the Lord year after year without seeking recognition. Their livespreached sermons long before their voices were silent. I often say at funerals,"This dear person has already preached this service with their life."I truly believe that Christianity is more caught than taught. Peopleare always watching us. Children watch their parents. Grandchildren watch theirgrandparents. Young Christians watch older Christians. Whether we realize it ornot, someone is following our example. That makes this verse very personal. It'sone thing to ask, "Who am I following?" But perhaps the greaterquestion is, "Who is following me?" If someone patterned hisChristian life after yours, would he become more like Jesus? Would he become aperson of prayer? Would he love God's Word? Would he faithfully serve in thechurch? Would he have a heart for souls?  Paulunderstood that the Christian life is never lived in private. Every believer isleaving footprints that someone else may choose to follow. So today, Paulleaves us with a very simple challenge. Choose your examples carefully. Followpeople who are following Christ. Learn from believers whose lives consistentlyhonor the Lord. And then ask yourself another question: Am I becoming the kindof example that others should follow? May God help us to leave footprints that lead people to Christ. Let'spray.  Heavenly Father, thank You for thefaithful men and women You have placed in our lives who have shown us what itmeans to follow Christ. Help us to learn from their example, but even more,help us to become examples that others can safely follow. May our walk matchour words, and may our lives always point people to the Lord Jesus. In Hisprecious name we pray. Amen. 

These two verses teachus an important truth about the Christian life. We are to keep growing, but weare also to keep walking. God wants us to continue maturing spiritually whilefaithfully living up to the truth He has already taught us. Atfirst glance, Paul's words may seem a little surprising. In verse 12 he said hewas "not already perfect," yet here in verse 15 he speaks ofthose who are "mature." Is Paul contradicting himself? Not at all. Inverse 12, the word perfect means to be complete or to have reached the finishline. Paul says, "I haven't arrived yet." But in verse 15, the wordmature refers to someone who is spiritually grown up. Paul is saying,"Those who are spiritually mature should have this attitude." Whatattitude? Theattitude he has just described in verses 12 through 14—the attitude of neverbecoming satisfied with our spiritual condition, always pressing forward toknow Christ more fully. The truly mature Christian never believes he hasarrived. The mature believer never stops growing. The mature believer is alwayspressing on. Someone wisely said, "The surest sign of spiritual maturityis realizing how much more there is to learn." That seems opposite ofhuman thinking. We often assume mature Christians have learned everything. Inreality, the closer we walk with Christ, the more we realize how much we stillneed Him. NoticePaul says, "Let us...have this mind." Christian maturity isnot measured merely by how much Bible knowledge we possess. It is measured byour attitude toward spiritual growth. Are we still teachable? Are we stillhungry for God's Word? Do we desire to know Christ more deeply this year thanwe did last year?Sadly,many believers stop growing—not because they stop attending church—but becausethey become comfortable. They become satisfied with yesterday's walk with Godinstead of pursuing Him today. Paul reminds us that mature believers arelifelong learners. Thenhe adds something very encouraging: "And if in anything you thinkotherwise, God will reveal even this to you." Notice Paul's patience.He doesn't argue harshly with believers who have not yet understood thesetruths. Instead, he trusts the Holy Spirit to teach them. This reminds us thatwe cannot force spiritual growth in another person's life. Only God can openhearts. Only God can bring conviction. Only God can illuminate His Word. Ourresponsibility is to faithfully teach the truth. God's responsibility is toapply that truth to the heart. ThenPaul continues in verse 16: "Nevertheless, to the degree that we havealready attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us be of the samemind." In other words, while we continue growing, we must faithfullyobey what we already know. Don't wait until you understand the entire Biblebefore obeying the part you already understand. Jesus said in John 13:17: "Ifyou know these things, happy are ye if ye do them." Knowledge withoutobedience produces spiritual pride. Obedience produces spiritual growth. Godusually gives us enough light for the next step—not the next hundred. Psalm119:105 reminds us: "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto mypath." Notice, it is a lamp to our feet. God leads us one step at a time. Paulsays, "Let us walk by the same rule." The word walk speaks ofour daily conduct and manner of life. Christianity is not merely believing theright doctrines; it is living them. The word rule originally referred to ameasuring line or standard. God's Word is the standard by which we live. Wedon't measure ourselves by the culture. We don't compare ourselves with otherChristians. We measure our lives by God's truth. Finally,Paul says, "Let us be of the same mind." As believers growtogether in obedience to God's Word, unity naturally follows. God desires achurch that is united—not around personalities or preferences—but around Christand His truth.

Ina world full of distractions, divided loyalties, and competing priorities, Paullived with a single focus. Thefirst thing that Paul mentions is, “forgetting those things which are behind”.This doesn't mean that Paul had a poor memory or that he was to forgeteverything that ever happened. In fact, he often spoke about his past. Heremembered his conversion on the Damascus Road. He remembered God's grace. Heremembered his former life as a persecutor of the church. The word"forgetting" means refusing to be controlled or hindered by the past.For Paul, that included past failures. Imagine the memories that Paul carried.He had stood by approving the death of Stephen. He had entered homes anddragged believers away to prison. If anyone could have been crippled by guiltand regret, it was Paul. He had to face many of the relatives of the peoplethat he had persecuted over the years. Yet, he knew that God's grace wasgreater than his past.  Myfriend, perhaps today you have been haunted by mistakes that you've made. Maybethere are sins that you committed years ago that still trouble you. If youhave, confess those sins and trust Christ. Remember the promise in 1 John 1:9: “Ifwe confess our sins, He's faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and tocleanse us from all unrighteousness.” What a promise!!! God does not wantus living in the prison of guilt. He wants us moving forward in His grace.  ButPaul also had to forget past successes. That's something we often overlook.Paul could have spent the rest of his life talking about the churches heplanted, the miracles he witnessed, the sermons he preached, and the souls whohad been saved. Yet, he refused to live on yesterday's victories. Someone said,"Yesterday's victories can become today's limitations if we stop pursuingGod's work in the present." So many believers spend too much time talkingabout what God did years ago rather than seeking what God wants us to do today.We should thank God for the past, learn from the past, but never live in thepast. ThenPaul says, "And reaching forth to those things which are before."The picture here is beautiful. Paul uses the imagery of a runner in a race.Imagine an Olympic runner approaching the finish line. Every muscle isstretched forward. His eyes are fixed on the gold. He's not looking behind him.He's not watching the crowd. He's not distracted by the other runners. Hisentire body is leaning forward toward the finish line. That's the image thatPaul gives us here. The Christian life is not a sprint. It's a marathon. Itrequires endurance, discipline, and perseverance. Notice that our focus mustalways be on Jesus. When we focus on our failures, we become discouraged. Whenwe focus on our successes, we become proud. When we focus on other Christians,we become distracted. But when we focus on Jesus, we keep moving forward. ThenPaul said, "I press toward the mark." The word"press" here means to pursue with intensity. It was the same wordthat Paul used earlier to talk about how he pursued the persecution of thechurch before he was saved. The same passion that drove him to oppose Christnow drove him to pursue Christ. Paul was not drifting through the Christianlife. He was pursuing Christ with all his heart. It is sad today that manybelievers are content with spiritual mediocrity. They're satisfied with justenough Christianity to ease their conscience. But Paul was not satisfied. Hewanted everything God had for him. He wanted to know Christ more deeply. Hewanted to serve Christ more faithfully. He wanted to become more like Jesusevery day.  Thenhe tells us why: "For the prize of the high calling of God in ChristJesus." Paul was not running for earthly applause, recognition, orrewards. His eyes were fixed on eternity. The phrase "the highcalling" or "the upward call of God" refers to God's heavenlypurpose for every believer. One day we'll stand before Christ.  

Paul does not stop with holydissatisfaction. He moves immediately to holy determination. Listen tothe rest of verse 12: “But I press on, that I may lay hold of that for whichChrist Jesus has also laid hold of me”.  Inother words, Paul says, "I haven't arrived, but I am pursuing. Ihaven't reached the finish line, but I am still running." There is atremendous difference between being dissatisfied and being discouraged. Somepeople look at their spiritual weaknesses and simply give up. Paul looked athis weaknesses and became more determined than ever to keep growing. Thephrase, “I press on,” is a strong word. It is the same word often translated"pursue" or even "follow after." Ironically, it was thesame word Paul used earlier when he described how he once persecuted thechurch. Before his conversion, Paul pursued Christians with relentless zeal.Now he pursues Christ with that same passion and intensity. What atransformation! The energy that once opposed Christ now serves Christ.                                                                                                                                                                        Thisreminds us that Christianity is not passive. We are not called merely to sitand drift through life. We are called to pursue Christ. The writer of Hebrewssaid: “Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, lookingunto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith” (Hebrews 12:1-2). Noticethat Paul did not say, “I am waiting around.” He said, “that I may lay hold”.The Christian life is often compared to a race. A runner does not reach thefinish line accidentally. He runs intentionally. He trains. He disciplineshimself. He keeps moving forward even when he is tired. Paul understood thatspiritual growth requires effort. Not effort to earn salvation, but effortbecause we are saved. In Philippians 2:12-13, Paul wrote: “Work out your ownsalvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to willand to do for His good pleasure.” God works in us, and we cooperate withHis work by pursuing Him wholeheartedly. ThenPaul gives the reason for his pursuit: “that I may lay hold of that forwhich Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me...” The word “lay hold of”means to seize, grasp, to apprehend, or make one's own. Paul is saying, “Iwant to lay hold of the very purpose for which Christ laid hold of me.” Thinkback to the Damascus Road. Paul was traveling to persecute believers whensuddenly the risen Christ stopped him in his tracks. Jesus literally seizedPaul's life and changed his direction forever. Paul never forgot that day. Heknew Christ had saved him for a purpose. He knew Christ had not rescued himmerely to take him to heaven someday. Christ had a plan for his life here andnow. Thesame is true for every believer. God did not save us simply to forgive oursins. He saved us so that we might know Him, serve Him, glorify Him, and becomelike His Son. Romans 8:29 tells us: “For whom He foreknew, He alsopredestined to be conformed to the image of His Son.” God's goal for everyChristian is Christlikeness. Paul knew he had not yet fully become what Godintended him to be. Therefore, he kept pressing on.  Perhapstoday you feel frustrated by your spiritual progress. Maybe you see habits thatstill need to change. Maybe you struggle with the same temptations you'vebattled for years.  The question is not whether you havearrived. The question is whether you are still pressing on. Are you growing inyour knowledge of God's Word? Are you becoming more like Christ? Are youpursuing Him more today than you were a year ago? The Christian who stopsgrowing soon begins drifting. The Christian who keeps pursuing Christ continuesexperiencing His transforming power. Remember, the goal is not simply to knowabout Christ. The goal is to know Christ Himself.

Todaywe begin a new section in Philippians chapter 3. In the previous verses, Paulhas been sharing the great passion of his heart when he said, "That I mayknow Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of Hissufferings." Now, as we come to Philippians 3:12, Paul begins to describehis pursuit of Christ. He writes: "Not as though I had alreadyattained, either were already perfect..." Paul gives us one of themost important secrets of spiritual growth, and it is surprisingly simple. Thesecret is this: never become satisfied with where you are spiritually. Nowthink about who is making this statement. This is not a new convert. This isnot a believer who has only been walking with Christ for a few months. This isthe Apostle Paul. By the time he writes Philippians, Paul has walked withChrist for nearly thirty years. And yet, Paul says: "Not as though Ihad already attained, either were already perfect." The word"perfect" here does not mean sinless perfection. It means complete,finished, mature, or having fully arrived at the goal. Paulis saying, "I have not crossed the finish line yet. God's work in my lifeis not complete." What humility! The very man we would probably considerone of the greatest Christians who ever lived looked at himself and said,"I still have room to grow." One of the surest marks of spiritualmaturity is realizing how much more maturity is needed. The closer we get toJesus, the more clearly we see areas in our lives that need His transforminggrace. Have you ever noticed that when you first clean a window, it lookspretty good? But when the sunlight shines through it, suddenly you noticestreaks and smudges you never saw before.  1John 1:7 says: “But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we havefellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses usfrom all sin.”  The closer we walkwith Christ, the brighter His light shines on our hearts. We begin to seeattitudes, motives, habits, and weaknesses that need to change. That does notdiscourage a growing Christian. Instead, it motivates him. Paul had what wemight call a holy dissatisfaction. He was satisfied with Christ, but he was notsatisfied with his own spiritual progress. There is a tremendous differencebetween those two things. Paul had found complete satisfaction in Jesus Christ,but he still longed to know Him more deeply, love Him more fully, and serve Himmore faithfully. Sadly,one of the greatest dangers in the Christian life is spiritual complacency. Thechurch at Laodicea is a perfect example. In Revelation 3:17 they said: "Iam rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing."ButJesus saw them differently. He said they were: "Wretched, miserable, poor,blind, and naked."  They thoughtthey had arrived when in reality they were far from where they needed to be.That danger still exists today.  Sometimeswe compare ourselves with other Christians instead of comparing ourselves withChrist. Paul never compared himself to other believers.He compared himself to Jesus Christ. And when you compare yourself to Jesus,there is always room to grow. Psalm42:1-2 gives us a beautiful picture of holy dissatisfaction: "As thedeer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for You, O God. My soulthirsts for God, for the living God." The psalmist was not contentwith yesterday's fellowship. He longed for more of God today. That was Paul'sattitude. That should be our attitude as well. A satisfied Christian is often astagnant Christian. The Christian race is not over until we see Jesus face toface. There are still lessons to learn, victories to win, prayers to pray,people to reach, and ways to become more like Christ. So let us embrace whatPaul embraced—a holy dissatisfaction that keeps us pursuing Christ every day ofour lives. 

Today we come to one of the most remarkable statements, andperhaps one of the most quoted, made by the Apostle Paul. In Philippians3:10-11, he writes: "That I may know Him and the power ofHis resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to Hisdeath, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead." Afterstudying verse 9, we learned about the great exchange. Paul had received arighteousness not his own. He had been justified by faith and accepted by Godthrough Jesus Christ. Now,in verses 10 and 11, Paul moves from justification to sanctification. He movesfrom being found in Christ to growing in Christ. Notice the first phrase: "ThatI may know Him." These words reveal the passion of Paul's heart. Thinkabout who is speaking here. This is not a new convert. This is not a youngbeliever just beginning his Christian journey. This is the Apostle Paul, a manwho had walked with Christ for nearly thirty years. He had preached the gospelacross the Roman Empire. He had suffered greatly for Christ. Yet after all those years, hisgreatest desire remained the same: "That I may know Him." Theword "know" here speaks of personal, intimate, experiential knowledgeof Jesus Christ. Paul was not asking for more information about Jesus. Hewanted a deeper relationship with Him. This is the goal of the Christian life.  Sometimeswe become more interested in knowing about God than actually knowing God. Welearn Bible facts, study Bible doctrines, and memorize Bible verses, yet weneglect a closer walk with the Lord Jesus Christ. Christianity is not merelyabout information. It is about transformation through a daily relationship withJesus Christ.  ThenPaul says: "And the power of His resurrection." What does this mean? Paulwanted to experience the same power that raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Theresurrection was not merely a historical event. It is a present reality in thelife of every believer. Romans 8:11 tells us: "But if the Spirit of Himwho raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from thedead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells inyou." Think about that. The power of Christ's resurrection gives usvictory over sin. It gives us strength for daily living. It gives us courage intimes of trial. It gives us hope when circumstances seem impossible. Pauldoes not stop there. He also says: "And the fellowship of Hissufferings." That sounds very different. Most of us want resurrectionpower, but few of us want fellowship in His sufferings. Yet Paul understoodthat suffering often draws us closer to Christ than anything else. When we walkthrough trials, disappointments, hardships, losses, and difficulties, we learnto depend upon the Lord in ways we never would have otherwise. Peter wrote in 1Peter 4:13: "But rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ'ssufferings." This does not mean that Christ's sufferings for oursalvation were incomplete. Rather, it means that as we suffer for His sake, weidentify more closely with Him. We often learn more about Jesus Christ in ahospital room than in a classroom, more through tears than through triumphs,and more through trials than during times of ease. ThenPaul says: "Being conformed to His death." Do you know what thismeans? It means that we die toself. We deny ourselves, as Jesus taught, and we learn to walk with Him. Oh, myfriend, may God help us realize that we can walk with Jesus Christ more closelyevery day, enjoy a deeper relationship with Him every day, and become more likeChrist because we are getting to know Him more intimately every day. You see,the Christian life begins by trusting Christ, continues by knowing Christ, andends with being forever with Christ. That is what it means to attain to theresurrection from the dead. We have a glorious and blessed hope. One day wewill see Him, and we will be like Him.

AfterPaul shares what he did in verse 8, he continues in verse 9: "And befound in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but thatwhich is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God byfaith." Oh, what a wonderful verse! Paul has just told us that knowingChrist is the greatest treasure in all the world. Now he explains one of thegreatest blessings that comes from knowing Christ. When we trust Jesus, we arenot only brought into a relationship with Him, but we are given a righteousnessthat we could never produce ourselves.  Noticefirst Paul's negative statement: "Not having my own righteousness,which is from the law." Paul knew all about self-righteousness becauseif anyone could have boasted in religious achievements, it was Paul. Verses 4–6already list his impressive credentials. He was circumcised on the eighth day.He was of the nation of Israel. He was of the tribe of Benjamin. He was aHebrew of the Hebrews. He was a Pharisee. He was zealous. Outwardly, he wasblameless according to the law. Yet after meeting Jesus Christ, Paul realizedthat all these accomplishments could never make him righteous before a holyGod. Theprophet Isaiah said it this way in Isaiah 64:6: "But we are all like anunclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags." Whata humbling truth. The best that we can produce in our own strength falls farshort of God's perfect standard. You see, religion always says, "Tryharder." But the gospel tells us that Christ has already done what wecould never do. The problem is not that we need a little improvement. Theproblem is that we need a completely new standing before a holy God. Noticewhat Paul desired instead: "But that which is through faith in Christ,the righteousness which is from God by faith." This is whattheologians often call imputed righteousness. That simply means that when weplace our faith in Christ, God credits Christ's righteousness to our account. Thinkof it this way. On the cross, Jesus took our sin upon Himself. In salvation,God places Christ's righteousness upon us. Oh, my friend, what a gloriousexchange! In 2 Corinthians 5:21, we read: "For He made Him who knew nosin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God inHim." Jesuslived the perfect life that we could never live. He died the death that wedeserved to die. Then, when we trust Him, God declares us righteous in Hissight. Another word for that is justification. We are justified in the sight ofGod. This is not because of what we have done. It is because of what Christ hasdone. Noticehow many times faith appears in Philippians 3:9: "through faith inChrist" and "from God by faith." Faith is simply theempty hand that receives God's gift. We do not earn righteousness; we receiveit. We do not work for it; we trust Christ for it. We do not achieve it; Godgives it. Martin Luther called this "the great exchange." You knowhis struggle with self-righteousness until the day he discovered the truth ofjustification by faith. This truth ignited the Protestant Reformation andchanged the course of human history. Perhapsone of the most important phrases in this verse is found right at thebeginning: "And be found in Him." Everything Paul desired wasfound in Christ. His acceptance was in Christ. His righteousness was in Christ.His salvation was in Christ. His future hope was in Christ. That is still truetoday, my friend. The question is not whether you are religious enough. Thereal question is whether you are in Christ. Have you stopped trusting in yourown goodness, your own efforts, your own religious performance, and placed yourfaith completely and entirely in Jesus Christ? When you do that, at that verymoment, God places you in Christ through the baptism of His Holy Spirit (1Corinthians 12:13). Then you stand clothed in Christ's righteousness before aholy God.

Today, I want us to focus on the next phrase: "for theexcellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord." This is thereason Paul gladly counted everything else as loss. Nownotice carefully. Paul does not say, "for the excellence ofreligion." He does not say, "for the excellence of theology." Hedoes not say, "for the excellence of church membership." He says,"for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord." Christianityis not primarily about a system. It is about a Person. It is about Jesus.  Theword "knowledge" here means much more than intellectual information.Paul is not talking about knowing facts about Jesus. He is speaking aboutknowing Jesus intimately and personally. There is a great difference betweenknowing about someone and actually knowing that person. You can read abiography about a famous person and know where that person was born, where theylived, what they did, and so forth. But that does not mean you know thatperson. You see, many people today know about Jesus. They know that He was bornin Bethlehem. They know that He died on the cross. They know that He rose fromthe dead. They know Bible stories and verses. Yet they do not truly know Him. Paulis speaking about a living relationship with a living Christ. Remember whatJesus said in John 17:3. This is a key verse in the New Testament: "Andthis is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and JesusChrist whom You have sent." Notice that eternal life is not merely aplace where we go when we die. It is a relationship that we enter into when wetrust Christ. The Christian life begins by knowing Christ, and it continues byknowing Christ better. Themost wonderful thing about Jesus is that we never reach the end of knowing Him.After decades of serving Christ, Paul still yearned to know Him even more. Infact, later in this chapter, in verse 10, Paul says, "that I may knowHim and the power of His resurrection." Think about it. This is not anew believer talking. This is a man who had walked with Christ for nearlythirty years. Yet his desire was still the same: "that I may knowHim." The more Paul learned about Jesus Christ and walked with Him,the more he wanted to know Him. The more he experienced Christ's faithfulness,the more he loved Christ. The more he understood Christ's grace, the more heworshiped Christ. This is a mark of genuine spiritual growth. Christianityis not simply about learning more Bible facts. It is about growing in apersonal relationship with Jesus Christ. We know Him through His Word. We knowHim through prayer. We know Him through obedience. We know Him throughfellowship with His people. We know Him through the trials that teach us todepend upon Him. We know Him through daily communion with Him. NoticePaul's personal language when he says, "Christ Jesus my Lord."It was not merely Jesus the Lord. It was Jesus my Lord. That is why we can saywith Psalm 23: "The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want." Canyou say that? Not merely that Jesus is a Savior. Not merely that Jesus is theSavior. But that Jesus is your Savior and your Lord. Oh, there is a differencebetween knowing about someone and actually knowing that person. The greatesttreasure in all the world is not wealth. It is not success. It is not fame. Itis not even religious achievement. The greatest treasure in life is knowingJesus Christ personally. Thatis why Paul could count everything as loss, because he found somethinginfinitely better. He found a relationship with Jesus Christ. Do you know Jesuspersonally? If you know Him, are you growing in that relationship? Is your lovefor Jesus Christ increasing daily? Is it your desire to know Him in a deeperway? Oh, my friend, may we be able to say with the Apostle Paul: "forthe excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord."

Today we continue in Philippians 3:8, where Paul expands uponthe remarkable statement he made in verse 7. There he said: "But whatthings were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ." Paullooked at all his religious achievements, his family heritage, his education,his zeal, and his reputation, and he moved them from the profit column to theloss column. Nowhe takes this truth even further. In verse 8, he says: "Yet indeed Ialso count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesusmy Lord." Notice the change. In verse 7, Paul spoke in the past tense.He was describing a decision he made when he met Christ. But now in verse 8, hespeaks in the present tense. He is saying, "I still count all thingsloss." This is no longer merely his testimony of conversion. It is hisdaily perspective on life. Yearshave passed since the Damascus Road experience. Paul has planted churches. Hehas preached the Gospel throughout the Roman Empire. He has sufferedpersecution. He was stoned and left for dead on one occasion. He has beenimprisoned. He has experienced countless hardships. Yet after all these years,he has not changed his mind. In fact, Christ has become even more precious tohim. The more Paul knows Jesus, the more convinced he becomes that Christ isworth everything. Noticewhat he says:"I also count all things loss." Not just somethings. Not just his religious achievements.Notjust his former traditions. All things. Because, my friend, anything thatcompetes with Christ for first place in our lives must be surrendered. Paul isnot saying that family, possessions, work, education, friendships, oraccomplishments are evil. Rather, he is saying that compared to Christ, theyare of far less value. Remember,Jesus taught the same truth in Matthew 10:37 when He said: "He wholoves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me." The issue isnot whether we love these things. The issue is whether we love Jesus Christsupremely. Think about a young person playing with a handful of pebbles.Suddenly he discovers a diamond worth millions. The pebbles immediately losetheir appeal because something infinitely greater has been found. Thatis exactly what happened to Paul. When he met Jesus Christ, everything else wasput into proper perspective. The world spends its time pursuing wealth,success, pleasure, fame, recognition, and possessions. Yet Paul says that noneof these things compare to Christ. We need to remember that one day everypossession will be left behind. One day every earthly achievement will beforgotten. One day every human accomplishment will fade away. But Jesus Christremains the same yesterday, today, and forever. Oneof the great tests of spiritual maturity is this: Is Jesus Christ becoming moreprecious to you with the passing years? Many people become more attached to theworld as they grow older. But Paul became more attached to Jesus Christ. Thelonger he walked with the Lord, the more he valued the Lord. This should betrue of us as well. Every year we live should deepen our love for Christ. Everytrial should increase our dependence upon Christ. Every blessing shouldincrease our gratitude to Christ. Every day should cause us to treasure JesusChrist even more. Let'sthink about something for a moment as we close. What do we value most? Whatoccupies our thoughts? A.W. Tozer once said: "I can tell you what kindof relationship you have with God when you tell me what you are thinking aboutwhen you have nothing else to think about." What are your thoughtsthen? That is a good question we should ask ourselves today. What captures ourheart? What would be the hardest thing for us to surrender today? The answer tothose questions will reveal what we treasure most. Paul's answer was clear: "Ialso count all things loss." Why? Because he had found somethinginfinitely greater. He had discovered Jesus Christ. 

Upto this point, Paul has been describing the things that once gave him greatconfidence before God. If anyone could have boasted in religiousaccomplishments, as we have seen over the last few days, it was Paul. He hadthe right family, the right education, the right religion, the right zeal, andthe right reputation. But then something happened. Paul met Jesus Christ, andeverything changed that day on the road to Damascus. The very things that Paulonce counted as assets, he now viewed as liabilities. The things he once placedin the profit column, he moved to the loss column. Thelanguage Paul uses here comes from the world of accounting and bookkeeping. Itis as though Paul took out a ledger sheet and carefully examined his life. Onone side, he listed all the things he thought would earn him favor with God. Onthe other side, he placed Jesus Christ. When Paul finished his calculations, hediscovered that everything he had trusted in was worthless compared to Christ. Infact, he says, "I have counted loss for Christ." NoticePaul did not merely say that these things were less important. He says theywere loss. Why? Because those things were actually keeping him from seeing hisneed for a Savior. His religion had given him a false sense of security. Hismorality had convinced him that he was righteous enough. His achievements hadfilled him with spiritual pride. The very things he thought were helping himget to God were actually keeping him from God. Thatis why salvation is often so difficult for self-righteous people. The personwho knows he is a sinner is often closer to the kingdom of God than the personwho believes he is already good enough. Jesus illustrated this in Luke 18 withthe Pharisee and the tax collector. Remember, the Pharisee stood and thankedGod that he was not like other men and listed all his religious achievements.The publican, the tax collector, bowed his head, beat his breast, and criedout: "God, be merciful to me, a sinner." Jesus said that the taxcollector went home justified. Why? Because he recognized his need. Thatis what Jesus was talking about in Matthew 9:11-13 when He called Matthew to beHis disciple. Then He went to Matthew's house to eat. The Pharisees asked,"Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?" Jesusreplied: "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those whoare sick. But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy and not sacrifice.'For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance." Myfriend, God cannot fill hands that are already full. As long as we are holdingon to our own righteousness, we cannot receive the righteousness of Christ. Aslong as we trust in ourselves, we cannot fully trust in Him. Thisverse reminds us that becoming a Christian is not merely adding Jesus to ourlives. It is exchanging everything we trust in for Christ alone. In Matthew 13,Jesus told of the man who found the pearl of great price. He went and soldeverything he had to purchase that pearl. That is what we do when we come tounderstand who we are and realize that what we truly need is Jesus Christalone. That is why Paul said, "I have counted loss." Thisspeaks of a deliberate decision. Paulcarefully evaluated his life and came to a settled conclusion. He determinedthat Christ was worth more than anything and everything else put together. Haveyou ever done that? Have you ever come to that place in your life? Today I askyou a personal question: What is in your profit column? What are you dependingon for your acceptance with God? Is it your church membership, your baptism,your good works, your morality, your family heritage? Or are you trusting inJesus Christ alone? The moment we truly see Jesus Christ for who He is,everything else fades into the background. Paul's testimony is simple butpowerful: "What things were gain to me, these I have counted loss forChrist."

Paul moves from what he inherited to what he personally achieved. Listento what he says: "As to the law, a Pharisee; concerning zeal, persecutingthe church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless." Thesewere not things that were given to Paul. These were things he worked hard toattain. If anyone could have earned a right standing before God throughreligion, dedication, and moral effort, it was Saul of Tarsus. First,notice that Paul said, "As to the law, a Pharisee." ThePharisees were the strictest religious group in Judaism. There were not many ofthem compared to the population of Israel, but they were highly respected fortheir devotion to the Law. The word Pharisee actually means "separatedone." They separated themselves from anything they believed would makethem spiritually unclean. They carefully studied the Scriptures, observedreligious traditions, and sought to obey every detail of the Law. SoPaul was not merely a religious man. He was a religious leader. In Acts 23:6,he boldly declared, "I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee." Hehad studied under the famous Rabbi Gamaliel according to Acts 22:3. Hepossessed the finest religious education available in his day. Yet with allthat learning and all that religious devotion, it could not save him. It ispossible to know the Bible intellectually and still not know Jesus Christpersonally. Many people today know Bible stories, memorize verses, and attendchurch regularly, yet they have never experienced the transforming grace ofGod. Knowledge alone cannot save. Secondly,Paul said, "Concerning zeal, persecuting the church." Thismight seem shocking to us. How could persecuting Christians be considered acredential? But before his conversion, Paul believed Christians were theenemies of God. He thought he was serving God by trying to destroy the church. Acts8:3 tells us that Saul made havoc of the church, entering houses and draggingmen and women off to prison. In Acts 9, he was on his way to Damascus withauthority to arrest believers when he met the risen Christ. In Acts 26:9-11,when he gave his testimony before Agrippa, he said: “I punished them oftenin every synagogue and compelled them to blaspheme. Being exceedingly enragedagainst them, I persecuted them even to foreign cities." Paulwas sincere. He was passionate. He was committed. But he was sincerely wrong. Thisreminds us that sincerity alone is not enough because a person can be sincereand still be lost. A person can be passionate and still be mistaken. The mostimportant question is not how sincere we are. The important question is whetherour faith is based on the truth of Jesus Christ. Today, many people are zealousabout religion, politics, causes, traditions, or philosophies. But zeal withouttruth can lead us far from God. Paul had zeal, but he still needed a Savior. Third,Paul said, "Concerning the righteousness which is in the law,blameless." Notice he did not say sinless. He said blameless. In theeyes of the people around him, Paul lived an exemplary life. No one could pointto some scandalous sin and accuse him of hypocrisy. Outwardly, he appeared tobe everything a religious person should be. If Saul of Tarsus had lived in ourcommunity today, many churches would probably have wanted him to be a deacon, aSunday school teacher, an elder, or a ministry leader. Yet despite all hismorality and religious discipline, he was still lost. Thisis one of the most sobering truths in Scripture. Aperson can be religious and still need salvation. Remember, Jesus said inMatthew 7 that many will come to Him in that day and say, "Lord, Lord,have we not done many wonderful works in Your name?" And Jesus willsay to them, "Depart from Me, you workers of iniquity. I never knewyou." That is sobering. Are you sure—really sure—that you have beenborn again? We need the grace of God and salvation through Christ alone.